Revolutionary AMD GPUs of 2023: Unbeatable Performance & Value
Get ready for a game-changing experience in 2023 with AMD's RX 7000 series lineup With top-notch performance and competitive pricing, these GPUs are set to take the market by storm And if that wasn't enough, the RX 6000 series is also getting price cuts, making it an even more attractive option
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has been making significant strides in the past few years, proving its worth as a chip maker in the face of competition from Intel and NVIDIA. With a focus on performance and value at various price points, AMD has solidified its position as a top player in the market.
Recently, AMD launched its RX 7000 lineup, which features two flagship cards: the Navi 31-based RX 7900XTX and its cut-down sibling, the RX 7900XT. These cards currently lead AMD's product offerings, displacing the previous king of the hill, the 6950XT, with ease. However, with an MSRP of $999 and $899 respectively, users looking for better value or specific use cases may find it challenging to navigate the turbulent market, especially with the overwhelming number of custom configurations offered by multiple AIBs. Proper guidance is crucial for users seeking to make informed purchasing decisions.
The ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6700 XT is the top choice for a balanced 1440P performer among AMD GPUs. Priced at $340, it's an excellent mid-range option that's perfect for both 1080P and 1440P gamers. The GPU can handle modern games at respectable frame rates at FHD or 2K resolutions. Compared to Nvidia's RTX 3060/3060TI offerings, it's significantly better priced, making it a worthy contender. Although the 6700XT offers Ray Tracing, its performance overhead is higher than Nvidia's RTX 3000 and 4000 GPUs, which are at least a generation ahead of the 6700XT's own implementation. The ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6700 XT also boasts a compact and low profile design, making it a great choice for those with space constraints. It's significantly more power efficient than last-generation alternatives, although it may run slightly hotter than some tri-fan RX 6700XT alternatives. Currently, the ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6700 XT is available at $340 on Newegg and $399 USD on Amazon.
The ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 6700 XT is our top pick for the Best Overall AMD GPU due to its excellent price-to-performance ratio. While it's not the fastest AMD GPU on the market, it still delivers stable performance in most modern titles, thanks to AMD's unified driver. The ASRock GPU itself features a low-profile dual-fan design that comes overclocked out of the box, providing gains over stock AMD units that often run considerably hotter than their 3rd party counterparts. This makes the card a versatile option for many gaming builds, meeting both budget and space constraints with ease. Additionally, it's a fool-proof upgrade that allows many users to skip out on a PSU upgrade altogether.
Most gamers still play at 1080p resolution, which the ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 6700 XT handles with ease. However, if you're looking for maximum frames in 2K or even 4K, you may need to consider a more premium option like the Sapphire AMD Radeon NITRO+ RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X, which is the best AMD GPU money can buy.
The Sapphire Nitro+ lineup is well-known for being the top-of-the-line 3rd-party GPU offerings for AMD. The Nitro+ takes this even further with the highest clock speeds in the market and a vapor chamber cooling method that outperforms the stock design by a significant margin. Compared to other 7900XTX-based products, the Nitro+ is definitely at a premium price point.
The Nitro+ has a GPU speed of 2510 Mhz, 24GB GDDR6 memory, and a power consumption of 420W. It boasts an impressive boost speed of 2680 Mhz, which is the highest advertised clock speed for a 7900XTX. The build quality of the Nitro+ is exceptional, with great RGB lighting, a top-of-the-line heatsink, and backplate. Additionally, the unlocked BIOS allows users to further customize their card to their liking.
However, the Nitro+ does have some downsides. Availability is not as widespread as other competing cards, and it comes with a $200 premium over the stock card. Despite these drawbacks, the Sapphire Nitro+ 7900 XTX Vapor-X is the fastest AMD GPU currently available and sets a new standard for premium build quality.
The Vapor-X 7900XTX boasts the highest clock speed available out of the box, reaching a rated boost of 2680 Mhz. However, the unlocked bios design allows for even further performance gains, with the card surpassing the 3Ghz barrier on select games and non-gaming workloads. Notably, the Vapor-X addresses a key issue with the chip maker's reference design, as the card can handle full load without pushing past 70 degrees Celsius. This demonstrates the impressive engineering behind the Vapor-X design. For those willing to invest in premium AMD hardware, the Vapor-X is a top contender for an exceptional gaming experience.
The XFX Speedster MERC310 RX 7900XT is a value-driven performer that prioritizes efficient cooling. Its custom MERC Triple Fan Cooling Solution performs better than the stock SKU, thanks to the built-in vapor chamber that keeps temperatures low. With an impressive boost speed of 2535 Mhz and stable temperatures, the MERC310 offers excellent value for its price. Its standard 8-pin connectors also make it a plug-and-play upgrade. However, the size of the card may be a concern for some users as it is considerably large and may not fit in smaller cases. Additionally, its RT performance is currently weaker than its competitors. The card is available for purchase at $799 USD on Amazon and $810 at Newegg.
