# Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Nitro+



## W1zzard (Dec 15, 2022)

The Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Nitro+ comes with the largest factory overclock of all Navi 31 cards that we've tested so far. Sapphire was also very generous with their power limits. During overclocking, with increased limits we were able to max out the 525 W power delivery capability of the 3x 8-pin inputs.

*Show full review*


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## btk2k2 (Dec 15, 2022)

Nice.

Great to see that the Nitro + and the TUF got very similar OC results in CP2077.


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## Chaitanya (Dec 15, 2022)

Quite interesting AMD left decent headroom for OC while releasing RDNA3 unlike nVidia which has pushed their 40 series to absolute limit.


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## Bet0n (Dec 15, 2022)

If I were to buy a AIB 7900 XTX this would be it or the Asrock Taichi. I can see on this card the effort they put into it and it looks like a quality piece of hardware. I've seen in some shops it's just +$100 over the reference version.


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## zo0lykas (Dec 15, 2022)

Chaitanya said:


> Quite interesting AMD left decent headroom for OC while releasing RDNA3 unlike nVidia which has pushed their 40 series to absolute limit.


I notice the same, wanted post same thing but you was a bit faster 

Btw is sure nice what we have some headroom, and proper cooling like water block can help achieve nice results


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## sector-z (Dec 15, 2022)

Bet0n said:


> If I were to buy a AIB 7900 XTX this would be it or the Asrock Taichi. I can see on this card the effort they put into it and it looks like a quality piece of hardware. I've seen in some shops it's just +$100 over the reference version.


We need to see the Aorus Elite and MSI if they not skip Series 7****. Sapphire have only 2 years warranty versus 3 to 4 years for others


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## MachineLearning (Dec 15, 2022)

Hard to beat the TUF here.


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## Bet0n (Dec 15, 2022)

sector-z said:


> We need to see the Aorus Elite and MSI if they not skip Series 7****. Sapphire have only 2 years warranty versus 3 to 4 years for others


Where I live (EU) Sapphire gives 3 years of warranty. I don't like the look of the Gigabyte, it looks like a big plastic-brick.


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## HD64G (Dec 15, 2022)

"Display connectivity includes three standard DisplayPort 2.1 ports (RDNA2 had 1.4a) and one HDMI 2.1a (same as RDNA2)."

I can see 2 of each type of connections there in the picture @W1zzard

Nice review as usual!


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## sector-z (Dec 15, 2022)

Bet0n said:


> Where I live (EU) Sapphire gives 3 years of warranty. I don't like the look of the Gigabyte, it looks like a big plastic-brick.


Here in NA it 2 years only so very short


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## Gan77 (Dec 15, 2022)

Thanks for the detailed review!

Looking forward to testing the ASRock  RX 7900 XTX AQUA.


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## MrDweezil (Dec 15, 2022)

Chaitanya said:


> Quite interesting AMD left decent headroom for OC while releasing RDNA3 unlike nVidia which has pushed their 40 series to absolute limit.


Seems like they had power efficiency targets they weren't willing to miss for the reference card. Partner cards are another story.


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## Gucky (Dec 15, 2022)

Really? Just 3% more Performance for 100W more Power and 100$ higher price?...


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## Morgoth (Dec 15, 2022)

wizzard did the reviewer measure up the pcb lenght??? i realy want to know that


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## Christensen (Dec 15, 2022)

Well done, and thanks for the great review(s) Wizzard!

The tiny differences in OC-results should most likely be due to silicon-lottery, or do you think the TUF-card generally has more potential?


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## bardh (Dec 15, 2022)

OC is pointless.
Undervolting has never made so much sense as it does now.

Hopefully ASUS will bring a Strix. 

The Video playback power consumption looks horrible.


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## ARF (Dec 15, 2022)

Gucky said:


> Really? Just 3% more Performance for 100W more Power and 100$ higher price?...



This sums it up all 

@ AMD


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## phanbuey (Dec 15, 2022)

Holy crap.  The OC is impressive but I can now see why they released it at 355W with those clocks.


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## sector-z (Dec 15, 2022)

bardh said:


> OC is pointless.
> Undervolting has never made so much sense as it does now.
> 
> Hopefully ASUS will bring a Strix.
> ...


Sorry but when you buy a 1000$ card you don't give a F**** about undervolting or a minority only, if you check your electricity bill just buy a 6600 XT. Halo product are not for poor that calculate at + or - 50$ per mont. People want no limite like car.


