Scored using Graphics cards Methodology v3.0
Graphics cards Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Graphics cards Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Graphics cards Methodology v3.0

MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X review: 117 specs compared

Avg. price:~£380VRAM:8 GBMemory bus width:128 bitThermal Design Power (TDP):175 W

MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X Review: Compare 117 technical specifications to see how this product ranks in the Graphics cards category and whether it is worth buying.

MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X
6.9/10

Overall score

Score
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists and owners.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 25%, List score 25%, Sentiment score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

40%

6.2

Technical score

25%

?

Reviews scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.6, the mark of a weaker model in this category

25%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

6.2

Sentiment score

â–¼Worse than 71% of graphics cards
7.4

Value for money

Value for money
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the graphics card's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a graphics card that offers a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

6.9

Overall score

30%

8.5

Price

â–¼Worse than 54%
6.2

Technical score

Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

44%

5.6

Performance

24%

4.0

Memory

12%

8.3

Power

11%

8.9

Features

5%

8.8

Design

4%

9.1

Connectivity

â–¼Worse than 68%
?

Reviews score

Reviews score
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.6 for now.
Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Grades by review (0)
We have not found an independent test of this model yet. Until we do, its review part counts as 7.6.
User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
No expert tests yet
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 25% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
  • msi-radeon-rx-6650-xt-mech-2x
msi-radeon-rx-6650-xt-mech-2x
Where to buy
    N/A~ £380
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.

What owners say about the MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X

Based on 187 owners sharing their experience in online comments

55%positive19%mixed26%negative

Owners mostly like its strong 1080p performance, while stuttering, driver problems, and weak ray tracing are recurring frustrations.

What owners dislike

  • Some owners report stuttering, lag spikes and sudden frame drops in games such as Fortnite, GTA V and Warzone, often on Ryzen 5 chips.25
  • Some owners report frame rates well below expectations in certain games, sometimes much lower than benchmarks suggest.20
  • Some owners say the card runs hotter than expected, with hotspot temperatures reaching 90 to 100 degrees Celsius on some models.8
  • Owners say ray tracing performance is weak, with large frame rate drops when RT is turned on.5
  • Owners say 8 GB of VRAM feels limiting at 1080p in newer games and sometimes runs out of memory.5
  • Some owners say driver installs caused system problems, such as a GPU that stopped working or the error Code 43.4
  • Some owners say GPU usage drops to very low levels during gameplay, causing stutters despite high CPU use.3
  • Owners say the H.264 encoder used for streaming gives poor video quality compared with Nvidia's encoder.3

Points mentioned by at least 3 owners, most mentioned first.

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Technical Specifications of graphics card MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X

Technical score
Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

44%

5.6

Performance

24%

4.0

Memory

12%

8.3

Power

11%

8.9

Features

5%

8.8

Design

4%

9.1

Connectivity

6.2
Reviews score
7.6
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the graphics card's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a graphics card that offers a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

