Yesterday, we proposed you the test of the two reference cards proposed by AMD, the Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX, today, it’s the turn of a partner model with the superb Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition! And the least we can say is that it came with a very interesting packaging and bundle. This “Limited Edition” version comes with an additional backplate since Powercolor has decided to revolutionize a little its approach to the design of its cards but we tell you about it in this review.
So, are you ready? Shall we let the Red Devil out?
Special thanks to Powercolor for lending us this card and allowing us to be one of the first sites to review it.
[nextpage title=”Powercolor RX 7900 XTX RD:”]
Architecture:
This Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition is the third card that we test and that benefits from the brand new RDNA3architecture. This new architecture succeeds RDNA2 which was represented by the last high-end model, the RX 6950 XT. We had reviewed the Powercolor RX 6950 XT Liquid Devil a few months ago. Let’s hope to see also soon a Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Limited Edition in “Liquid Devil” version.
The novelty of this architecture is the design based on the addition of MCD (Memory Cache Die), also called memory chiplets. This design with its two distinct parts reminds us of the AMD processors. We find the GCD (Graphic Compute Die) engraved in 5 nm with a size of 300 mm ² and then five or six MCD(Memory Cache Die) also called memory chiplets that are engraved in 6 nm. Each one occupies a surface of 37 mm².
The bundle:
Sit back and relax because this is an exceptional bundle. The box received has dimensions of 410 x 220 x 170 mm and has two locks that keep the box sealed. Let’s talk about the visual present on the front and back side which includes the logo of the brand in a cloud of red smoke, it is just sublime.
Once the two locks open, let’s discover what is hidden inside. The box opens from the front and the first thing we discover is a rectangular box. In this box is hidden a new backplate. Powercolor had a very good idea in deciding to offer an additional backplate but will continue to offer others in the weeks to come. The idea is that you can customize your card as you wish. This is a great initiative!
So here is what the offered backplate looks like. Of course, we will install it on our copy to show you what it looks like. The fixing principle is very simple since the backplate is magnetized. We then remove a cardboard sheet to discover a whole series of accessories offered in bundle.
Under the cardboard sheet, we find several accessories: a user guide, a Red Devil sticker, a metal magnet and finally a support to maintain your graphics card vertically and prevent it from distorting.
Finally, as you might expect, we find our copy of the Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition protected in its antistatic plastic and an RGB cable.
A custom card that makes a statement:
The least we can say is that this Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition is impressive and this, because of its 40 mm high radiator. The fairing of the card is also quite limited, which allows to see the radiator. Another positive point is that it will allow it to “breathe easily” and thus keep very good temperatures. This is what we will be looking for during our test. Thickness obliges, the card will use 3 slots in your case.
The card is equipped with 3 fans of 100 mm. They are responsible for dissipating the heat accumulated by the radiator. The three fans have 9 blades as well as Mute Fan Technology which allows them to remain at rest if the temperature of the GPU does not exceed 50 degrees.
Finally, the card has a metal backplate whose role is to stiffen the PCB as well as protect it from damage. The backplate is cut out at the back of the graphics chip to optimize cooling and is equipped with a backlit PowerColor Red Devil logo. The backplate supplied in a bundle can be stuck on via a magnet system.
Here is what it looks like, once clipped to the back of the PCB. We will take pictures with and without so you can see the difference.
The presence of two BIOS and RGB
The card has two BIOS, which has become common on high-end cards. You can choose between the OC BIOS (315 watts) and the Silent BIOS (303 watts). The only difference between the two is a higher fan speed for the OC version and a slightly higher boost frequency. Powercolor talks about 2525 MHz for the Silent BIOS and 2565 MHz for the OC.
Both BIOS have the Mute Fan Technology feature that allows the three fans to remain idle if the GPU temperature does not exceed 50 degrees. As we mentioned, this is a “Limited Edition” version with 1500 units produced. Our sample is number 149.
The RGB backlight area is located on the back of the card. By default, it will light up in red but via the cable provided in the bundle, you can opt for other colors by connecting it to your motherboard.
The heat sink :
As we said above, the radiator is really imposing with its height of 40 mm. The heatsink is composed of three distinct parts. The central part is responsible for dissipating the heat from the graphics chip as well as the memory chips. The other two parts focus on the different phases of the power stage while also using different thermal pads.