The Speedster accomplishes its task with a tri-slot (2.7 slot effective), tri-fan frame that may seem excessive for the specs it supports. However, this design results in an incredibly stable card that delivers exceptional value for its price. The XFX-branded 7900XT offers excellent value, costing $50 less than the MSRP for the 7900XT, and is already cheaper than its competitor.
Despite its size, which could be seen as a weakness or a strength from a PC-building perspective, this GPU's current price point for a premium card that competes with NVIDIA's RTX 4080 and 4070TI is an impressive achievement. Additionally, its size eliminates any concerns about its temperatures under load, making it an excellent choice for a GPU.
The Sapphire Radeon Pulse 6700XT is an excellent value mid-tier AMD GPU and a silent performer.
The Sapphire RX 6700XT Pulse is a great mid-tier GPU option that provides exceptional value for its price point. It rivals the Nvidia 3060TI, but with an additional 4GB of VRAM, making it a more well-rounded product. In terms of raw rasterization throughput, it outperforms the RTX 3060TI, but falls short on Ray Tracing benchmarks.
This air-cooled GPU from Sapphire has a GPU speed of 2424 Mhz, an interface of PCI-E 4.0, and 12GB of GDDR6 memory. It requires 230W of power and has a boost speed of 2581 Mhz. The card's 12GB of VRAM proves to be advantageous in upcoming game titles that require more memory utilization, compared to competing cards. It is also stable, silent, and reliable.
However, AMD recently delayed its driver updates for the 6000 series as they focused on the 7000 line-up for two months. The Sapphire Pulse 6700XT may not be the most visually appealing option in its price range. It is currently priced at $359 USD on Amazon and $345 at Newegg. Overall, it is an excellent choice for users looking for a GPU upgrade that offers solid performance without breaking the bank.
The Sapphire Pulse lineup often goes unnoticed due to its release alongside the Nitro/Nitro+ models of the same GPU. However, this should not detract from its capabilities. The Pulse GPUs are reliable performers that efficiently handle tasks while maintaining reasonable temperatures. In our personal experience, the VRAM temperatures of the 6700XT Pulse are lower than those of the 6700 Nitro equivalent. This is because the Nitro sacrifices function for form, lacking a crucial heatsink on VRAMs. As a result, the Pulse is a better choice for longevity and stable performance.
The ASRock Phantom Gaming Radeon RX 6950XT 16GB is a powerful GPU that competes with AMD's current RX 7000 series at an attractive price point. While its limited Ray Tracing performance and high power draw are notable drawbacks, it still offers excellent value for the price. With 16GB GDDR6 memory, it can easily handle 4K games and offers strong Rasterization Performance out of the box. Additionally, it's currently offered at a deep discount, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious gamers. However, it's worth noting that its Ray Tracing Performance is not on par with current-gen AMD GPUs and it's more power-hungry than comparable options. At $600, it's currently available on Newegg.
Despite the RX 6950XT's size and power, its unique price-to-performance ratio makes it the best value for money among AMD's high-end offerings. The $200 in savings it offers to compensate for its higher power draw and older technology is an added bonus. While it may not perform as well as newer GPUs in terms of Ray Tracing, the discount is worth considering, especially as gaming continues to become more expensive at the higher end. Both AMD and Nvidia's flagship offerings can easily exceed $1000 for premium versions ($2000+ for some RTX 4090 SKUs). The Gigabyte Radeon RX 6500 XT Eagle is a great entry-level budget option for those looking for RX 6000 series performance.
The Gigabyte Radeon RX 6500XT is a great entry-level graphics card that offers 4GB of GDDR6 memory, decent FHD performance, and a low-profile design. This card is perfect for those who want to build a more powerful gaming or work-related PC in the future.
The Gigabyte Radeon 6500XT Eagle is a great replacement for the AMD RX 470 and 570 GPUs. Although it has limited 4GB 64-bit GDDR6 RAM, it is still a stellar performer for those looking for a decent card at the $150 entry-level price point. With its low power consumption and silent operation, it's a budget-friendly option that won't break the bank. The low-profile design also allows for compatibility with most systems on the market. However, the 4GB of VRAM may be a limiting factor for some use cases and its performance is similar to the RX480/580 cards. It retails for $171 at Newegg and $229 USD at Amazon.
The GPU may not be the fastest performer, but it still receives regular driver updates and boasts a low power consumption with quiet fans. It's designed to replace the RX 480/580 GPUs with comparable performance in a sleek, low-profile package. This is a great option for those who are considering an upgrade from their older cards, which may no longer receive important driver updates.
AMD has an impressive lineup of GPUs, with the RX 7900 XT and XTX leading the pack in terms of raw power. The company also offers mid and low-end GPUs at competitive prices, providing a diverse range of options for consumers.
Looking ahead, AMD's upcoming FSR 3 technology, which is its answer to NVIDIA's DLSS 3, could further strengthen its position in the market. With a growing selection of value products, AMD is poised for success in 2023.
FAQ:
Q: What is the latest AMD Graphic Card Available?
A: AMD's most recent release is the RX 7900XT and 7900XTX that launched in December 2022.