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## Space Lynx (Dec 15, 2022)

overclocked nitro is a monster. damn. not going to lie I am tempted. it would be very suiting to retire with this card, considering Sapphire was my first AGP card back in the day, and Sapphire consistently throughout the years until only recently. 

hmm. decisions... I always turn my PC off when not playing games really, so the idle power draw isn't end of the world...


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## ARF (Dec 15, 2022)

sector-z said:


> Sorry but when you buy a 1000$ card you don't give a F**** about undervolting or a minority only, if you check your electricity bill just buy a 6600 XT. Halo product are not for poor that calculate at + or - 50$ per mont. People want no limite like car.



It isn't about the bill. Undervolting is a must and is of a higher intention to make a good, quiet, efficient card. It makes a perfect sense since the factory completely screws the settings and everything is a chaos.


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## Veseleil (Dec 15, 2022)

sector-z said:


> Sorry but when you buy a 1000$ card you don't give a F**** about undervolting or a minority only, if you check your electricity bill just buy a 6600 XT. Halo product are not for poor that calculate at + or - 50$ per mont. People want no limite like car.


You're missing the point. It's about the operating temperatures, not an electricity bill... Not like everyone want a custom loop setup.


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## ARF (Dec 15, 2022)

Veseleil said:


> You're missing the point. It's about the operating temperatures, not an electricity bill... Not like everyone want a custom loop setup.



Longevity - higher power draw means limited working time for the components.


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## Veseleil (Dec 15, 2022)

ARF said:


> Longevity


Another factor to consider, yes. But it's all about the temps really. No one wants a 100 Celsius room heater. With an AMD or Nvidia badge, whatever.


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## sector-z (Dec 15, 2022)

Veseleil said:


> Another factor to consider, yes. But it's all about the temps really. No one wants a 100 Celsius room heater.


For sur but for that there are cheaper model. You don't take a Nitro+ but Pulse if it not for OC


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## Space Lynx (Dec 15, 2022)

sector-z said:


> Sorry but when you buy a 1000$ card you don't give a F**** about undervolting or a minority only, if you check your electricity bill just buy a 6600 XT. Halo product are not for poor that calculate at + or - 50$ per mont. People want no limite like car.



my 6800 xt draws a similar wattage actually as the 7900 xtx. so i mean. eh, not that much different on electricity bill


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## Veseleil (Dec 15, 2022)

sector-z said:


> For sur but for that there are cheaper model. You don't take a Nitro+ but Pulse if it not for OC


I won't discuss this further. Being owner of the RDNA1 Nitro+ model, I should be straight and say you don't really know what you're talking about. All of the latest GPUs benefit the most from undervolting, not overclocking. I could get 2200MHz+ out of it, but at what cost? 260W+, fans at 80%+ trying to keep it under 90C, while getting below 10% of performance over stock? Or undervolting, keeping it below 2000MHz, cool and quiet and losing nothing in compare to stock values? Give me a break. P.S. I've just removed some people from the ignore list. You're welcome to stay.


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## MistandYork (Dec 15, 2022)

Just to add some context, I get 62.5 average FPS on the Ultra preset at 4K with my 4080 TUF stock. Overclocked, it only increases to around 67.7 FPS, not a huge gain, but this is at around 320W stock, and 350W OC'd. With a 925mV UV/OC i get ~61 fps ta 230W


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## GLD (Dec 15, 2022)

The flagship cards use so much power. Too much juice to be in a daily driver for me. My single 8 pin Sapphire RX 6700 10Gb is the power saver sweet spot.


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## W1zzard (Dec 15, 2022)

HD64G said:


> "Display connectivity includes three standard DisplayPort 2.1 ports (RDNA2 had 1.4a) and one HDMI 2.1a (same as RDNA2)."
> 
> I can see 2 of each type of connections there in the picture @W1zzard
> 
> Nice review as usual!


Fixed



Christensen said:


> Well done, and thanks for the great review(s) Wizzard!
> 
> The tiny differences in OC-results should most likely be due to silicon-lottery, or do you think the TUF-card generally has more potential?


