Are you a long-time AMD fan still gaming on a Radeon RX Vega 64 graphics card? If so, this 2000+ word guide is meant just for you!
Your Vega 64 likely served you well since its 2017 release against Nvidia‘s GTX 1080. But GPU advancement moves quickly, which begs the question – could it be time to upgrade your aging card in 2023?
We‘ll explore that very topic together!
I‘ll be providing six excellent, modern replacement options for your Vega 64 based on different budgets and use cases. Expect detailed spec breakdowns, performance comparisons, bottlenecks to consider, and closing recommendations to help guide your purchasing decision!
Let‘s start with a look back first though…
The Venerable RX Vega 64: Blast from the Past
The Radeon RX Vega 64 arrived on August 14, 2017 to great fanfare from AMD fans. It served as their new 4K-capable flagship graphics card with extensive tuning potential.
Early reviews, including analysis from Tom‘s Hardware and PCWorld, focused heavily on the reference RX Vega 64 often trading blows with Nvidia‘s mighty GTX 1080.
Thanks to extensive optimization and clever use of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM2), this newcomer impressed…
Key Specs:
- Launch Date: August 2017
- GPU Core: Vega 10
- Stream Processors: 4096
- Boost Clock: 1546 MHz
- Memory Bandwidth: 484 GB/s
- Memory: 8GB HBM2
- Memory Clock: 945 MHz
- PCIe Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16
- Launch Price: $499
Let‘s view some game benchmarks next to better understand the Vega 64‘s positioning and performance when it first hit the scene:
| Game Benchmark | GTX 1080 Feat. Avg FPS | RX Vega 64 Feat. Avg FPS | % Faster than GTX 1080 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitman 1080p | 71 | 73 | +2.8% |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider 1440p | 53 | 60 | +13.2% |
| Battlefield 1 1440p | 87 | 90 | +3.4% |
| The Witcher III 1440p | 64 | 67 | +4.6% |
As you can see, the initial Radeon RX Vega 64 touted extremely competitive frame rates against the GTX 1080. It generally delivered higher performance, especially at higher 2560 x 1440 resolutions.
Ideal Use Case:
Given those specs and benchmarks, AMD aimed this $499 graphics card at enthusiasts seeking strong 2560 x 1440 and entry-level 4K UHD gaming. It required lots of power and heat mitigation, but afforded gamers 60+ fps smooth gameplay in AAA titles at max or near-max fidelity.
Unfortunately, standing still means falling behind in the rapid graphics card space…
Fast forward over 5 years later into 2023, and even this once mighty GPU shows its age running cutting-edge games. Time for an upgrade!
But before we analyze modern replacement options, let‘s recap specs on your current Vega 64:
| RX Vega 64 Key Specs | |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | August 2017 |
| GPU Core | Vega 10 |
| Stream Processors | 4096 |
| Memory | 8GB HBM2 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 484 GB/s |
| Clock Speed | 1546 MHz |
| Power Draw | 295 watts |
Now armed with that baseline, let‘s explore 6 upgraded alternatives for your venerable RX Vega 64 in 2023:
Best Overall: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
If your goal is uncompromised, high-refresh 4K gaming, NVIDIA‘s brand new RTX 4080 should sit atop your wishlist as the Vega 64‘s ultimate replacement.
Announced just 6 months ago in November 2022, this flagship-class GPU unlocks up to 4x your old card‘s performance thanks to insane specs:
| RTX 4080 Key Specs | |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | November 2022 |
| CUDA Cores | 9728 |
| GPU Boost Clock | 2505 MHz |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6X |
| Memory Bandwidth | 717 GB/s |
| Power Draw | 320 watts |
| Launch Price | $1,199 |
That‘s over 3x the CUDA cores and nearly 50% more memory bandwidth versus your Vega 64!
Benchmarks confirm the epic real-world speed gains:
| Game Benchmark | RX Vega 64 FPS | RTX 4080 FPS | % Faster than Vega 64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 4K | 24 | 78 | +225% |
| Microsoft Flight Simulator 4K | 31 | 92 | +197% |
| Control 1440p | 43 | 188 | +337% |
Of course, such a brand new luxury GPU commands a luxury price tag – over twice your original $499 RX Vega 64.
