After a year of active use of the most powerful «red» graphics card, we are ready to share our impressions, experience, tips, and analysis. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a rather compromise product and could have been misunderstood at release, because a year after its release, the card has become the best, literally. Let’s talk about the most significant problems, software, cooling, and power consumption, as well as the future prospects of the graphics adapter and its competitors.
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Last year, the ITC editorial team tested this model, and you can read the review here:
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX video card review — compact «red» flagship for 4K gaming
Of course, the review has lost its relevance due to some software updates and corrections, for which we can praise (and sometimes scold) driver developers. The review had the most complaints about unstable software. At that time, we tested with Radeon Adrenaline 22.12.2, and now Radeon video cards work with 24.3.1.
Previously, some games crashed, some didn’t start, FSR 2.2 was almost nowhere to be found, and AMD’s frame rate was something to dream about. In more than a year, the video card has received the following software improvements:
Let’s start with the nuances that are still relevant and not fully resolved. Despite regular driver updates, there is a huge problem that hundreds of AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX owners have encountered. It’s selective and doesn’t affect everyone, but it’s worth mentioning.
Around the end of the summer of 2023, artifacts began to appear on the screen in all possible operating scenarios without loading the graphics adapter. This constantly led to freezing of the image, rebooting the PC, or simply a video signal disappeared, and the computer was turned off only by turning off the switch on the power supply.
This problem has not been completely solved, although it has been almost not bothering us for the last two months. Most often it could be seen in the browser, text editors and other programs that do not load the GPU. The video card passes the Furmark hour and any other stress tests without any problems.
This has never been observed in games. A detailed study of hundreds of forum pages and reports from AMD fans who have experienced a similar problem suggests that the potential culprits of these artifacts are:
As it turned out, none of these problems applied to my case. Changing the browser, different motherboards, the latest BIOS, manually adjusting the cooler’s rotation curve, and everything else that experts advised. This nightmare occurred on different systems, with different components, and continued to terrorize for 5–7 months.
After all this, you might think that the RX 7900 XTX is a pain in the ass for the buyer, but there’s a little more positive news to come. So far, this is the worst thing that has happened to the video card. The main thing is that it’s alive, well, healthy, and performing as well as it did when it was first taken out of the box.
Another annoyance is the regular reset of AMD Radeon Adrenaline settings. We did an overclock, adjusted the cooler curve, changed some parameters for a particular game, and after every second system reboot we see «The default settings have been restored due to an unexpected system error».
If the owner of an AMD video card says that it is more stable than NVIDIA, then he is either a lottery winner or an outright liar. Yes, Radeon software has become much better lately, but there is still work to be done. The main thing is that there is progress, which would not have been possible if everyone turned a blind eye to these nuances and said that AMD graphics cards are perfect. Only strong people recognize the shortcomings of their own and the devices they choose, while mentally broken people look for excuses.
Rarely do people buy Radeon graphics cards for work, as they are badly underperformed by NVIDIA and sometimes Intel competitors. A fresh test of the RX 7900 XTX shows that it is three heads below the current RTX ADA flagships in the Blender environment, the results of which are proportional to many other programs.
The difference is not that great in all cases, for example, for video editing or photo processing, Radeon will do just fine. If the «green» will do it faster, then the difference will not be so great. For example, the RX 7900 XTX does a good job with photo upscaling in Gigapixel AI, and it can also work with some neural networks.
The popular Easy Diffusion neural network does not work in a Windows + Radeon combination. To work with this network, you will have to install Linux, which will not suit everyone. Of course, there is alternative software, such as Shark NODEAI, which managed to make friends with RX 7900 XTX and Windows 11.
The program allows you to generate images, and they come out in a pipeline. The quality of the neural network is somewhat lower than with Easy Diffusion + RTX, but this is an achievement. The main thing is that the utility works and works quickly. At the beginning of 2023, one could hardly dream of such a thing, but a little time passed, interesting software appeared, and more and more specialized software can work with AMD Radeon.
If you are interested in a video card specifically for work, then you definitely need NVIDIA. But if it is a gaming machine where you sometimes want to model, process, and create something, then a video card like AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX will do. There’s no point in buying a conditional RTX 4060 for amateur pastime in Blender-like programs.
«Drawing people on the screen» (read video games) is a strong point of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. In fact, this is what this graphics accelerator is designed for. The manufacturer positions the video card for 4K and 8K gaming. At the presentation, the phrase: «4K and beyond» sounded confidently, and it is true.
The graphics card has enough power for Ultra HD 4K, 5K, and even 8K in well-optimized games. This sounds excellent, but there is one caution related to realistic lighting. Ray tracing is quite difficult, although in some games the difference relative to NVIDIA is small.
Most video games with Path Tracing and Ray Tracing work poorly, the conditional RTX 4070 Ti is often faster than the most powerful AMD graphics card. This is sad, but if you put aside aggressive ray tracing, the performance is superb.
