It’s a busy day for us at the end of the NDA, with no less than four tests of the new AMD cards, the RX 7700 XT and RX 7800 XT, which we presented to you a few days ago. We’ll be reviewing AMD’s reference model, the RX 7800 XT, as well as the TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC, TUF Gaming RX 7800 XT OC and Powercolor’s Red Devil RX 7800 XT. We continue today’s tests with the TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC graphics card.
This card is aimed at the mid-range 1440p 60 FPS segment and is priced at 564.99 euros. As a reminder, the MSRP announced by AMD for the RX 7700 XT is $449, or 499 euros in France for the reference card. We therefore have a price difference of 65 euros compared with the reference board, which can be explained by the larger cooling system used by ASUS. As for the price of the TUF Gaming version of the RTX 4060 Ti, it averages 525 euros for the 8 GB version. This TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC model is positioned as a direct competitor to the NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti, despite NVIDIA’s claim that the card is designed for 1080p. We’ll find out for sure in our test.
We took advantage of this article to redo all our tests with the latest drivers available from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel. As you can see from our test protocol, all our graphics have just been updated!
Special thanks to ASUS for making this TUF Gaming RX 7800 XT OC available.
[nextpage title=”TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC:”]
Architecture:
This AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the fourth card in our hands to benefit from the brand-new RDNA3 architecture. This new architecture succeeds RDNA2, which was represented in particular by the latest high-end model, the RX 6950 XT. AMD has chosen to launch its two top-of-the-range models directly, as NVIDIA has done with its RTX 4090. AMD had and still has stocks of cards from the previous generation, hence this choice of launch.
On the other hand, with this RX 7700 XT, we’re in a “mid-range” offering for 1440p 60 FPS definition. The RX 7800 XT version is also aimed at this definition, but at a slightly higher price, as the card boasts higher technical specifications. We’ll be able to judge the difference in performance in the tests published today.
We’ve taken the table provided by our VideoCardz colleagues, which lists the characteristics of the various GPUs built around RDNA3. As for the RX 7700 XT, the characteristics are also very interesting and higher than we expected. The Navi 32 XL chip is slightly neutered and uses 54 CU and 108 AI Accelerators. This is a significant evolution on the previous generation, the RX 6700 XT with its 40 CU. This model also uses 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, although the memory clock is slightly lower, at 18 Gbps. The RX 7700 XT has a higher power consumption than the RX 6700 XT, with an increase of 15 W to 245 W.
As for the RX 7000 generation, the range is now complete, and AMD has no plans to release further cards based on this architecture. It remains to be seen whether other cards will be added for the RTX 4000s on the green side.
The bundle:
As you can see from the photos below, the box for our copy of the TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC follows the usual color code of ASUS models. The model number can be found in the bottom right-hand corner of the box on a red background, as befits AMD. Dimensions are 420 x 225 x 90 mm. We’re talking about a rather imposing package, since our model features a rather imposing cooling system.
On the rear, ASUS highlights the PCB design, the cooling system and its GPU Tweak III overclocking software, which we’ll come back to at the end of the week. The opening is on the side, where we find our graphics card perfectly protected in a block of foam. The bundle includes a quick installation guide and a vertical support to place in your case to hold your graphics card horizontally. It can also be used as a Phillips screwdriver.
This is a ” custom ” card, i.e. with a PCB and cooling system specific to AMD’s partner brand, i.e. Asus. Our sample of the day is part of the TUF Gaming series.
Cooling :
The TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC features a cooling system consisting of three 100 mm fans. The design of this TUF model is visually very pleasing and features a few touches of RGB backlighting. The gray color of the aluminum casing will match any motherboard and any case.
The imposing Axial-tech fans rotate on double ball bearings, increasing the volume of air passing through the radiator. The result is higher temperatures and reduced noise pollution. The two side fans turn counter-clockwise. The aim is to minimize turbulence and maximize air dispersion through the radiator.
These fans have 11 blades and will remain at rest when the board is not in use, and vice versa. They become active again when the temperature requires it. As you can see, the hot air escapes through the top edge of the board, through the bracket and also through the aluminum backplate cut out at the end. In fact, the PCB is much shorter than the heat sink. It ends at the PCB’s two power connectors.