The heat sink is crossed by eight 6 mm copper heat pipes. The part in contact with the GPU has been machined to ensure the widest possible contact area and to dissipate the heat over the entire length of the heatsink.
The only role of the backplate is to stiffen the PCB and to prevent it from twisting under the weight of the board.
The connectors :
To power this board, and this is great news, AMD has chosen to keep the 8-pin power connectors, and our sample has three of them.
AMD has opted for DisplayPort 2.1 support on the RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT. This means higher refresh rate support in 4K and 8K compared to the DisplayPort 1.4 port that NVIDIA uses on its latest RTX 4000 series cards. AMD offers simultaneous encode or decode for AV1, which will be of interest to content creators. So we have three DisplayPort 2.1 and one HDMI 2.1.
[nextpage title=”Specifications and PCB:”]
The technical specifications:
In terms of frequency, the base frequency is announced at 2395 MHz while the Boost is at 2565 MHz. The 24 GB of G-DDR6 memory runs at 2500 MHz (980 GB/s) on a 384 bit bus. Our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition benefits from a slight factory overclocking, since the reference card, the RX 7900 XTX benefits from a Boost frequency of 2500 MHz.
A small passage through GPU-Z to check that the information read is correct. And there, it is not the case, it seems that GPU-Z does not read correctly the values announced by the manufacturer. We have contacted Powercolor and we are waiting for a return but we think that the problem comes from the software.
Let’s unpack the PCB:
The novelty of this architecture is the design based on the addition of MCD (Memory Cache Die), also called memory chiplets. This design with its two distinct parts reminds us of the AMD processors. The PCB below is the one of the Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
We find the GCD (Graphic Compute Die) engraved in 5 nm with a size of 300 mm ² and then five or six MCD(Memory Cache Die) also called memory chiplets which are engraved in 6 nm. Each one occupies a surface of 37 mm². The PCB consists of 21 phases, 12 + 3 + 2 for the GPU and 2 + 2 for the memory.
[nextpage title=”The test configuration: “]
Lately, we have once again updated all our graphics using the latest drivers from NVIDIA, AMD and of course Intel. We also took the opportunity to slightly modify our test configuration. So here we go again for a new series of tests and therefore of graphics on this slightly modified configuration:
- Motherboard: ROG Maximus Z690 APEX
- Processor : Intel Alder Lake i9-12900K
- Memory : 32 GB Corsair Vengeance 5600 CL38 DDR5
- Graphics Card : Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition
- Cooling system : ROG Ryujin II 360
- SSD : Western Digital Black SN750 2 TB + EKWB radiator
- Power supply : Corsair AX1600i + 12VHPWR 600W adapter
- Operating system : Windows 11 64 bits
For this test, we used a high-end configuration using an i9-12900K processor and DDR5. The use of a 144 Hz 4K display is also a prerequisite. For our tests we use a copy of the ROG PG27UQ.
The drivers used are NVIDIA 517.48 and AMD 22.9.2. For the two AMD cards, we used the press drivers in version 22.40.00.57
Our test protocol:
All cards are tested at stock frequencies and without any optimization. For the various benchmarks, whether synthetic or gaming, we will opt for 1080p, 1440p and 2160p resolutions depending on the card’s performance. Here, with this ultra high-end model, we will only use 2160p definition since we will be comparing it mainly to NVIDIA’s RTX 4080 FE.
As you have seen, we have switched to Windows 11 and we have enabled in the BIOS, the “ReSize BAR” visible in GPU-Z. Now that you know everything about our test configuration, it’s time to start!
[nextpage title=”Synthetic benchmarks: “]
Our first series of tests will be dedicated to synthetic benchmarks. These are often used for overclocking competitions but are also very interesting to compare different GPUs. So we will focus on the 3DMark benchmarks.