They are both really close, it’s probably silicon lottery


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## sector-z (Dec 15, 2022)

Veseleil said:


> I won't discuss this further. Being owner of the RDNA1 Nitro+ model, I should be straight and say you don't really know what you're talking about. All of the latest GPUs benefit the most from undervolting, not overclocking. I could get 2200MHz+ out of it, but at what cost? 260W+, fans at 80%+ trying to keep it under 90C, while getting below 10% of performance over stock? Or undervolting, keeping it below 2000MHz, cool and quiet and losing nothing in compare to stock values? Give me a break. P.S. I've just removed some people from the ignore list. You're welcome to stay.


No I am more of the guy with a climatisation 10 000 BTU is front of a Meshify 2 XL + 2X 420mm. 5 or 10% it better then nothings sorry for you but "Stock value" are not enough for many that buy Halo product. Not for nothing Galaxy release a 2X 16pins 666W RTX 4090. But your like the guy that buy that card and complaine of the noise or consomation when it really not for you.


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## AnotherReader (Dec 15, 2022)

MistandYork said:


> Just to add some context, I get 62.5 average FPS on the Ultra preset at 4K with my 4080 TUF stock. Overclocked, it only increases to around 67.7 FPS, not a huge gain, but this is at around 320W stock, and 350W OC'd. With a 925mV UV/OC i get ~61 fps ta 230W


The test scene you're using is very unlikely to be the one that @W1zzard is using so the absolute numbers aren't comparable, but your relative performance increase is relevant.


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## Agent Tex (Dec 15, 2022)

I waited in line along with approximately 300 other buyers at Microcenter on the 13th.  Unfortuntely or fortunately by the time it was my turn to purchase there were no 3x8-pin cards left.  So I passed on the rest.
Now, two days later I am internally grinding for a 3x8pin card.  Thanks to TechPowerUp for doing such awesome reviews as this one.  
I really believe that the next Gen card will be the one to get over the top with RT and total performance.  Meanwhile I need power, give me power.  Must Have Power!


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## MistandYork (Dec 15, 2022)

AnotherReader said:


> The test scene you're using is very unlikely to be the one that @W1zzard is using so the absolute numbers aren't comparable, but your relative performance increase is relevant.


im assuming wizzard is using the built in benchmark, if anybody knows otherwise, let me know


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## AnotherReader (Dec 15, 2022)

MistandYork said:


> im assuming wizzard is using the built in benchmark, if anybody knows otherwise, let me know


Nope. Like all good reviewers, he's using his own custom test scene. I quote from the "Test Setup" page of this review.



> For better real-life applicability, all game tests use custom in-game test scenes, not the integrated benchmarks


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## champsilva (Dec 15, 2022)

Gucky said:


> Really? Just 3% more Performance for 100W more Power and 100$ higher price?...



At least you won't get AMD ultra high loud coil whine of the reference card.

Holy i havent heard a coil whine so loud in ages. Remind me 290x days


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## nikoya (Dec 15, 2022)

@W1zzard thx for this review on this specific model. its so nice to see the PCB and OC results.

XTX Nitro+ original price in China is 1290 US$, thats 143 US$ more than the XTX MSRP but there are import taxes.
 - out of stock within few seconds, or surging over 1430 US$ now
- only the XT Nitro+ remains available at the original price

Those 2 graphs are interedting
When we compare the XTX reference model versus the Nitro+


we can clearly see that the Nitro+ push and maintain a higher voltage to keep consistent and higher frequencies.
both the PCB design and better cooling allow that kind of tuning by OEMs, preserving a decent perfo mix of noise, temps, power of course.

still I dont understand why the AMD reference seems to have 2 separate curves


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## Ravenas (Dec 15, 2022)

Great card. The rasterization or ray tracing dilemma which keeps getting brought up is pointless. I can’t fathom buying a GPU capable of 4K gaming in rasterization 120 hz, and then switch to ray tracing and not be able to even hit 60 FPS in Cyberpunk.

If I’m looking at 7900XTX or 4080, how would I chose to buy the 4080 for ray tracing to average 29 FPS in ray tracing versus 21 FPS ray tracing in Cyberpunk. The 7900 XTX is offering better average FPS in rasterization (literally the only metric that counts currently for 4K gaming), better relative performance, and better performance per dollar.  How is this even a choice between the two? 

If you’re looking for more, the only option is the 4090 you still won’t see that 60 FPS ray tracing. 

Using ray tracing to pro and con these cards is like talking about 4K FPS pre AMD 6xxxx and Nvidia 2xxx. Pointless.