As previously mentioned, the rear of the board is protected by an imposing grey backplate. Its role is to prevent the PCB from twisting, but it also plays a thermal dissipation role, with the presence of pads between it and the PCB. We’ll be able to judge the temperature of the latter during our tests. In terms of thickness, our sample occupies 3 slots.
The card also features a dual BIOS: Pmode (performance) and Qmode (quiet). By default, Pmode is selected, and in our opinion, this is the best choice, even if the differences between the two BIOS are virtually non-existent.
Connectors :
To power our board, and this is excellent news, ASUS has chosen to retain two 8-pin power connectors. AMD claims a power consumption of 245 watts for the reference RX 7700 XT, but we don’t yet know the figure for our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC. We also know that, as far as memory is concerned, AMD is using GDDR6 instead of GDDR6X for both cards, mainly because it consumes less power and is incidentally less expensive.
ASUS has opted for DisplayPort 2.1 support on these new boards. AMD offers simultaneous encoding or decoding for AV1, which will be of interest to content creators. All in all, we have three DisplayPort 2.1s and one HDMI 2.1.
[nextpage title=”Specifications and PCB:”]
Technical specifications:
In terms of frequency, here’s that of our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC. The base frequency is announced at 2276 MHz, while the Boost peaks at 2599 MHz. This TUF therefore has a slight factory overclocking, since the Boost frequency of the reference card is 2544 MHz. This should give us much better performance than the AMD RX 6700 XT. The 12 GB of G-DDR6 memory run at 2250 MHz (432 GB/s) on a 192-bit bus.
A quick run through GPU-Z to check that the information read is correct. Don’t forget that the latter will be superior in benchmarks, depending on the quality of your chip and cooling system.
[nextpage title=”Which power supply for this RX 7700 XT:”]
It’s only logical to ask what kind of power supply you’ll need to build a new configuration around either the RX 7700 XT or the RX 7800 XT. There are several ways of doing this, such as referring to AMD’s recommendations. In this case, AMD recommends a minimum 700-watt power supply for both the RX 7700 XT and the basic RX 7800 XT. We were able to get our hands on a number of power supply models from Asus that would be perfectly suited to the TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC or the TUG Gaming RX 7800 XT OC. Our two Asus graphics cards are factory pre-overclocked and will therefore require a little more power, especially if you intend to overclock the graphics chip as well as the other components of your configuration, like the processor for example.
ASUS also offers an online tool that lets you calculate the power you need to power your configuration. Simply specify the model of your processor and graphics card. You’ll then have a recommended power rating, as well as the option of indicating that you intend to overclock your configuration, thus increasing the power of the power supply.
Let’s take a look at the three PSU models we have available: the ROG LOKI SFX-L 850 watts Platinum, a ROG Strix 1000 watts Gold AURA Edition and finally the TUF Gaming 1000 watts Gold.
ROG LOKI SFX-L 850 watts Platinum:
Four power ratings have been announced: 750W, 850W, 1000W and 1200W. These should ensure good performance, since the “lowest” wattages are certified 80 Platinum. The 1200W version is off the beaten track, with a very, very high 80 Titanium certification! This means efficiency of at least 90%, even at 10% load!
Internally, ASUS once again selects quality components with low ESR Japanese capacitors. These capacitors are less prone to power loss and temperature rise. Speaking of temperatures, the brand once again uses very large internal heatsinks to improve cooling. Couple all this with a 120 mm Axial-Tech fan for efficient dissipation.
Finally, let’s not forget that these power supplies comply with the ATX 3.0 standard. They are therefore capable of outputting twice their power for a few microseconds. Likewise, they also feature a 12VHPWR cable capable of delivering 600W of power to power RTX 4000s.
ROG Strix 1000 watts Gold AURA Edition:
These power supplies come in three power ratings: 750W, 850W and 1000W. All are 80 Gold certified, ensuring 92% efficiency at 50% load. On the other hand, no matter how powerful the block, the casing is certainly well designed, but equally imposing. The 750W version is 18 cm deep!
The brand also distinguishes itself with a well-constructed interior. As usual, ASUS uses large internal heatsinks to improve cooling of the block’s heating elements. Still on the subject of cooling, the brand uses a 135 mm Axial-Tech fan with semi-passive operation. As a result, ventilation is cut off at up to 50% load, ensuring maximum silence.