We will test the following benchmarks:
- Fire Strike (1080p)
- Fire Strike Ultra (2160p)
- Time Spy (1440p)
- Time Spy Extreme (2160p)
- 3DMark Speed Way
- DirectX Raytracing
- Intel XeSS
- Mesh Shader
3DMark Fire Strike and Fire Strike Ultra :
Let’s start with 3DMark Fire Strike, which is one of the most used benchmarks today. It consists of two graphics tests, a CPU test and a fourth test that combines GPU and CPU. Don’t forget to deactivate the demo which doesn’t bring anything in the final score and prolongs the benchmark duration (unnecessarily). The version used for these tests is of course the latest one
The first benchmark that we carry out with this Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition and the least we can say is that it starts very strong! It takes the lead over the NVIDIA RTX 4080 with 1391 points.
The same is true under Fire Strike Ultra, where our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition remains in second place, but this time widens the gap with the NVIDIA RTX 4080.
3DMark Time Spy and Time Spy Extreme:
The second test is 3DMark Time Spy. Although this one is done in 1440p, it has the particularity of using DirectX 12. It consists of two graphical tests and a CPU test. As for Fire Strike, don’t forget to disable the demo. These two first benchmarks are proposed by UL Benchmark.
The performance obtained in Time Spy is often representative of what we will get in games. The first five cards from the new generation stand out against the previous generations. If the performance of our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition is confirmed, we may have excellent performance in games.
Under 3DMark Time Spy Extreme, same observation even if the RX 7900 XT is more behind the RXT 4080. On the other hand, the Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition keeps its second place. As we can also see, the RTX 4090 is untouchable.
3DMark Speed Way
The latest benchmark from Ulbenchmark and it’s nice to be able to say that we’re going to have a good time on this Speed Way. It uses DirectX 12 and is by default in a 1440p definition. We have not modified anything and we use the original benchmark.
Here our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition is in third place. The benchmark uses Ray Tracing and seems to make our card suffer. We’ll see what happens in games when we enable Ray Tracing.
3DMark DirectX Raytracing :
UL Benchmarks has added a new test to its series of benchmarks to measure Ray Tracing performance. The idea will be to use the 3DMark DirectX Raytracing test to compare the performance of Ray Tracing hardware dedicated to AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards but now also to Intel!
The 3DMark DirectX Raytracing test is designed to make Ray Tracing the limiting factor. Instead of relying on traditional rendering, the entire scene is traced and drawn in one pass. The test result will depend entirely on the performance of the Ray Tracing. It will be easy to measure and compare the performance of the different cards between them.
This benchmark has always been dominated by NVIDIA cards and we know that AMD cards will have more difficulties. However, we can see the progress of this new generation since the Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition is almost at the level of the RTX 3080 Ti but very far from the RTX 4080. We can really judge the impact of Ray Tracing in our gaming benchmarks.
3DMark Intel XeSS
UL Benchmarks in collaboration with Intel will add this new benchmark to the 3DMark suite. We had early access to this new test for our testing. This Intel XeSS test is designed to evaluate and compare the performance and image quality of XeSS(Xe Super Sampling). There are four XeSS modes to choose from: Ultra Quality, Quality, Balanced and Performance. The 3DMark inspection tool helps you compare image quality with a side-by-side view of XeSS rendering and native resolution rendering. You need a graphics card that supports Intel XeSS to run this test.
So we’ll have two scores, a FPS number with XeSS disabled and then on the right with XeSS enabled. The mode chosen is “Ultra Quality” which is actually the default mode for the benchmark.
In this new benchmark, the good news is that the two cards seem to take advantage of the Xe Super Sampling technology which allows to boost the performance.
As we conclude this first round of synthetic testing, we are pleasantly surprised by the performance. The Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition is well ahead in benchmarks not using Ray Tracing but lags behind when it is active. We should have a good card for gaming and we will see how it will perform with Ray Tracing combined with FSR or XeSS.
[nextpage title=”Gaming performance in 2160p: “]
We decided to select six games because they seem to be representative enough. We have opted for DirectX12 and Vulkan with the following games:
- The Division 2 (DirectX 12)
- Borderlands 3 (DirectX 12)
- Red Dead Redemption II (Vulkan)
- Far Cry 6 (DirectX 12)
- Watch Dogs: Legion (DirectX 12)
- Cyberpunk 2077 (DirectX12)
We have chosen to use the benchmarks integrated in these different games.
Why did we do this? Simply to allow you to compare your results with ours if you also have a copy of one of these games. It’s a thought that seemed relevant to us and that will allow you to compare your results with ours.