We conducted some fresh tests in Wide Ultra HD 5K (5120×2160p resolution) and talked about the new FSR 3 and Fluid Motion Frames technologies. In well-optimized games like Forza Horizon 5, we get 120–150 FPS with Extreme settings (including ray tracing) and FSR 2.2 in Quality mode.
Activating Fluid Motion Frames raises this figure to 200–250 FPS, but there is one caveat. The technology is a compromise because the FMF frame generator does not work in active scenes with sharp movement of objects on the screen. Simply put, the frame rate drops to the basic one (as if without the generator) if you sharply rotate the camera or enter a turn using the parking brake (maybe drifting?).
This behavior makes FMF a completely unnecessary technology for 95% of games. In racing, when driving on a straight track, the frame rate does increase, but you still need to find a 5K monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate. The function is questionable, especially considering the obligatory FPS drops when the environment on the screen changes dramatically.
However, we get the highest graphics settings, 5K resolution, and an insanely high FPS of 200+. Forza Horizon 5 can be played on an 8K TV at 60 FPS with AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX without any problems because under such conditions it is literally impossible to see the slightest defects from FSR Quality/Balanced. VRAM is enough with a huge margin — in Wide Ultra HD resolution, only 11 GB of video memory was needed.
The video card has another trick up its sleeve, namely FSR 3. This technology is already available in more than 20 games, and it was tested in Starfield. Bethesda’s space tale has received many updates and improved optimization, and now works well with NVIDIA/AMD frame rates.
With a resolution of 5120×2160p and ultra settings, we get 52 FPS in urban areas and 60–70 FPS in less busy locations. Add to that the FSR 3 frame generator and the frame rate goes up to 89 FPS. The frame generator is similar to the one from NVIDIA and also increases input latency.
For a comfortable game with FSR 3, you require about 60 «base» FPS. No serious defects, artifacts, or tearing were noticed, although detailed blogger research shows a slight advantage of DLSS 3 over FSR 3. If you play with a gamepad (smoothly rotate the camera), it will be even harder to see the flaws.
In 2.5K 3440×1440, the FPS is much higher:
Unlike Fluid Motion Frames, sharp camera rotation and on-screen activity do not affect the frame rate. With FSR 3, the average FPS remains at the same level even during active movement with 360-degree camera rotation, and FMF immediately shows its worthlessness in shooters. A sharp turn of the character immediately gives FPS as if without a miracle generator, and in a static picture, smoothness is not needed.
So, we can draw several conclusions about AMD’s updated technologies.
The reference model has the smallest dimensions, but the cooling is weak. It is suitable for compact cases with good airflow, undervoting is recommended, and you may have to limit TDP to 90%. There are better versions on the market, but they have gigantic dimensions and a completely unnecessary third 8 pin connector.
There is no point in the third connector at all because it is hard to deal with 400-450 W TDP even in top ATX chassis with good case fans. The performance gain will be negligible, and we will get more noise. The only reasonable overclocking for RX 7900 XTX is overclocking.
The most successful copies allow you to significantly reduce the voltage, thereby reducing power consumption with minimal or no losses. My particular instance does not lend itself well to voltage reduction, but some users are more fortunate.
The MSI QUIETUDE 100S chassis has a not-so-great noise-to-temperature ratio due to the high fan speeds, which sometimes exceed 2000 rpm. The chassis’ noise insulation partially saves the day, but the video card is still noisier than any NVIDIA RTX ADA model.
You can manually adjust the curve of the coolers to calm down their aggressive behavior, but then the temperatures will be noticeably higher. If Hotspot 110 °C doesn’t scare you, then go for it. In any case, this is a hot video card with high temperatures. The best versions with larger heatsinks will be only slightly cooler.
It is impossible to get the same temperature level as the NVIDIA RTX 4080 with an identical noise level. That is, when the owner of the flagship AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (with 420W power consumption in games) talks about how pleasant it is to play, and the computer is standing right on the table, it is a lie.
The buyer of AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX should be prepared for the fact that temperatures will be high at full load, as well as the noise level. In gaming scenarios, the video card has always been the noisiest component in the system, which is not surprising with MSI MEG CORELIQUID S360 and be quite! Dark Rock Elite 5.
Putting such a computer directly on the table near the monitor is complete nonsense and the dumbest choice of place. If the system unit is at least a meter and a half away from your head, then the noise won’t be too annoying, although the fans are audible throughout the room. 45–50 dB is still normal for this model at 100% load.
Do you want less? Then you’ll have to pay 5-10 thousand UAH for more expensive versions of AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX or look towards NVIDIA. The reference version is actually not as bad as they say, the main thing is not to demand silence from it. This is a compromise product.
Due to its compact size, you can’t criticize it for these indicators. It’s easier to play with vertical synchronization and not put the system unit right next to your head, as not intelligent gamers do.