For the electrical part, the Taiwanese brand opts for a single 12V rail. In terms of electrical protection, we have OPP, OVP, UVP, SCP, OCP and OTP. And, of course, ATX 3.0 compliance enables the blocks to deliver 200% of their power over a short period of time. Last but not least, there’s the indispensable 12VHPWR 16-pin connector to power an RTX 40… and everything else in between.
TUF Gaming 1000 watts Gold:
The brand offers a total of three power supplies. The power ratings are 750W, 850W and 1000W. Naturally, they comply with the new ATX 3.0 standard and feature the famous 12VHPWR connector. So you’ll be able to power your RTX 40 without the need for a dubious adapter.
On the electrical side, the first thing to note is the 92% efficiency thanks to 80 Gold certification. Otherwise, the construction seems to inspire confidence, thanks to Japanese capacitors. Likewise, the PCB benefits from a coating that protects it from moisture, dust and other debris. This prevents short circuits. Otherwise, all these models benefit from a single 12V rail and the following protections: OPP, OVP, UVP, SCP, OCP and OTP.
Finally, ventilation is provided by a 135 mm fan with double ball bearings. This Axial-Tech mill should work actively.
[nextpage title=”The test configuration: “]
As we said in the introduction, we’re (once again) busy updating all our graphics using the latest drivers from NVIDIA, AMD and now, of course, INTEL. We’ve also taken the opportunity to slightly modify our test configuration. So here we go again, with a new series of tests and graphics on this slightly modified configuration:
- Motherboard: ROG Maximus Z690 APEX
- Processor: Intel Alder Lake i9-12900K
- Memory : 32 GB Corsair Vengeance 5200 CL38 DDR5
- Graphics card: ASUS TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC
- Cooling system : Asus ROG Ryujin II 360
- SSD: Western Digital Black SN750 2 TB EKWB radiator
- Power supply: Corsair AX1600i adapter 12VHPWR 600W
- Operating system: Windows 11 64-bit
For this test, we used a high-end configuration featuring an i9-12900K processor and DDR5. The use of a 144 Hz 4K display is also a sine qua non. For our tests, we’re using the ROG PG27UQ.
As we said in the introduction to this article, all our tests have been redone over the last few days with all our cards and with the latest drivers available!
The drivers used are the latest for each manufacturer, with the Adrenalin-Edition 23.20.01.05 for testing these new boards.
Our test protocol:
All cards are tested at stock frequencies and without any optimization. For the various benchmarks, whether synthetics or games, we’ll opt for 1080p, 1440p and 2160p resolutions, depending on the card’s performance. Here, with this model, we’ll be using 1440p definitions for rasterization and ray tracing , as we feel this is the most appropriate.
As you can see, we’re now running Windows 11, and we’ve activated the ” ReSize BAR ” in the BIOS, which can be seen in GPU-Z. Now that you know everything about our test configuration, it’s time to get started!
Please note: the RX 6800 XT in our test tables is the ROG RX 6800 XT LC Strix Gaming OC version, which benefits from a liquid cooling system and also boasts much higher frequencies than the reference card.
[nextpage title=”Synthetic benchmarks: “]
Our first series of tests is dedicated to synthetic benchmarks. These are often used for overclocking competitions, but are also very interesting for comparing different GPUs. We’ll be focusing on benchmarks from the 3DMark series.
We’ll be testing the following benchmarks:
- Fire Strike (1080p)
- Fire Strike Ultra (2160p)
- Time Spy (1440p)
- Time Spy Extreme (2160p)
- 3DMark Speed Way (1440p)
- DirectX Raytracing
- Intel XeSS
- 3DMark DLSS Feature Test (2160p)
3DMark Fire Strike and Fire Strike Ultra :
Let’s start with 3DMark Fire Strike, one of today’s most widely used benchmarks. 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 makes no contribution to the final score and prolongs the benchmark’s duration (unnecessarily). The version used for these tests is, of course, the latest.
Our first benchmark is with this TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC, and to say the least, it gets off to a strong start, directly outperforming the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB by 3984 points. There’s also a noticeable gain over the previous generation and the RX 6700 XT.