As we mentioned on page 4 of this article, we have activated the Resizable Bar in the BIOS, which is now supported by all (recent) GPUs. Finally, we have opted only for 2160p definition and selected the cards that are able to compete at this level. Unfortunately, we don’t have any RTX 3080’s available at the moment to add performance to our graphics.
We also decided to harden the graphics quality of some games since the next generations should be more powerful, both from NVIDIA and from the next AMD graphics cards.
The Division 2:
The Division 2 will be tested under DirectX 12. As for the graphics settings, they will be set to ” ultra ” mode with vertical synchronization disabled.
Let’s go for the gaming part . First game of our series and it is rather beneficial to NVIDIA cards. Our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition manages to keep up with the RTX 4080 while our RX 7900 XT performs close to the RTX 3090.
Borderlands 3:
For the second game, we switch to Borderlands 3. The graphic options are set to ” Brutal “. It is important to know that Borderlands 3 is quite greedy and that this choice of parameters has a strong impact on the FPS. It is a game that is often praised in the announcements of new graphics cards and precisely in this Brutal mode.
Well, the trend changes here in Borderlands 3. We find a graph close to what we had under 3DMark Time Spy with our RTX 4080 sandwiched between the two AMD cards. The Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition takes a large lead over its direct competitor while the RX 7900 XT does almost as well as the RTX 4080. After the synthetic benchmarks, this is the kind of performance we expected. It remains to be seen if this will continue.
Red Dead Redemption 2:
Third game and not the least, Red Dead Redemption II on PC. The advantage of this opus is to offer the possibility to test the integrated benchmark under Vulkan. We opt for the graphics options in ” ultra “.
Third game and not the least, RDR2 offers the possibility to test the integrated benchmark under Vulkan. It is clear that we are on the same type of graphics as in the previous game. Our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition manages to outperform the RTX 4080 and the RX 7900 XT manages to do as well.
Far Cry 6:
The latest game we are adding to this section is Far Cry 6, as it supports DXR as well as the FSR offered by AMD. We will also find it on the next page. For our benchmarks, we opted for ” ultra ” graphics quality.
Even if our article dedicated to this game has highlighted an advantage to AMD cards, our graphics remain identical in its construction. An RX 7900 XTX that performs better than the RTX 4080 and an RX 7900 XT that remains neck and neck with the green model. Note that the RTX 4090 remains untouchable.
Watch Dogs Legion:
Last but not least, Watch Dogs Legion will be used for our tests with Ray Tracing and DLSS. For our benchmarks, we have opted for an “ultra” graphic quality.
The trend is confirmed with the Watch Dogs Legion benchmark since the RX 7900 XT is still neck and neck with the RTX 4080, while the Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition largely secures its second place in our graph.
Cyberpunk 2077:
This is a game that we have been wanting to add for a while and it is now done since it now has an integrated benchmark. We will also use this game for our tests with Ray Tracing. For our benchmarks, we have opted for an ” ultra ” graphic quality.
New and last benchmark of this panel of games. This is the one that shows the strongest performance with our graphics cards since few cards pass the 60 FPS mark. A small change though, as this is the first time our RX 7900 XT manages to take the lead over the RTX 4080.
Average Game:
For the average game performance, the NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti is the reference card in 2160p. The other cards get a score either higher or lower depending on their performance against this model.
Our eyes will of course turn to the performance of our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition against the NVIDIA RTX 4080. No doubt, it performs much better than its direct competitor and takes a clear lead. The RTX 4090 remains a UFO and has not, at any time, been worried. We will wait for the conclusion and the Ray Tracing tests to give you our opinion on this new generation.
[nextpage title=”Ray tracing and DLSS/FSR performances:”]
Let’s now take a look at the five games we have selected that support Ray Tracing as well as DLSS and for some the FSR from AMD as well as the new XeSS technology from Intel and that is supported by Shadow Tomb Raider and Hitman 3. As we have already reminded you, if the DLSS remains the property of NVIDIA, the FSR and the XeSS can be used with all cards from AMD, Intel and even NVIDIA. This is an important notion to remember before starting the tests.
