The final word:
The 7800 XT, the new queen of 1440p rasterization:
Now it’s time to give you our impressions of this AMD RX 7800 XT, which, let’s not forget, is designed for 1440p definition. One thing’s for sure: we’ve got a lot to say about this new AMD graphics card. Let’s start with its performance in 1440p rasterization, which is quite simply excellent and puts it ahead of NVIDIA’s RTX 4070. You won’t have to compromise on graphics options to play in this definition.
Our two factory-overclocked cards still manage to pick up extra FPS, but above all have a more efficient cooling system.
Ray tracing, NVIDIA still ahead thanks to DLSS:
With ray tracing enabled, our RX 7800 XT still manages to hold its own against the RTX 4070, more often than not achieving an average of 60 FPS. When this isn’t the case, if the game features FSR or XeSS, these upscaling technologies enable a not inconsiderable gain in FPS. Despite this, it’s still the RTX 4070 that fares best with active ray tracing. The arrival of DLSS 3.0 allows NVIDIA to crush the competition in games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Hitman 3. We’d really have liked to see the potential of AMD’s FSR 3.0 land at the same time as this launch, knowing that NVIDIA is already working on version 3.5 of its DLSS.
A very competitive card!
At present, the RTX 3070 Founders Edition is still our reference model for 1440p definition, and was launched at 519 euros in October 2020. Here we are in September 2023, three years later, with an RX 7800 XT priced at 555 euros, with far superior performance. For us, this is a near-perfect price, given that the RTX 4070 Founders Edition is priced at 659 euros and with only 12 GB. The 105-euro difference in price is considerable, given that the card is capable of 1440p with ray tracing active. NVIDIA still has the edge when it comes to ray tracing and, above all, can count on its DLSS, which is proving increasingly efficient. But as far as we’re concerned, NVIDIA will have to review its prices in the days to come, as this RX 7800 XT has a lot to live up to.
All in all, good news, since it’s the future buyer who should be rubbing his hands. Don’t hesitate to wait a few days if you’ve decided to change your graphics card, to see how prices will behave.
NVIDIA’s reaction:
Well, it’s already started, with the price of the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB dropping to 499.99 euros at selected retailers. This price cut will mainly serve to compete with the AMD RX 7700 XT 12 GB model, which is priced at 489 euros for the reference card. There’s no doubt that, knowing NVIDIA, we should be seeing announcements in the coming days in response to the performance of these two new boards, and in particular the RX 7800 XT. First prices are currently arriving on entry-level models for the RTX 4070 at 625 euros.
No overclocking?
No, we haven’t tested overclocking, as current drivers restrict the frequency to 2700 MHz. AMD is aware of the problem and will be proposing a corrective measure with future drivers. We’ll be carrying out a dedicated test using ASUS’ GPU Tweak III software.
The AMD RX 7800 XT reference card:
We liked:
- A card that lets you take full advantage of 1440p without compromising on rasterization
- The sober design of this AMD version
- Classic 8-pin connectors
- Reliable noise levels
- The quality of the board’s design
- Partners’ ability to sell this “reference” board
- Excellent price/performance ratio
- FSR, which, when present, enables a gain in FPS
- 16 GB of memory
We would have liked :
- Better temperature management by the cooling system
- Power consumption has improved, but AMD still needs to do better
- FSR 3 to arrive at the same time as this RX 7800 XT
Right up until the last minute, we hesitated to mention “coup de coeur”, because this AMD RX 7800 XT has everything to please. Performance in 1440p rasterization is excellent, and the card manages to maintain almost 60 FPS when Ray Tracing is activated. Above all, this is the card with the best price/performance ratio in the RX 7000 range. It remains to be seen what the first prices of the partner cards will be, as well as actual availability tomorrow, but this could well be your future graphics card.
Many thanks to AMD for making this sample available.