Under Fire Strike Ultra, the results are identical, but let’s not forget that the Fire Strike benchmark series favors AMD cards.
3DMark Time Spy and Time Spy Extreme:
The second test is 3DMark Time Spy. Although this one is performed in 1440p, its main feature is that it uses DirectX 12. It consists of two graphics tests and a CPU test. As with Fire Strike, don’t forget to disable the demo. The first two benchmarks are provided by UL Benchmark.
The performance obtained in Time Spy is often representative of what we’ll get in games. Here, our sample of the day scores 17484 points, putting it ahead of the RTX 4060 Ti. We should therefore have an RX 7700 XT ahead of the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB in rasterized games.
Under 3DMark Time Spy Extreme, we achieved a good score of 8133 points, representing a 22% performance gain over NVIDIA’s RTX 4060 Ti 8GB!
3DMark Speed Way
Ulbenchmark’s latest benchmark, 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 defaults to 1440p. We haven’t modified anything, so we’re using the original benchmark.
Here too, our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC achieves a score of 3180 points and is therefore for the first time quite close to the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB. In this benchmark, NVIDIA cards fare best.
3DMark DirectX Raytracing:
UL Benchmarks has added a new test to its series of benchmarks for measuring Ray Tracing performance. The idea is to use the 3DMark DirectX Ray Tracing test to compare the performance of Ray Tracing hardware dedicated to graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA, and now also from Intel!
The 3DMark DirectX Ray Tracing test is designed to make Ray Tracing the limiting factor. Instead of relying on traditional rendering, the entire scene is traced and drawn in a single pass. The test result will depend entirely on Ray Tracing performance. This makes it easy to measure and compare the performance of different cards.
This benchmark has always been dominated by NVIDIA cards, and so our sample of the day logically lags behind with a score of 30.9 FPS, but this still puts it ahead of the previous generation, the RX 6800 XT, as well as the RX 6950 XT!
3DMark Intel XeSS
UL Benchmarks, in collaboration with Intel, will be adding this new benchmark to the 3DMark suite. We had early access to this new test for our tests. 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 number of FPS with XeSS disabled and then, on the right, with XeSS enabled. The mode chosen is “Ultra Quality”, which is actually the benchmark’s default mode.
In this new benchmark, all graphics cards without exception benefit from XeSS, but it’s Intel that reaps the greatest gain. ARC models see a gain of 50%, while NVIDIA and AMD models see a gain of between 25 and 35%.
[nextpage title=”1440p gaming performance: “]
We decided to select six games as being sufficiently representative. We 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’ve chosen to use the built-in benchmarks for these games.
Why do we do this? Quite simply to enable you to compare your results with ours if you also own a copy of one of these games. It’s a thought-provoking idea that will enable 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. Last but not least, we’ve opted for 1080p and 1440p resolution only, which is what you’d expect from these cards.
The Division 2:
The Division 2 will be tested under DirectX 12. As far as graphics parameters are concerned, they will be set to ” ultra ” mode, with vertical synchronization deactivated.
First game and our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC is well behind its big sister, the RX 7800 XT. The gap is not insignificant. The RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB also lags behind, and only the RTX 3070 Ti manages to do as well.
Borderlands 3:
For the second game, we move on to Borderlands 3. Graphics options are set to ” Brutal “. It’s worth noting that Borderlands 3 is quite greedy, and this choice of settings has quite a strong impact on FPS. It’s a game that’s often praised in announcements of new graphics cards, and precisely in this Brutal mode.
Performance here is very good, with our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC doing almost as well as the RTX 4070 in 1440p. The RTX 3070 Ti is well behind.
Red Dead Redemption 2:
The third and by no means least important game, Red Dead Redemption II on PC. The advantage of this opus is the possibility of testing the integrated Vulkan benchmark. We opt for the ” ultra ” graphics options.
Third and by no means least, RDR2 offers the possibility of testing the integrated Vulkan benchmark. Performance is once again identical to what we’ve already encountered, with our RX 7700 XT outperforming the RTX 3070 Ti and leaving the RTX 4060 Ti behind.
Far Cry 6:
Far Cry 6 supports AMD’s DXR and SFR. You’ll find more on this on the next page. For our benchmarks, we opted for ” ultra” graphics quality.