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## Verpal (Dec 15, 2022)

I sincerely hope AMD do something about the power consumption outside peak loads, like.... multi monitor 100+ W? 90W just to play video? Really Radeon?


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## Dave65 (Dec 16, 2022)

Anyone know how a 7900 xtx would perform with a 5800x3d or 5900x?


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## Minus Infinity (Dec 16, 2022)

You now need to pay $100US for the good cooling, but the increased performance is pathetic given the huge increase in power draw. This is like OCing Raptor Lake, a total waste of effort IMO. If AMD can sort out the drivers and/or silicon and the cards perform at what they claimed, these AIB cards are DOA. I would choose the cheapest one with the best cooling.

As it is AMD has lied big time about the performance and presented simulated performance graphs not actual measurements. They have never done this before. The performance is not in line at all with the hardware capabilities. It might take more than drivers to fix the problems but that will take a lot longer to respin revised silicon.


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## CapNemo72 (Dec 16, 2022)

Thanks for a great review. I have now 3 days new 7900 xtx but had no time to test it.
I saw AMD has newer drivers available. Did you maybe had a time to check them and maybe see if they bring anything worth mentioning?


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## sepheronx (Dec 16, 2022)

Good review.

I decided to look at local pricing and availability if these 7900xtx cards here and not a single one is in stock.

I wonder if the stores are not bothering to even stock em in worries of the 4080 fiasco or if they just rather keep it small supply but higher prices?


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## lightning70 (Dec 16, 2022)

For me Sapphire is the best Custom Manufacturer in AMD.


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## Scrizz (Dec 16, 2022)

Ravenas said:


> Great card. The rasterization or ray tracing dilemma which keeps getting brought up is pointless. I can’t fathom buying a GPU capable of 4K gaming in rasterization 120 hz, and then switch to ray tracing and not be able to even hit 60 FPS in Cyberpunk.
> 
> If I’m looking at 7900XTX or 4080, how would I chose to buy the 4080 for ray tracing to average 29 FPS in ray tracing versus 21 FPS ray tracing in Cyberpunk. The 7900 XTX is offering better average FPS in rasterization (literally the only metric that counts currently for 4K gaming), better relative performance, and better performance per dollar.  How is this even a choice between the two?
> 
> ...


Actually... Cyberpunk barely hit 60 in raster @4k. It was in the 20s with ray tracing.









						Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Nitro+ Review - Maxing out 3x 8-Pin
					

The Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Nitro+ comes with the largest factory overclock of all Navi 31 cards that we've tested so far. Sapphire was also very generous with their power limits. During overclocking, with increased limits we were able to max out the 525 W power delivery capability of the 3x...




					www.techpowerup.com
				












						Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Nitro+ Review - Maxing out 3x 8-Pin
					

The Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX Nitro+ comes with the largest factory overclock of all Navi 31 cards that we've tested so far. Sapphire was also very generous with their power limits. During overclocking, with increased limits we were able to max out the 525 W power delivery capability of the 3x...




					www.techpowerup.com
				




Clearly there's a problem with the game/engine.


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## Ravenas (Dec 16, 2022)

Scrizz said:


> Actually... Cyberpunk barely hit 60 in raster @4k. It was in the 20s with ray tracing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thats literally what I just said in my previous post minus the game engine problem. There is no game game engine problem in my opinion. It’s not possible to hit those numbers on my 6950XT. Even if there were the results still stand. 

Averaging 62.9 raster is great for Cyberpunk.

21 ray tracing 7900XTX versus 29 ray tracing 4080. No significant reason to even enable ray tracing for 4K gaming.  This is ridiculous not even fluid game play in 4K. Using this as a pro or con for purchasing the 7900XTX versus 4080 just doesn’t make sense for a card made for 4K gaming.


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## W1zzard (Dec 16, 2022)

CapNemo72 said:


> Thanks for a great review. I have now 3 days new 7900 xtx but had no time to test it.
> I saw AMD has newer drivers available. Did you maybe had a time to check them and maybe see if they bring anything worth mentioning?


Drivers is something that i will look at in the new year. No way they had fixes in the works and didn’t give them to reviewers but release them to public just a few days later


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## Morgoth (Dec 16, 2022)

W1zzard said:


> .


wizzard did the reviewer measure up the pcb lenght??? i realy want to know that


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## wNotyarD (Dec 16, 2022)

Morgoth said:


> wizzard did the reviewer measure up the pcb lenght??? i realy want to know that


In the review, Wizz only listed the measure of the card as a whole, which would be 31.5 cm long and 13.5 cm wide.
The PCB, which ends by the power connectors, by eyemeter looks about 2 to 3 cm shorter and at most 1 cm narrower.