The six DirectX 12 games that we will test with Ray Tracing and DLSS, FSR or XeSS are :
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DLSS)
- Watch Dogs: Legion (DLSS)
- Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition (DLSS)
- Far Cry 6 (DLSS – FSR)
- Cyberpunk 2077 (DLSS – FSR)
- Hitman 3 (DLSS – XeSS)
No change for this new series of games since we stay in the 2160p definition. Depending on the card, we will use DLSS for NVIDIA and either FSR or XeSS for AMD models. If FSR is not available in a game, then we will use XeSS on our AMD card.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider:
The first one we add to this comparison that supports Ray Tracing and DLSS 2.0. Three levels of Ray Tracing are offered in the game (medium – high – ultra) and the four levels of DLSS (performance – quality – balanced – ultra performance).
For our benchmarks, we opted for ” ultra ” graphics quality, ” ultra ” Ray Tracing and ” performance ” DLSS or XeSS.
With Ray Tracing enabled in ultra, our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition easily gets by with an average of 87 FPS. There is no FSR technology in Shadow of The Tomb Raider, but XeSS has recently been introduced. Even if this technology is aimed at Intel cards, our RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX can take advantage of it to boost performance. This game is therefore a formality for our two AMD cards.
Watch Dogs Legion:
Second game, Watch Dogs Legion supports Ray Tracing and DLSS 2.0. It is one of the most demanding games of the moment. Three levels of Ray Tracing are offered in the game (medium – high – ultra) and four levels of DLSS (performance – quality – balanced – ultra performance).
For our benchmarks, we opted for ultra graphics quality, ” ultra ” Ray Tracing and ” performance ” DLSS.
The Ray Tracing in Watch Dogs Legion makes all cards suffer except for our model. This is the test par excellence that will highlight the difficulties of AMD cards. The activation of Ray Tracing will not allow us to play in good conditions since the average FPS is far too low. So, yes, we could also have opted for a ” lighter ” Ray Tracing but that’s not the idea here. Without the presence of FSR or XeSS technologies, most 2160p games with active Ray Tracing will be unplayable for our RX 7900 XT or RX 7900 XTX. The only solution will be to go down to a lower definition.
Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition:
Third game and supports DLSS 2.0. We have dedicated a review to it. Three levels of Ray Tracing are offered in the game and four levels of DLSS (performance – quality – balanced – ultra performance).
For our benchmarks, we opted for ultra graphics quality, ” high ” Ray Tracing and DLSS in ” performance ” mode.
The same case here in Metro Exodus PC as for Watch Dogs Legion. The conclusions are the same and without appeal.
Far Cry 6:
The latest game we add to this section since it supports DXR as well as FSR proposed by AMD.
For our benchmarks, we opted for Ultra graphics quality, we enabled both DRX options as well as FSR in ” performance ” mode.
In Far Cry 6, FSR is the only choice available to boost FPS after enabling Ray Tracing. All our cards can benefit from it, regardless of the manufacturer. So this is a case where even NVIDIA graphics cards will benefit from a performance boost.
The FSR is still to the advantage of AMD cards and our graphic uses the same construction as in our 2160p games with the RTX 4080 sandwiched between the RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX.
Cyberpunk 2077:
New game that we added and that proposes in its parameters the activation of the DLSS but also the FSR.
For our benchmarks, we have chosen a “high” graphic quality, an ” ultra” Ray Tracing and a ” balanced ” DLSS/FSR.
This is the most demanding game where our cards have a hard time keeping up. Here, it’s violent for our AMD models that struggle to keep up. We also had a hard time testing the previous generation (RX 6000). Cyberpunk 2077 benefits from FSR 2.1 and allows our RX 7900 XTX to get close to the symbolic 60 FPS mark. We will have to be less greedy in terms of graphic parameters so that the RX 7900 XT can also reach the average of 60 FPS.
Note that FRS 2.1 boosts our performance by 177% and DLSS 2.0 by 171%. The two technologies are therefore quite close in terms of gains.
Hitman 3:
Last game also added since it is now compatible with DLSS, FSR and XeSS technology. Depending on the model of the tested card, we choose one of these three technologies.
For our benchmarks, we chose “high” graphics quality, ” enabled ” Ray Tracing and ” performance ” DLSS/Xess.