70%

6.9

Overall score

30%

8.5

Price

7.4
3DMark Time Spy benchmark score
7,600 points
This graphics card scores 7,600 points in 3DMark Time Spy, which is lower than 78.8% of graphics cards and equal to 0.1% of graphics cards.
3DMark Port Royal score
4,700 points
This graphics card scores 4,700 points in 3DMark Port Royal, which is lower than 73% of graphics cards.
PassMark (G3D) result
17,144 points
This graphics card scores 17,144 points in PassMark G3D, which is lower than 68.4% of graphics cards.
PassMark (DirectCompute) result
749 points
This graphics card scores 749 points in PassMark DirectCompute, which is lower than 98% of graphics cards.
FP32 performance
10.79 TFLOPS
This graphics card delivers 10.79 TFLOPS FP32 performance, which is lower than that of 72.4% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.3% of graphics cards.
Show more
VRAM
8 GB
This graphics card has 8 GB of VRAM, which is less than 56.8% of graphics cards and equal to 25.7% of graphics cards.
Memory type
GDDR6
This graphics card uses GDDR6 memory, which is newer than on 16.4% of graphics cards and equal to 40.3% of graphics cards.
Memory bus width
128 bit
This graphics card uses a 128 bit memory bus, which is narrower than that of 68.6% of graphics cards and equal to that of 26.7% of graphics cards.
Maximum memory bandwidth
280 GB/s
This graphics card reaches 280 GB/s memory bandwidth, which is lower than that of 76.6% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.2% of graphics cards.
Effective memory speed
17,500 MHz
This graphics card reaches an effective memory speed of 17,500 MHz, which is slower than that of 60.5% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.4% of graphics cards.
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PCI Express (PCIe) version
4
This graphics card supports PCIe 4, which is newer than on 22.5% of graphics cards and equal to 50.5% of graphics cards.
PCIe lanes
x8
This graphics card uses x8 PCIe lanes, which is fewer than 75.9% of graphics cards and equal to 22.9% of graphics cards.
DirectX version
12
This graphics card supports DirectX 12, which is older than on 81.8% of graphics cards and equal to 17% of graphics cards.
Vulkan version
1.4
This graphics card supports Vulkan 1.4, which is more advanced than on 20.8% of graphics cards and equal to 79.2% of graphics cards.
OpenGL version
4.6
This graphics card supports OpenGL 4.6, which is more advanced than on 2% of graphics cards and equal to 98% of graphics cards.
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Max displays supported
4
This graphics card supports up to 4 displays, which is more than 9% of graphics cards and equal to 88.2% of graphics cards.
Max digital resolution
7680x4320
This graphics card supports a maximum digital resolution of 7680x4320, which is higher than that of 9.2% of graphics cards and equal to that of 90.9% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort outputs
3
This graphics card offers 3 DisplayPort outputs, which is more than 21.7% of graphics cards and equal to 76% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort version
1.4a
This graphics card supports DisplayPort 1.4a, which is more advanced than on 19.3% of graphics cards and equal to 46.3% of graphics cards.
DisplayPort link rates
8.1 Gbps
This graphics card supports DisplayPort link rates up to 8.1 Gbps, which is slower than on 65.3% of graphics cards and equal to 22.5% of graphics cards.
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Thermal Design Power (TDP)
175 W
This graphics card has a TDP of 175 W, which is lower than that of 62.5% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.8% of graphics cards.
Power consumption while under peak load
175 W
This graphics card draws 175 W under peak load, which is lower than 65.6% of graphics cards and equal to 0.9% of graphics cards.
Recommended PSU wattage
500 W
This graphics card recommends a 500 W PSU, which is lower than that of 75.2% of graphics cards and equal to that of 8.8% of graphics cards.
Board power limit
176 W
This graphics card has a board power limit of 176 W, which is lower than that of 66.2% of graphics cards and equal to that of 0.3% of graphics cards.
PCIe power spec
175 W
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Size
235x 125x 47 mm
Length
235 mm
This graphics card is 235 mm long, which is shorter than 78.4% of graphics cards and equal in length to 1.1% of graphics cards.
Height
125 mm
This graphics card is 125 mm tall, which is shorter than 48.8% of graphics cards and equal in height to 2.9% of graphics cards.
Slot width
2 slot/s
This graphics card occupies 2 slot/s, which is slimmer than 52.4% of graphics cards and equal in width to 43.4% of graphics cards.
Weight
675 g
This graphics card weighs 675 g, which is lighter than 80.6% of Graphics cards and equal to 0.4% of Graphics cards.
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MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X vs the average graphics card