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## OneMoar (Dec 17, 2022)

@jonnyGURU  has said that you can pull >270W per 8 pin on pretty much any decent psu
is it maxing out the pci-e 'spec' probly? is it anything close to dangerous. doubt it 
smaller denser chips = more power consumption

anouther generation or two and we will start seeing 1000W gpus


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## THU31 (Dec 17, 2022)

3% faster at 22% higher power draw.  

I have always been willing to spend more for a better cooler, but these days it does not even matter, since I undervolt all my cards anyway.

Either way, performance per dollar is terrible for all the new GPUs, so it looks like this generation is a skip for me (unless they lower the prices next year).


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## Ravenlord (Dec 17, 2022)

Pointless. Much higher TDP for unnoticable higher amount of FPS. There is just one real pro against default AMD card which is lower DB noise. They should do stable undervolted gpus out-of-box instead.


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## rvalencia (Dec 17, 2022)

Ravenas said:


> Thats literally what I just said in my previous post minus the game engine problem. There is no game game engine problem in my opinion. It’s not possible to hit those numbers on my 6950XT. Even if there were the results still stand.
> 
> Averaging 62.9 raster is great for Cyberpunk.
> 
> 21 ray tracing 7900XTX versus 29 ray tracing 4080. No significant reason to even enable ray tracing for 4K gaming.  This is ridiculous not even fluid game play in 4K. Using this as a pro or con for purchasing the 7900XTX versus 4080 just doesn’t make sense for a card made for 4K gaming.


For 21 fps ray tracing 7900XTX versus 29 fps ray tracing 4080, I would disable raytracing. It's >40 fps (my monitor's lower bound FreeSync number) or bust.


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## THU31 (Dec 17, 2022)

Ravenlord said:


> They should do stable undervolted gpus out-of-box instead.



I am actually surprised this is not a thing. They could release Eco models with cherry-picked top quality dies and lower the voltage as much as possible while validating stability.

I used to own a 9600 GT Green Edition. Only slightly slower, but much lower TDP and no power connector.


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## medi01 (Dec 17, 2022)

Amazing how close it gets to 4090 when OC-ed. (decent lead over 4080 even at stock)

Curious that's just one game it shines at, or if it's the same across the board, including RT stuff (as gimmicky as that tech is, but just for the record)


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## geraldrod (Dec 17, 2022)

When and where will this card be available? I can't find any information on availability.


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## HD64G (Dec 17, 2022)

THU31 said:


> I am actually surprised this is not a thing. They could release Eco models with cherry-picked top quality dies and lower the voltage as much as possible while validating stability.
> 
> I used to own a 9600 GT Green Edition. Only slightly slower, but much lower TDP and no power connector.


RX 6700 10GB is a GPU that sips power and performs faster than 6650XT. Binning is the key. RDNA3 GPUs for mobile could do pretty well in efficiency.


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## NyctoManiac (Dec 17, 2022)

Nice job, very detailed review! TUF is still better imo.
You guys have any idea when we can get a full review for GIGABYTE Aorus XTX Elite?


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## derpboss (Dec 18, 2022)

I know it's a lot of work, but can we get more OC benchmarks from the reference card against the tuf or nitro?  Their seems to be some big gains over a stock reference card when you OC and AIB, and obviously the AIB cards OC better, but how big is the difference when both are well tuned?


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## lightning70 (Dec 18, 2022)

Chaitanya said:


> Quite interesting AMD left decent headroom for OC while releasing RDNA3 unlike nVidia which has pushed their 40 series to absolute limit.


AMD chose power efficiency here. Higher clock speed reduces Efficiency. It is left to user preference. But for Navi 31, 3 GHz is not difficult.


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## Ultramar (Dec 18, 2022)

@W1zzard  thanks for the review.

Would be nice to have the TUF XTX(and other custom AIBs analyzed by TPU for the specifc GPU being reviewed) results side-by-side on all comparative charts.
Makes life easier for anyone consuming this content to choose the right custom AIB for their preferences.