We find a situation close to the previous game with our two cards suffering when Ray Tracing is enabled. Fortunately Hitman 3 also benefits from FSR 2.0 and allows our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition to easily pass the 60 FPS mark with an average of 85.9 FPS.
So Ray Tracing with these Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX:
The conclusion is quite simple. It will be very difficult to enjoy 2160p definition with active Ray Tracing if the game doesn’t have XeSS or FSR technologies. If this is the case, even if our two cards suffer, it will be possible to reach the 60 FPS mark quite easily.
This new generation improves and manages to handle Ray Tracing better. AMD must make the effort so that the next big games can integrate their home technology, i.e. FidelityFX Super Resolution. We also notice that overall the DLSS is more efficient than the two other technologies proposed by AMD and Intel. Let’s also remember that we are here on DLSS 2 and that we could realize that DLSS 3 still allows superior gains in terms of FPS.
[nextpage title=”Temperature and power consumption: “]
Temperature:
In order to measure temperatures, we opted for the Superposition stress test in Extreme mode. We opted for three 5 minutes runs with 10 minutes interval between each test. We took advantage of this benchmark to measure the power consumption of the graphics card for the table above.
In order to know the temperature in Idle, after having finished the three loops of the stress test, we let the card rest for 20 minutes before reading the temperature. It should be taken into account that most of the cards have the “0 dBa” technology and therefore, the fans turn off below a certain temperature, often between 50 and 55°C. This means that it takes longer to dissipate the heat after a period of stress testing or gaming. A card without this technology will be noisier than others at rest. Small reminder: our temperature readings are taken in Open-Air. In a closed case, the cards will necessarily be hotter.
As we expected, the temperatures are very good and very well contained and this thanks to the impressive cooling system. Our measurements are made outside the case for all the cards. However, you should be careful to have a good air circulation inside your case since the heat will be evacuated inside the case.
Power Consumption (full configuration):
We use a wattmeter to measure the power consumption on the output of our power supply. Our modular power supply is a CORSAIR AX1600i. The result we propose is the average of the total consumption of our configuration. Only the graphics card changes between each reading. It is therefore easy to calculate the difference between each graphics card.
The least pleasant surprise in our test of this new generation is the power consumption of our Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition. Even if it improves compared to the RX 6950 XT, we are almost at 500 watts. So, in pure gaming, the RX 7900 XTX performed better than the RTX 4080 but we would have liked to have a much more controlled power consumption as it was the case for the NVIDIA card.
[nextpage title=”Overclocking:”]
As I have implied during this article, I am eager to start overclocking and see how far our AMD cards are able to go. The performance is already very interesting in benchmarks and in games, but you’re getting to know us, we can’t get enough of it. On top of that, the card has a cooling system that seems to do the job, so that’s a great thing.
Step 1: Benchmark scores
Of course, it is important to know the scores we obtained on the Time Spy benchmark as well as the maximum boost frequency reached. This will allow us to have the reference scores and thus be able to judge the gains in overclocking.
As we can see, the graphic score is 30241 points, this is what we will try to improve by increasing the frequency of the GPU and memory.
Step 2: OC via RADEON drivers
For the overclocking of these two Radeon RX 7900 XT(X) we will use the RADEON drivers to make the modifications. It is thus by using the AMD drivers, via the interface drivers – performance – setting – manual setting, that we will begin the overclocking. As a reminder, we are going to act on the GPU frequency, on the memory frequency, on the memory latency and on the power limit, here on this model of 15%.
It is from here that we will be able to apply all our modifications.
We take the same and start again..
Yes, as I expected, our performance was again limited by the power limit of the card. To make it simple, from a certain frequency, and even if it is stable, the performances are less good. Look on this picture, the Boost frequency reaches 2859 MHz and yet my graphic score is only 27661 points while at the origin, without overclocking, it is 29864 points!
We will have to wait for less restricted BIOS or use More Power Tool when it will be compatible with this new generation. In the meantime, here is the best score we could get by choosing a frequency between 2750 and 2800 MHz with the memory at 2600 MHz.