However, if you desire an uncompromised, cutting edge card for high resolution or high refresh rate gaming, the RTX 4080 offers incredible gains over your old AMD card across the board!
Best Value: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
Thankfully, AMD also offers their new RDNA 2-based Radeon RX 6700 XT delivering better performance and modern features over Vega at a more affordable price…
Released in March 2021, this 1440p-focused GPU retails around 40% less than Nvidia‘s mighty RTX 4080, while still massively improving your aging Vega 64…
RX 6700 XT Key Specs:
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | March 2021 |
| GPU Core | Navi 22 |
| Stream Cores | 2560 |
| Boost Clock | 2581 MHz |
| Memory | 12GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 384 GB/s |
| Power Draw | 230 watts |
| Launch Price | $479 |
Benchmarks show nearly 50% faster 1440p speeds versus your 2017-era card:
| Game Benchmark | RX Vega 64 FPS | RX 6700 XT FPS | % Faster than Vega 64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 2560 x 1440 | 52 | 78 | +50% |
| Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla 2560 x 1440 | 48 | 71 | +48% |
| Call of Duty Modern Warfare II 2560 x 1440 | 62 | 94 | +52% |
The 6700 XT lacks capabilities like DLSS and tensor core-accelerated ray tracing found in Nvidia‘s RTX cards. However, it still powers modern games with faster shaders and 12GB of cutting edge GDDR6 VRAM over your aging Vega 64‘s paltry 8GB HBM2 capacity.
If you desire better performance but aren‘t ready to splurge over $1,000 on a GPU, AMD‘s $479 6700 XT serves you well in 2023!
Best 1080p GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Nvidia‘s GeForce RTX 3060 Ti first arrived in December 2020, slotting below 4K-focused cards like the 3080/3090 but above entry options like the standard 3060.
It blazed onto the scene touting excellent 1080p and smooth 1440p gaming capabilities. But how does it compare now versus your RX Vega 64?
RTX 3060 Ti Key Specs:
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | December 2020 |
| GPU Core | GA104 |
| CUDA Cores | 4864 |
| Boost Clock | 1665 MHz |
| Memory | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448 GB/s |
| Power Draw | 200 watts |
| Launch Price | $399 |
You gain extra memory bandwidth and faster clocks, although lose some VRAM over your 2017 Radeon card. Let‘s examine gaming benchmarks:
| Game Benchmark | RX Vega 64 FPS | RTX 3060 Ti FPS | % Faster than Vega 64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gears 5 1920 x 1080 Ultra | 61 | 102 | +67% |
| Borderlands 3 1920 x 1080 Badass | 52 | 86 | +65% |
The 3060 Ti outperforms AMD‘s old card by over 60% on average testing! This makes it a fantastic value under $400 to achieve blazing1080p speeds and very smooth 1440p gameplay.
Plus, you gain access to modern NVIDIA features like ray tracing and DLSS the Vega 64 lacks. If you currently gaming on a 1920 x 1080 screen, the venerable RTX 3060 Ti serves as a very compelling upgrade over your dated RX Vega 64!
Best High-End 4K Option: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
At the bleeding edge sits AMD‘s freshly launched RX 7900 XTX graphics card. This luxury model promises over 2x the gaming performance of your old 2017 GPU!
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | December 2022 |
| GPU Core | Navi 31 |
| Compute Units | 96 CUs |
| Game Clock | 2100 MHz |
| Memory | 24GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 960 GB/s |
| Infinity Cache | 96 MB |
| Power Draw | 355 watts |
New capabilities like hardware-accelerated ray tracing join an impressively wide 384-bit memory bus and huge 24GB memory capacity. Let‘s see the gaming results!
| Game Benchmark | RX Vega 64 FPS | RX 7900 XTX FPS | % Faster than Vega 64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 3840 x 2160 | 19 | 44 | +132% |
| Call of Duty MW II 3840 x 2160 | 44 | 148 | +236% |
Wow – well over 2X frames versus your aging Radeon card even at demanding 4K resolution!
Yes, the 7900 XTX costs nearly double the Vega 64‘s original $499 MSRP. However, you receive luxury-level performance exceeding even NVIDIA‘s mighty RTX 4090 in certain game engine benchmarks…
If you desire uncompromised visuals to pair with fancy new displays boasting 4K clarity or ultra-quick refresh rates – AMD‘s new flagship handles it with aplomb over your old GPU!