Even though our report on this game showed an advantage for the RX 6000 cards, our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC once again came through perfectly, outperforming the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB once again.
Watch Dogs Legion:
Last but not least, Watch Dogs Legion will also be used for our Ray Tracing tests. For our benchmarks, we have opted for ” very high” graphics quality.
In the Watch Dogs Legion benchmark, we’re obliged to set the graphics quality to “very high” rather than “ultra”, as the benchmark then tells us that the 8 GB of memory is not enough. The same applies to the RX 7700 XT, positioned just behind the RTX 4070.
Cyberpunk 2077:
Here’s a game we’ve been wanting to add for a while, and now it’s here, with an integrated benchmark. We’ll also be using this game for our Ray Tracing tests. For our benchmarks, we’ve opted for “ultra” graphics quality.
New and final benchmark for this panel of games. At 1440p, we get an average of 81.1 FPS, which means we still have room to push a few graphics options!
Game average:
For the gaming average, the RTX 3070 was still the reference card in 1440p definition. Other cards score either higher or lower, depending on their performance against this model.
These results are excellent for the TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC, which is positioned as a safe bet for 1440p definition in rasterization, i.e. without enabling ray tracing or DLSS/FSR in our games. This is what we’ll be evaluating on the next page.
[nextpage title=”Ray tracing and DLSS/FSR 1440p performance:”]
Let’s take a look at the seven games we’ve selected that support Ray Tracing and DLSS, as well as AMD’s FSR for some of them, and Intel’s new XeSS technology, supported by Shadow Tomb Raider and Hitman 3. As we’ve already reminded you, while DLSS remains the property of NVIDIA, FSR and XeSS can be used with all cards from AMD, Intel and even NVIDIA.
The seven DirectX 12 games we’ll be testing with ray tracing and DLSS, FSR or XeSS are :
- ups of the Tomb Raider (DLSS)
- Watch Dogs: Legion (DLSS)
- Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition (DLSS)
- Far Cry 6 (DLSS – FSR)
- Cyberpunk 2077 (DLSS 3 – FSR)
- Hitman 3 (DLSS 3 – XeSS)
- Forza Horizon 5 (DLSS 3)
No change for this new series of games, as we’re sticking with 1080p definition. Depending on the card, we’ll be using DLSS for NVIDIA and either FSR or XeSS for AMD models. If FSR is not available in a game, then we’ll give our AMD card the benefit of XeSS technology.
DLSS 3: watch out for our results!
As you know, NVIDIA unveiled DLSS 3 with the arrival of the RTX 4000 graphics cards, and in particular with the launch of the RTX 4090 version. So why the warning? Because NVIDIA now offers DLSS 3 support on many games, but this is only supported by RTX 4000s. To put it simply, if we test a game that benefits from DLSS 3, our RTX 4060 Ti will take advantage of it, but an RTX 30xx will make do with DLSS 2, resulting in even greater discrepancies.
We currently have three games that support DLSS 3, and we’ll be increasing this number over the coming weeks. Updating all our graphics to 1080p and 1440p has taken us a long time. You can find the list of compatible games here.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider:
The first game we’ve added to this comparison supports Ray Tracing and DLSS 2.0. The game features three Ray Tracing levels (medium – high – ultra) and four DLSS levels (performance – quality – balanced – ultra performance).
For our benchmarks, we opted for ” very high ” graphics quality, ” ultra ” Ray Tracing and ” balanced ” DLSS.
With ray tracing set to ultra, an average of 87 FPS is achieved. Ray tracing performance is superior to that of the RTX 3070 Ti, but DLSS 2.0 proves far more interesting than FSR 1 in this game. The graphics speak for themselves.
Watch Dogs Legion:
The second game, Watch Dogs Legion supports Ray Tracing and DLSS 2.0. It proves to be one of the most demanding games of the moment. The game features three Ray Tracing levels (medium – high – ultra) and four DLSS levels (performance – quality – balanced – ultra performance).
For our benchmarks, we opted for very high graphics quality, ” high ” Ray Tracing and ” balanced ” DLSS.