The graphic score goes from 30241 points to 31873 points. In games, this allows us a gain of only 4 to 5%. It’s a pity to limit the card in this way, but it leaves a possibility for AMD to offer a RX 7950 XTX for example. Let’s hope to get a BIOS unlock from Powercolor in the future.
[nextpage title=”The last word:”]
The return of AMD in the race ?
Yes, clearly. But to be honest, I had some doubts when the RX 7900 XT(X) was presented, since AMD had only presented very few graphics showing the performance of its cards against the competition. However, AMD is there and manages to impose itself largely thanks to its RX 7900 XTX which shows itself more powerful than its main competitor. As we have seen, in 2160p definition, there is nothing to debate.
Now yes, once we activate Ray Tracing in 2160p, our two sample suffer and if the game doesn’t have FSR or XeSS technologies, it will be a waste to be able to enjoy this definition. You’ll have to do without Ray Tracing or go back down to 1440p. Now, in the opposite case, it will be possible to reach 60 FPS by making sometimes a little compromise and sometimes none in order to enjoy the best graphic quality! However, we also noticed that DLSS is the most interesting in terms of performance when Ray Tracing is activated.
AMD still has a card to play in the next few weeks when its “Ryzen 7000X3D” processor will be available, which should bring a gain in performance when combined with an AMD GPU. We will make a series of comparative tests when it will be available in all logic for early 2023.
The price, always the price
Not to change, this is the one that will have a (psychological) impact on sales. NVIDIA offers its RTX 4080 Founders Edition at 1399 euros (1199$ announced) currently. The brand has lowered its price since the euro has regained some strength against the dollar. So, when is it on the side of AMD?
AMD informs us that the official prices in Europe including VAT will be 1059.99 euros for the RX 7900 XT (899$ in the US) and 1159.99 euros (999$ in the US) for the RX 7900XTX. First observation, the conversion rate is identical to that proposed by NVIDIA, that is to say an additional cost of more or less 17% compared to the price in dollars. Those who were hoping to see a card under the 1,000 euro mark will be disappointed. Advantage to the reds who offer a cheaper solution to take full advantage of the 2160p definition. Now, beware, as we have seen, things get complicated when Ray Tracing is activated. For us, cards at this price cannot do without Ray Tracing, it would be really unacceptable to do without it. The RTX 4080 will allow you to make no compromises, while the RX 7900 XTX will force you to go down to 1440p if the game has neither FSR nor XeSS.
And this Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition?
Once again, Powercolor doesn’t do things by halves! The card is superb and the imposing radiator allows it to stay cool in any condition and especially in absolute silence. If the fans are triggered, they are ultra silent because of their low speed. Powercolor innovates by offering an additional backplate in a bundle. As we said, Powercolor will continue to offer other backplates in 2023 which can be purchased individually.
The presence of three classic 8-pin connectors will surely have a reassuring effect on potential buyers in view of the problems encountered by NVIDIA with its 12VHPWR adapter, even if the situation now seems to be under control. At the time of writing, we had not yet received information about the price and availability of this model, which will only be produced in a limited edition of 1,500 units.
Powercolor RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition
We liked:
- A card to take full advantage of the 2160p
- A RX 7900 XTX more powerful than the RTX 4080 without Ray Tracing
- A perfectly designed power supply with quality components
- The use of classic 8-pin connectors
- Excellent cooling system
- The very reliable noise levels
- The quality of the card’s design
- Bundled backplate and the possibility to buy more
- The return of AMD to a level close to NVIDIA’s
- The limited edition for this Red Devil version
We would have liked:
- Not to find ourselves once again with a card that is limited in overclocking!
- A better control of the power consumption on the RX 7900 XTX
- Even more games supporting FSR
We have mixed feelings when it comes to the performance of this new AMD generation and we can’t decide between gold and silver. The excellent 2160p performance combined with a very well designed, quiet and perfectly cooled Powercolor Red Devil make us opt for the gold award. However, the Ray Tracing will disturb our opinion if the chosen game does not have FSR or XeSS. It is then simply impossible to enjoy it fully and we have to switch back to 1440p. We were also a little disappointed with the overclocking feature, which is almost non-existent, as we quickly reached the card’s power limits, with the added bonus of a fairly high power consumption. Thanks to Powercolor for the sample of this RX 7900 XTX Red Devil Limited Edition.