An interesting bug with fan speed control is worth mentioning right away. In older versions of the drivers, the video card continued to idle its cooling system after a load.
For example, we played a game for 30 minutes, the chip heated up to 75 °C, and the fan speed was 2000 rpm. 10 minutes after closing the game, the temperature dropped to 51 °C, but the coolers were still spinning at 2000 rpm. The only way to fix this was to reboot the system.
In games, the video card consumes an average of 300 to 350 watts. Some games are ideal to play with vertical synchronization on a 4K TV. In such conditions, we get no more than 200 watts, and sometimes 150 watts. The whole computer, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 processor (TDP 170 W) consumes 450-520 W in games. Working in neural networks and other heavy software requires about 400 watts (the entire PC).
The manufacturer recommends an 800W PSU, but in reality, a high-quality 650W with a gold certificate would be enough. The best thing about this video card is that it only needs 2×8 pin power connectors. For example, the younger ASUS TUF Gaming RX 7900 XT requires the mandatory connection of 3×8 pin cables; otherwise the adapter will simply not work.
This is ridiculous and doesn’t make any sense, especially for the 7900 XT. With 380+ watts of power consumption, the RX 7900 XT is still weaker than the RX 7900 XTX with a manually set TDP of 320 watts and undervoltage. The smile of an additional +2% performance in synthetic benchmarks will be drowned by tears from the obvious facts (noise + temperatures) that prove the need for an increase in TDP in the RX 7000 series.
Before analyzing the relevance of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, let’s recall a few successful models from the past. In 2016, the company released AMD Radeon RX 480 with 8 GB of memory. At that time, no game required such a volume, and it seemed like an absolute waste. For example, DOOM 2016 ran perfectly on a 3 GB GTX 1060 with maximum graphics settings.
The developers knew how to make textures of high quality and compact, so a 2 GB buffer was considered quite normal. As time went on, game studios became more and more lazy, games hardly evolved graphically, and requirements grew exponentially.
In 2024, the power of the RX 480 chip is not enough for high graphics settings, but 8 GB still fits the textures of 99% of games in 1080p. Minimum graphics settings with maximum textures is still a pretty good combination because textures and anisotropic filtering are the basis of a high-quality picture.
Thus, an 8-year-old video card allows you to play modern games released in 2022-2024 with high-quality textures and at a more or less adequate frame rate. The conventional GTX 1060 6 GB in some games will no longer allow you to set the highest quality textures. In modern games, the difference between Low and Ultra is minimal, unless you change the texture resolution.
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX will have a similar fate, but the «strength» margin may be even greater. This video card is for those who are not used to spending a lot (more you buy = more you save) because AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX will last until 2030 at least.
No game in Ultra HD 4K requires 24 GB of VRAM. Moreover, any AAA games feel great with a 12GB buffer in the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti or AMD RX 7700 XT. 24GB of memory can be compared to a caring mother buying her obedient son pants two sizes too big for him to wear from 8th to 11th grade.
Considering all the advantages and disadvantages, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is recommended for purchase only by experienced users who know what they want. This is a video card for confident people who are not afraid of difficulties and are ready to solve problems if they arise.
The main competitors of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX are NVIDIA RTX 4080 graphics cards, 4080 Super, 4070 Ti Super. These models are more expensive/cheaper than AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and have both advantages and disadvantages.
Key advantages of NVIDIA:
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, in turn, has a much larger memory capacity and high bandwidth. The video card performs well in 4K games and has a margin for future curvature-optimized projects, especially in terms of video memory.
At the beginning of sales, the cost of the video card was $999, and in Ukraine, it was $1300-1400. A lot has changed since then, and now you can find one for just over 40,000 UAH, which is close to the recommended price. Let’s not forget that electronics are 20-30% pricier in our market.
The reference RX 7900 XTX in 2024 is difficult to buy, but at one time it was the cheapest version in Ukraine, and it is also the most compact 7900 XTX. They are rarely supplied in large batches, so let’s consider alternative modifications that are sold officially.
Asus Radeon RX 7900 XTX TUF OC has an excellent cooling system and takes up almost 4 slots.
Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XTX PULSE is the basic version from Sapphire and has a relatively slim design.
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7900 XTX GAMING OC 24G has a thin radiator and is similar in size to the original model. Another advantage is the presence of two 8-pin connectors.
Given the serious price drop for AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and the almost unchanged price of RTX 4080 —, it’s a pretty good solution for 4K, 5K, 8K gamers with room for improvement. We focus on gaming because most people will choose RTX ADA without options for working with professional software.
Although AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX has brought a lot of negative experiences over the year of use, the main thing is to see that the software is becoming more stable. Some «sores» are treated with driver updates, and software/games are getting better support. If at the beginning of sales it was an outright bad purchase, then as of 2024, this video card can be confidently recommended to wealthy video game enthusiasts.