Our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC starts to suffer slightly, as the 60 FPS barrier is not reached. In this game, there’s no FSR or XeSS to benefit AMD cards. It’s DLSS alone that enables the RTX 3070 Ti to go from 54 to 93 FPS.
Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition:
Third game to support DLSS 2.0. The game offers three levels of Ray Tracing and four levels of DLSS (performance – quality – balanced – ultra performance).
For our benchmarks, we opted for ultra graphics quality, ” ultra ” Ray Tracing and DLSS in ” balanced ” mode.
We continue with the greedy games and here a score of 53.6 FPS for our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC. RX 7800 XTs with factory overclocking manage to exceed 60 FPS. As with the previous game, without upscaling technology to increase FPS for AMD cards, it’s all good for the RTX 3070 Ti.
Far Cry 6:
Far Cry 6 supports DXR as well as AMD’s FSR, but not DLSS.
For our benchmarks, we opted for Ultra graphics quality, activated both DRX options and FSR in ” balanced ” mode.
In Far Cry 6, FSR is the only choice available to boost FPS after enabling Ray Tracing. So all our cards can benefit, regardless of manufacturer. Our RX 7700 XT Oc manages to stay the course and take the lead.
Cyberpunk 2077:
A new game we’ve added, with DLSS and FSR enabled in its settings. Note that this is the first game to enable DLSS3 for RTX 40xx graphics cards.
For our benchmarks, we opted for “high” graphics quality, “medium” Ray Tracing and ” balanced ” DLSS/FSR.
This is the most demanding game, where our cards have great difficulty keeping up. Here, an average of 33.6 FPS is achieved. FSR 2.1 works perfectly here, as we almost manage to reach 60 FPS when activated. In ray tracing, the RTX 3070 Ti fares better, but with the new DLSS 2, the number of FPS is more advantageous for greens. It’s about time AMD rolled out its FSR 3.0.
Hitman 3:
Hitman 3 is now compatible with DLSS, FSR and XeSS technology. Depending on the model of card tested, we opt for one of these three technologies.
For our benchmarks, we opted for “high” graphics quality, ” enabled ” Ray Tracing and ” balanced ” DLSS/Xess.
We find ourselves back in the familiar situation of our AMD RX 7700 XT, which is below 60 FPS with ray tracing enabled, but gains a significant number of additional FPS thanks to FSR. Even so, the RTX 3070 Ti is still the best performer.
Forza Horizon 5:
The latest game to be added to our panel, as it is now compatible with DLSS 3 technology. For our benchmarks, we opted for ” extreme ” graphics quality, ” extreme ” Ray Tracing and ” balanced ” DLSS/Xess.
This new game, which also supports DLSS 3 as well as XeSS and FSR 2.2. It’s this that will enable our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC to go from 103 FPS to 107 FPS when activated. Strangely, the gain is non-existent when the game is up to date. On the NVIDIA side, DLSS 3 continues to demonstrate its enormous potential.
So ray tracing with the TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC:
Of our seven games tested, our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC almost always manages to hang on to the 60 FPS average, and if it doesn’t, FSR or XeSS are there to ensure it. Overall, we can see that in this type of test, the previous-generation RTX 3070 Ti is more at ease, especially with DLSS, which is uncompromising when it comes to version 3.0 for RTX 4000s.
[nextpage title=”Temperature, power consumption and nuisances: “]
Temperature:
To record temperatures, we opted for the Superposition stress test in Extreme mode. We opted for three 5-minute runs with 10-minute intervals between each test. We took advantage of this benchmark to record the graphics card’s power consumption for the table above.
To find out the Idle temperature, after completing the three stress test loops, we let the card rest for 20 minutes before taking the temperature reading. Bear in mind that most boards benefit from “0 dBa” technology, so the fans cut out below a certain temperature, often between 50 and 55°C. It therefore takes longer to dissipate heat after a period of stress testing or gaming. A card that does not benefit from this technology will be noisier than others at rest. A quick reminder: our temperature readings are taken in Open-Air. In a closed case, the cards will inevitably be warmer.
The TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC, with its “in-house” cooling system, naturally performs better, and temperatures are excellent.
Power consumption (full configuration):
We use a wattmeter to measure power consumption at the output of our PSU. Our modular power supply is a CORSAIR AX1600i. The result is the average total power consumption of our configuration. Only the graphics card changes between each reading. So it’s easy to calculate the difference between each graphics card.