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## AirplaneA1 (Dec 18, 2022)

To be honest, AMD claims that the RDNA3 generation attaches great importance to energy consumption, but in reality, the Green Team's 4000 series is undoubtedly the most environmentally friendly. Energy efficiency performance of this new product is actually not very satisfactory.


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## Taisho (Dec 18, 2022)

sector-z said:


> For sur but for that there are cheaper model. You don't take a Nitro+ but Pulse if it not for OC


If you want it cheap, get cheap. I will choose the silent one.


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## Ultramar (Dec 18, 2022)

Are there reviews of the pulse XTX?


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## sector-z (Dec 19, 2022)

@W1zzard  can you make one with a 7950X for compare with Smart Access Memory like here ? If you can add to the score of SMA + your OC it would be great 









						AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT Smart Access Memory Performance - Page 5 of 5 - The FPS Review
					

How does AMD Smart Access Memory/Resizable BAR affect performance on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT? We do comparisons with SAM ON vs. Off.




					www.thefpsreview.com


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## W1zzard (Dec 19, 2022)

Sam is amds marketing term for resizable bar. It’s active on all amd and nvidia cards in this review



Ultramar said:


> Are there reviews of the pulse XTX?


Not planned, i could ask sapphire


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## Ultramar (Dec 19, 2022)

W1zzard said:


> Not planned, i could ask sapphire



Sorry @W1zzard I should have been clearer. 

That question was meant for @Taisho since his/her comment seemed to indicate that the XTX Pulse is not silent, and I haven't found a review of that model so far.

But if you happen to have the chance to review it I would appreciate it


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## Taisho (Dec 19, 2022)

Ultramar said:


> Sorry @W1zzard I should have been clearer.
> 
> That question was meant for @Taisho since his/her comment seemed to indicate that the XTX Pulse is not silent, and I haven't found a review of that model so far.
> 
> But if you happen to have the chance to review it I would appreciate it


I haven't seen any 7900 XTX Pulse reviews so far. It looks like there are none out there. However, Pulse is traditionally Sapphire's lower-tier card. Cheaper but with worse cooling than Nitro+.

My response was aimed at a claim that one should not buy Nitro+ but Pulse if not interested in OC. For me, the OC of custom models is already much past the point of diminishing returns. You gain only 3% performance for over 20% more power consumption. I know that many people there like measurebating over a couple of unnoticeable FPS. I, on the other hand, prefer reducing audible fan noise by selecting a GPU with a robust cooling system and undervolting it, while limiting the max clock, so it doesn't go higher after reducing the voltage. Even slightly underclock, if it helps to combat fan noise and coil whine without a significant performance hit.

I know that OC for "performance" will always have its fanatics, I'm actually happy that such people exist and encourage companies to produce properly cooled GPUs, but suggesting that the higher tier models are only for OC enthusiasts is discriminating against people who want to be entertained by the in-game audio effects, not tortured by the noises from their rig.


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## tracker1 (Dec 20, 2022)

I think most of the performance left on the table was for a couple reasons. First is the reference card are a lot smaller, fit in most cases and have okay power requirements. Overworking dramatically increases the power draw. And the partner cards are much bigger.

I also think that AMD is hitting some unexpected walls and didn't get the performance expected and may be able to overcome some of that with drivers in time.

I think they probably priced these cards appropriately even if way more than anyone would like. The 7900 XT should probably be $100 less and may be where it is to boost XTX sales.

Since I'm running Linux, waiting until spring for a new build so hopefully drivers stabilize. Probably all AMD.


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## Ando (Dec 20, 2022)

Taisho said:


> I haven't seen any 7900 XTX Pulse reviews so far. It looks like there are none out there. However, Pulse is traditionally Sapphire's lower-tier card. Cheaper but with worse cooling than Nitro+.
> 
> My response was aimed at a claim that one should not buy Nitro+ but Pulse if not interested in OC. For me, the OC of custom models is already much past the point of diminishing returns. You gain only 3% performance for over 20% more power consumption. I know that many people there like measurebating over a couple of unnoticeable FPS. I, on the other hand, prefer reducing audible fan noise by selecting a GPU with a robust cooling system and undervolting it, while limiting the max clock, so it doesn't go higher after reducing the voltage. Even slightly underclock, if it helps to combat fan noise and coil whine without a significant performance hit.
> 
> I know that OC for "performance" will always have its fanatics, I'm actually happy that such people exist and encourage companies to produce properly cooled GPUs, but suggesting that the higher tier models are only for OC enthusiasts is discriminating against people who want to be entertained by the in-game audio effects, not tortured by the noises from their rig.


