These Black Friday AMD graphics card deals have me seriously reconsidering my 8-year allegiance to Nvidia

An image showcasing three AMD GPUs.
(Image credit: AMD)
XFX RX 6700 XT Speedster SWFT309 | 12GB GDDR6 | 2,560 shaders | 2,581MHz Boost |$519.99$419.99 at Amazon (save $100)

XFX RX 6700 XT Speedster SWFT309 | 12GB GDDR6 | 2,560 shaders | 2,581MHz Boost | $519.99 $419.99 at Amazon (save $100)
This card is finally back down to the MSRP for an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. Currently that makes it one of the better bang for buck cards on the market, perfect for your AMD build.

Gigabyte Eagle Radeon RX 6650 XT | 8GB GDDR6 | 2,048 shaders | 2,635MHz boost | $299.99 $259.99 at Newegg (save $40 after rebate)

Gigabyte Eagle Radeon RX 6650 XT | 8GB GDDR6 | 2,048 shaders | 2,635MHz boost | $299.99 $259.99 at Newegg (save $40 after rebate)
This doesn't sound like such a crazy price from the Newegg listing, but trust me, it's one the best we've seen in, literally, years. The original version of this card launched for $379, competing with the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3060. Today, the slightly faster RX 6650 XT version is less than the price of most RTX 3050s. Let that sink in for a moment. And it's a triple-fan cooler from a trusted manufacturer.

XFX Speedster SWFT 319 RX 6900 XT | 16GB GDDR6 | 5,120 shaders | 2,250 MHz Boost | $869.99 $669.99 at Newegg (save $200)

XFX Speedster SWFT 319 RX 6900 XT | 16GB GDDR6 | 5,120 shaders | 2,250 MHz Boost | $869.99 $669.99 at Newegg (save $200)
Trust us when we say this card was anything but affordable for most of its life. The MSRP for AMD's RX 6900 XT was originally $999, and this triple-fan XFX is a significantly sizeable model on top of that. Nowadays this card is facing an existential crisis with the arrival of the RX 7900-series, hence the big discounts, but if you want 4K frame rates immediately then this is still a good option. It's basically somewhere between an RTX 3080 and RTX 3090, for far less cash.

Readers of PCG's weekend question will be well-aware of my GPU struggles, but for the unfamiliar, let's just say that, well, circumstances have conspired such that I occasionally have to turn my PC upside down to make the graphics card work. Look, don't worry, it's fine, but I'm in the market for a new GPU, and some of these AMD deals have me seriously tempted to switch over from the green team.

While we've got all the best Black Friday GPU deals arrayed for you and constantly updated, I thought I'd take some time to highlight a couple of the specific deals that have me reconsidering my loyalty to Nvidia.

First up is XFX's version of the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, which makes much more sense on sale than it does at MSRP, especially at over a hundred bucks off. An RTX 4090 this ain't, but it's a solid choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and the RX 6700 XT currently holds the #3 on our list of best graphics cards. Since I spend most of my time playing Crusader Kings 3 on my 1440p monitor—and I'm fairly certain this card won't ask me to turn my PC upside down at any point—I have to admit I'm tempted.

Heck, if I was content to live at 1080p for a while, I could even pick up an RX 6650 XT, which is pretty much unmatched at its price point these days.

On the other hand, if I do ever get the urge to play in 4K, I could always spring for that card's big brother: The XFX Speedster SWFT 319 RX 6900 XT (I'm convinced whoever names these things is just messing with us at this point). Another card that made barely any sense at MSRP, it becomes a lot more persuasive when you knock $200 off the price tag.

These are both RDNA 2 cards, not the latest and greatest RDNA 3 tech, and they obviously lack Nvidia's bells and whistles like DLSS. But I'm on a 1080 Ti right now anyway, so it's not like I'm giving anything up, and with Nvidia's latest generation of cards being so massive and expensive, I have to admit that it's gonna be a struggle not to turn my coat on this one.

Joshua Wolens
News Writer

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.