246810TotalPerformanceMemoryFeaturesConnectivityPowerDesign
  • 6.5% higher boost clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (2,669 MHz vs 2,505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,505 MHz.
    2,669 MHz vs 2,505 MHz
  • 25.1% faster VRAM clock
    This graphics card has a higher VRAM clock than the average graphics card (2,190 MHz vs 1,750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1,750 MHz.
    2,190 MHz vs 1,750 MHz
  • 23.1% lower PSU requirement
    This graphics card has a lower PSU requirement than the average graphics card (500 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.
    500 W vs 650 W
  • 47.2 mm shorter card length
    This graphics card is shorter than the average graphics card (235 mm vs 282.2 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 282.2 mm.
    235 mm vs 282.2 mm
  • 0.5 slot/s slimmer design
    This graphics card occupies fewer slots than the average graphics card (2 slot/s vs 2.5 slot/s). The average graphics card occupies 2.5 slot/s.
    2 slot/s vs 2.5 slot/s
  • 7% higher base clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher base GPU clock than the average graphics card (2055 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
    2,055 MHz vs 1,920 MHz
  • 18.6% lower TDP
    This graphics card has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (175 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
    175 W vs 215 W
  • More FP64 throughput
    This graphics card has a better FP64 ratio than the average graphics card (1:16 vs 1:64).
    1:16 vs 1:64
  • 6.5% higher boost clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher boost GPU clock than the average graphics card (2,669 MHz vs 2,505 MHz). The average graphics card has a boost GPU clock of 2,505 MHz.
    2,669 MHz vs 2,505 MHz
  • 7% higher base clock speed
    This graphics card has a higher base GPU clock than the average graphics card (2055 MHz vs 1920 MHz). The average graphics card has a base GPU clock of 1920 MHz.
    2,055 MHz vs 1,920 MHz
  • More FP64 throughput
    This graphics card has a better FP64 ratio than the average graphics card (1:16 vs 1:64).
    1:16 vs 1:64
  • 25.1% faster VRAM clock
    This graphics card has a higher VRAM clock than the average graphics card (2,190 MHz vs 1,750 MHz). The average graphics card runs its VRAM at 1,750 MHz.
    2,190 MHz vs 1,750 MHz
  • 8x more Infinity Cache
    This graphics card has more Infinity Cache than the average graphics card (32 MB vs 4 MB). The average graphics card has 4 MB Infinity Cache.
    32 MB vs 4 MB
  • 23.1% lower PSU requirement
    This graphics card has a lower PSU requirement than the average graphics card (500 W vs 650 W). The average graphics card has a PSU requirement of 650 W.
    500 W vs 650 W
  • 18.6% lower TDP
    This graphics card has a lower TDP than the average graphics card (175 W vs 215 W). The average graphics card has a TDP of 215 W.
    175 W vs 215 W
  • 47.2 mm shorter card length
    This graphics card is shorter than the average graphics card (235 mm vs 282.2 mm). The average graphics card has a length of 282.2 mm.
    235 mm vs 282.2 mm
  • 0.5 slot/s slimmer design
    This graphics card occupies fewer slots than the average graphics card (2 slot/s vs 2.5 slot/s). The average graphics card occupies 2.5 slot/s.
    2 slot/s vs 2.5 slot/s
  • No CUDA support
    This graphics card does not support CUDA, the average graphics card does.
  • 4 GB less VRAM
    This graphics card has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (8 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
    8 GB vs 12 GB
  • 1 fewer fans
    This graphics card has fewer fans than the average graphics card (2 vs 3).
    2 vs 3
  • No DLSS support
    This graphics card does not support DLSS, the average graphics card does.
  • 144 fewer AI cores
    This graphics card has fewer AI cores than the average graphics card (0 vs 144). The average graphics card has 144 AI cores.
    0 vs 144
  • No dual BIOS
    This graphics card does not include dual BIOS, the average graphics card does.
  • 64 bit narrower memory bus
    This graphics card has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (128 bit vs 192 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 192 bit.
    128 bit vs 192 bit
  • Fewer PCIe lanes
    This graphics card has fewer PCIe lanes than the average graphics card (x8 vs x16). The average graphics card has x16 PCIe lanes.
    x8 vs x16
  • 20.5% lower sentiment score
    6.2 vs 7.8
  • No CUDA support
    This graphics card does not support CUDA, the average graphics card does.
  • 144 fewer AI cores
    This graphics card has fewer AI cores than the average graphics card (0 vs 144). The average graphics card has 144 AI cores.
    0 vs 144
  • 56 fewer TMUs
    This graphics card has fewer TMUs than the average graphics card (128 vs 184). The average graphics card has 184 TMUs.
    128 vs 184
  • 8 fewer compute units
    This graphics card has fewer compute units than the average graphics card (32 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 compute units.
    32 vs 40
  • 8 fewer ray tracing cores
    This graphics card has fewer ray tracing cores than the average graphics card (32 vs 40). The average graphics card has 40 ray tracing cores.
    32 vs 40
  • 52.3% lower FP32 performance
    This graphics card has a lower FP32 performance than the average graphics card (10.8 TFLOPS vs 22.6 TFLOPS). The average graphics card has FP32 performance of 22.6 TFLOPS.
