Are there any alternatives?

Yes. The RX 6900 XT offers almost identical performance for $100 less. If you’re interested in content creation work, Nvidia’s RTX 3090 or RTX 3090 Ti are both better options.

　　

How long will it last?

Although it’s a disappointing release, the RX 6950 XT is still a supremely powerful graphics card. It should last several years before you need an upgrade, especially considering its modest power requirements.

　　

Should you buy it?

No, buy the RX 6900 XT instead. It’s a great gaming graphics card that’s now selling for list price. If you want more power for ray tracing and content creation, however, Nvidia’s GPUs are still winners.