Best Budget Upgrade: AMD Radeon RX 6600
Of course, not every former Vega 64 gamer boasts a huge budget for a graphics card upgrade.
Thankfully, AMD offers the affordable Radeon RX 6600 – launched in October 2021 for cost-conscious 1080p gamers.
RX 6600 Key Specs:
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | October 2021 |
| GPU Core | Navi 23 |
| Stream Processors | 1792 |
| Game Clock | 2044 MHz |
| Memory | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 224 GB/s |
| Power Draw | 132 watts |
| Launch Price | $329 |
You retain 8GB of VRAM as found on your Vega 64, albeit upgraded to cutting edge GDDR6 technology. This small RDNA 2 GPU focuses on delivering better 1080p performance for the money over raw specs.
How does it fare versus the RX Vega 64?
| Game Benchmark | RX Vega 64 FPS | RX 6600 FPS | % Faster than Vega 64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitman 3 1920 x 1080 | 71 | 86 | +21% |
| Forza Horizon 5 1920 x 1080 | 66 | 78 | +18% |
While gains over Vega prove smaller than pricier options, the affordable 6600 still outpaces AMD‘s old card by around 18% on average. It succeeds in achieving very smooth 60 fps+ gaming even in demanding modern titles at 1080p resolutions.
If your budget keeps you below $300 when seeking a Vega 64 replacement, the RX 6600 shines bright as our top value pick!
Best Compact Size: AMD Radeon RX 6400
My final suggestion targets former Vega 64 users now utilizing compact, small form factor PCs or home theater builds.
While far from a processing beast, AMD‘s petite Radeon RX 6400 gaming card arrived in February 2022 as an intriguing, low power option.
RX 6400 Key Specs:
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | February 2022 |
| GPU Core | Navi 24 |
| Game Clock | 2039 MHz |
| Memory | 4GB GDDR6 |
| Interface | x4 PCIe 4.0 |
| Power Draw | 53 watts |
| Size | 16.7 cm |
Don‘t expect blazing speeds or cutting edge visuals from this diminutive GPU. It still modestly outpaces integrated graphics options though, while taking up tiny spaces.
Let‘s check some benchmarks…
| Game Benchmark | RX Vega 64 FPS | RX 6400 FPS | % Faster than Vega 64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CS:GO 1920 x 1080 High | 189 | 203 | +7% |
| GTA V 1920 x 1080 High | 59 | 63 | +6% |
While almost an insult to the once mighty Vega 64 name, the 6400 does provide a viable low profile upgrade choice. It pulls under 55 watts without external power, while giving compact/HTPC builders playable frame rates.
If sheer speed fails to motivate you – but a cool, quiet, affordable GPU for small spaces does – AMD‘s "little giant" Radeon RX 6400 works!
Now let‘s summarize everything we just covered…
To Upgrade, or Not To Upgrade?
We‘ve explored 6 modern graphics cards ranging from NVIDIA‘s mighty new $1,200 RTX 4080 down to AMD‘s diminutive $159 RX 6400. All promise varying degrees of gaming performance uplifts versus your aging RX Vega 64.
Before deciding which replacement option works best for you, first consider:
What display resolution will you play games at? 1080p? 1440p? 4K? Ultrawide? This greatly impacts ideal GPU selection.
Do you value cutting edge visuals like ray tracing? NVIDIA RTX models or AMD‘s 7900 XTX work best then.
What titles or genres do you play most? Competitive esports? MMOs? Single player adventures? This shapes ideal budgets and target frame rates too.
Additionally, also factor in your supporting hardware when upgrading your GPU:
Bottlenecking looms likely on older processors like 6th/7th Gen Intel Core series or 1st/2nd Gen Ryzen derivatives.
RAM capacities under 16GB strain providing adequate frame buffer room for high resolution titles on modern GPUs.
Underpowered PSU units risk instability when powering cards like the 350+ watt RX 7900 XTX or RTX 4090.
Consider upgrading additional components like your CPU, memory, PSU etc alongside an aging Radeon RX Vega 64 to prevent wasted performance and frustration.
I sincerely hope this guide helps better understand replacement considerations as you plan saying goodbye to your long-tenured GPU. Thanks for reading and enjoy your new, much faster graphics card in 2023!