    10.79 TFLOPS vs 22.6 TFLOPS
  • 48.6% lower gaming score
    This graphics card has a lower gaming score than the average graphics card (7,600 points vs 14,779 points). The average graphics card has a gaming score of 14,779 points.
    7,600 points vs 14,779 points
  • 10.8% lower texture rate
    This graphics card has a lower texture rate than the average graphics card (337.3 GTexel/s vs 378 GTexel/s). The average graphics card has a texture rate of 378 GTexel/s.
    337.3 GTexel/s vs 378 GTexel/s
  • 24.3% lower PassMark score
    This graphics card has a lower PassMark score than the average graphics card (17,144 points vs 22,638 points). The average graphics card has a PassMark score of 22,638 points.
    17,144 points vs 22,638 points
  • 48.6% lower ray tracing score
    This graphics card has a lower ray tracing score than the average graphics card (4,700 points vs 9,148 points). The average graphics card has a ray tracing score of 9,148 points.
    4,700 points vs 9,148 points
  • 93.8% lower compute score
    This graphics card has a lower compute score than the average graphics card (749 points vs 12,70.5 points). The average graphics card has a compute score of 12,070.5 points.
    749 points vs 12,070.5 points
  • 1 years older
    This graphics card was released earlier than the average graphics card (2022 vs 2023).
    May 2022
    2022 vs 2023
  • 2,304 fewer FP32 units
    This graphics card has fewer FP32 units than the average graphics card (2048 vs 4,352). The average graphics card has 4,352 FP32 units.
    2,048 vs 4,352
  • 4 GB less VRAM
    This graphics card has fewer VRAM than the average graphics card (8 GB vs 12 GB). The average graphics card has 12 GB VRAM.
    8 GB vs 12 GB
  • 64 bit narrower memory bus
    This graphics card has a narrower memory bus than the average graphics card (128 bit vs 192 bit). The average graphics card has a memory bus width of 192 bit.
    128 bit vs 192 bit
  • 37.5% lower memory bandwidth
    This graphics card has a lower memory bandwidth than the average graphics card (280 GB/s vs 448 GB/s). The average graphics card has a memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
    280 GB/s vs 448 GB/s
  • 91.7% smaller L2 cache
    This graphics card has fewer L2 cache than the average graphics card (2 MB vs 24 MB). The average graphics card has 24 MB L2 cache.
    2 MB vs 24 MB
  • 7.9% slower memory speed
    This graphics card has a lower effective memory speed than the average graphics card (17,500 MHz vs 19,000 MHz). The average graphics card reaches an effective memory speed of 19,000 MHz.
    17,500 MHz vs 19,000 MHz
  • 87.5% smaller L1 cache
    This graphics card has fewer L1 cache than the average graphics card (16 KB vs 128 KB). The average graphics card has 128 KB L1 cache.
    16 KB vs 128 KB
  • No DLSS support
    This graphics card does not support DLSS, the average graphics card does.
  • Fewer PCIe lanes
    This graphics card has fewer PCIe lanes than the average graphics card (x8 vs x16). The average graphics card has x16 PCIe lanes.
    x8 vs x16
  • Less advanced frame generation
    This graphics card has less advanced frame generation than the average graphics card (frame generation vs multi frame generation).
    frame generation vs multi frame generation
  • 40% larger process node
    This graphics card uses a larger manufacturing process than the average graphics card (7 nm vs 5 nm). The average graphics card uses a manufacturing process of 5 nm.
    7 nm vs 5 nm
  • Older DirectX version
    This graphics card supports an older DirectX version than the average graphics card (12 vs 12 Ultimate).
    12 vs 12 Ultimate
  • Older OpenCL version
    This graphics card supports an older OpenCL version than the average graphics card (2.1 vs 3).
    2.1 vs 3
  • 51.5% fewer transistors
    This graphics card has fewer transistors than the average graphics card (11,100 million vs 22,900 million). The average graphics card has 22,900 million transistors.
    11,100 million vs 22,900 million
  • No AV1 encoding
    This graphics card does not support AV1 encoding, the average graphics card does.
  • Older HDMI version
    This graphics card supports an older HDMI version than the average graphics card (2.1 vs 2.1a).
    2.1 vs 2.1a
  • More basic codec support
    This graphics card encodes more basic formats than the average graphics card (H.264/H.265/VP9 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9).
    H.264/H.265/VP9 vs H.264/H.265/AV1/VP9
  • 2 fewer monitors per output type
    This graphics card supports fewer monitors per output type than the average graphics card (1 vs 3). The average graphics card supports 3 monitors per output type.
    1 vs 3
  • 62.5% lower DisplayPort bandwidth
    This graphics card has a lower DisplayPort bandwidth than the average graphics card (8.1 Gbps vs 21.6 Gbps). The average graphics card has DisplayPort bandwidth of 21.6 Gbps.
    8.1 Gbps vs 21.6 Gbps
  • 1 fewer fans
    This graphics card has fewer fans than the average graphics card (2 vs 3).
    2 vs 3
  • No dual BIOS
    This graphics card does not include dual BIOS, the average graphics card does.
  • 15 °C lower thermal ceiling
    This graphics card has a lower thermal ceiling than the average graphics card (110 °C vs 95 °C). The average graphics card has a thermal ceiling of 95 °C.
    110 °C vs 95 °C
  • No RGB lighting
    This graphics card does not include RGB lighting, the average graphics card does.