Overclocking is heavily silicon dependent anyway. As far as I'm aware it's totally possible for a Pulse model to OC better than a Nitro+ model for a given card. The 7900 xtx is a bit of a unique example since the dual 8pins on the reference seem to constrict its potential a fair bit. But I know that the Pulse xtx has 3 8pins, so that won't be the case for that version of the card.


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## terroralpha (Dec 22, 2022)

Chaitanya said:


> Quite interesting AMD left decent headroom for OC while releasing RDNA3 unlike nVidia which has pushed their 40 series to absolute limit.


i wonder if there is a reason for that. hmmm.







i've been thinking real hard about this, and i just can't think of any reason why amd didn't push the clocks harder on the 7900


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## Osaka2407 (Dec 22, 2022)

AMD dropped new drivers recently. According to release notes, they fixed some of the power draw issues. I wonder if that's true.


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## terroralpha (Dec 22, 2022)

Osaka2407 said:


> AMD dropped new drivers recently. According to release notes, they fixed some of the power draw issues. I wonder if that's true.
> View attachment 275528
> View attachment 275527


The power fixes only effect video play back, things like YouTube, Netflix, VR po… I mean, Hulu. Yea. Hulu. Things of that nature.


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## Osaka2407 (Dec 22, 2022)

terroralpha said:


> The power fixes only effect video play back, things like YouTube, Netflix, VR po… I mean, Hulu. Yea. Hulu. Things of that nature.


"only" one of the most common things people do on PCs


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## panthereal (Dec 22, 2022)

Might need to update that review, Newegg is listing the Nitro at $1,199.99 now... sheesh


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## Taisho (Dec 23, 2022)

panthereal said:


> Might need to update that review, Newegg is listing the Nitro at $1,199.99 now... sheesh


What does it change? Every single product on TPU is "editor's choice", 5/5 stars anyway. It has valuable measurements, especially after the tweaks in recent months, but it's absolutely worthless for recommendations.


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## panthereal (Dec 23, 2022)

Taisho said:


> What does it change? Every single product on TPU is "editor's choice", 5/5 stars anyway. It has valuable measurements, especially after the tweaks in recent months, but it's absolutely worthless for recommendations.


It changes quite a bit; the cost per frame is much different making the Nitro now a worse value than the 3080 at every resolution.  Now it's the exact price as a smaller, more power efficient GPU which  has proprietary features you will not have on AMD.  The 20% premium over the reference model is nearing the highest premium of any manufacturer.  That pushes this into the enthusiast GPU with a style tax range instead of a good valued AIB with valuable performance benefits over buying the reference model.


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## zero989z (Dec 24, 2022)

Do you benchmark with extreme settings in heaven? If so, here's an MBA 7900 XTX. And yes, I have a massive 56C delta between core and hotspot.


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## Athlonite (Dec 30, 2022)

zero989z said:


> Do you benchmark with extreme settings in heaven? If so, here's an MBA 7900 XTX. And yes, I have a massive 56C delta between core and hotspot.


if you have an early version MBM card it's most likely a vBIOS problem if the vBIOS version ends in 008 or lower there's a newer vBIOS that ends in 009 that should fix your issue contact your card manufacturer for an updated vBIOS and the flash program to flash it


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## zero989z (Jan 1, 2023)

Athlonite said:


> if you have an early version MBM card it's most likely a vBIOS problem if the vBIOS version ends in 008 or lower there's a newer vBIOS that ends in 009 that should fix your issue contact your card manufacturer for an updated vBIOS and the flash program to flash it


O_O didn't know that, thanks


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## Athlonite (Jan 2, 2023)

zero989z said:


> O_O didn't know that, thanks


It also now looks like the problem is the vapour chamber according to der8auer


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## CapNemo72 (Wednesday at 1:09 PM)

zero989z said:


> O_O didn't know that, thanks


Did you find out if there is a newer vBIOS for your card? ANd maybe redone your test in Unigine?  Thanks


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## ARF (Yesterday at 10:54 PM)

@W1zzard Can you add a new page in the review called *Undervolting/Underclocking, *and begin a new practice to show how much more efficient the cards can run, without the unnecessary factory extreme TDP limits?


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