Good news as far as power consumption is concerned. Even though it’s much higher than the RTX 4070, it’s (slightly) lower than the RX 6700 XT, and therefore improving. As a reminder, this is the total power consumption of our configuration. Of course, we’d have liked an even better result, but we don’t see that as a negative.
[nextpage title=”The final word: “]
The 7700 XT, a good compromise for 1440p rasterization:
It’s now time to give you our impressions of this TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC, which, let’s not forget, is intended for 1440p definition. One thing’s for sure: we’ve got a lot to say about this new AMD graphics card, too. Let’s start with 1440p rasterization performance, which is very good. Admittedly, there’s a real difference with its big sister, the RX 7800 XT, but the results are well up to scratch, especially when compared with the previous generation, the RX 6700 XT, with a gain of almost 25%.
Ray tracing, NVIDIA still ahead thanks to DLSS:
With ray tracing enabled, our TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC achieves 60 FPS if the game is equipped with FSR or XeSS, upscaling technologies that deliver significant FPS gains. Despite this, it’s still the RTXs that do best with DLSS. The RTX 3070 Ti thus manages to maintain a clear advantage. We’ll be repeating our 1440p ray tracing tests with the RTX 4060 Ti, as this is DLSS 3.0-compatible, enabling NVIDIA to crush the competition in games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Hitman 3. We would really have liked to see the potential of AMD’s FSR 3.0 land at the same time as this launch, given that NVIDIA is already working on version 3.5 of its DLSS.
A much less competitive card than the RX 7800 XT!
At present, the RTX 3070 Founders Edition is still our reference model for 1440p definition, which we recall was launched at 519 euros in October 2020. Here we are in September 2023, three years later, with a TUG Gaming RX 7700 XT OC priced at 564.99 euros, with admittedly far superior rasterization performance. For us, this is a less attractive price than that offered for the RX 7800 XT. Based on the RX 7700 XT’s MSRP of 499 euros, for 55 euros more you get the RX 7800 XT, with 20% more performance and 16 GB of memory. For TUF Gaming models, the difference between the RX 7700 XT and the RX 7800 XT is 60 euros. Our conclusion is the same: opt for the TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT.
We’re reliving the same situation as when the RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX were launched. Let’s hope the price of this RX 7700 XT drops in the coming weeks, as it did with the RX 7900 XT.
NVIDIA’s reaction:
Well, it’s already begun, with the price of the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB dropping to 499.99 euros at certain retailers. This price cut will mainly serve to compete with our TUG Gaming RX 7700 XT OC, priced at 564.99 euros. So it’s NVIDIA that’s positioning itself more aggressively on this model. Admittedly, the TUF RX 7700 XT offers better rasterization performance than the RTX 4060 Ti, but the latter can count on support for DLSS3 and soon DLSS 3.5. It’s therefore more difficult to decide between the two competing cards, and you’ll have the last word, depending on your budget and whether or not you use ray tracing!
No overclocking?
No, we didn’t test overclocking, as current drivers restrict the frequency to 2700 MHz. AMD is aware of the problem, and will be proposing a fix with the next drivers. We’ll be offering you a dedicated test with ASUS’ GPU Tweak III software.
ASUS TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC:
We liked:
- A card that lets you take full advantage of 1440p without compromising on rasterization
- The sober design of the TUF Gaming series
- Classic 8-pin connectors
- Reliable noise levels
- The quality of the board’s design
- Good price/performance ratio
- FSR, which, when present, enables a gain in FPS
We would have liked :
- Power consumption has improved, but AMD still needs to do better
- An MSRP that’s more in line with the 450 euro mark
- FSR 3 to arrive at the same time as this TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC
This TUF Gaming RX 7700 XT OC is a very interesting card for 1440p definition, even if it suffers for us from a much less attractive price/performance ratio than its big sister, the RX 7800 XT. NVIDIA seems to be more responsive to the price drop of the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB, which promises an interesting price war between these two models. Nonetheless, the TUF Gaming model is an excellent card, with a high-performance, very quiet cooling system. Let’s hope to see its price drop in the weeks to come, in line with the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB. Many thanks to ASUS France for making this card available.