Third-party reviews

What customers like about MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X

  • Excellent price-to-performance ratio for 1080p gaming
  • Compact dual-fan design fits easily into most standard PC cases
  • Solid frame rates (often 120+ FPS) in popular titles like Fortnite and GTA
  • Efficient power consumption (approximately 175W)
  • Included backplate adds to the build quality and aesthetic
  • Easy to overclock using standard AMD software

What customers don't like about MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X

  • Fans can be loud under heavy load with default factory settings
  • Lacks substantial performance gains over the older RX 6600 XT
  • Ray tracing performance is relatively weak compared to Nvidia alternatives
  • Some users reported frustration with MSI Center software compatibility
  • Limited VRAM (8GB) may struggle with ultra settings at 1440p or 4K

Verdict

The MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT Mech 2X is a performance-focused graphics card built on the AMD RDNA 2 architecture, featuring 2048 stream processors, 8GB of GDDR6 memory, and a 128-bit memory bus with an effective speed of 17.5 Gbps. Designed for high-end 1080p gaming, it offers a boost clock of up to 2669 MHz and utilizes a dual-fan cooling system equipped with TORX Fan 3.0 and Zero Frozr technology for silent operation under low loads. Its main advantages include exceptional price-to-performance value, efficient power consumption with a 176W TDP, and smooth frame rates in AAA and esports titles. However, notable drawbacks include its limited 8GB VRAM for 1440p or 4K gaming, relatively loud fan noise when under heavy load, and subpar ray tracing performance compared to competitors.

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