At present we are saying whats up to the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE. GRE stands for Golden Rabbit Version. As you might need guessed given its identify, it references the Yr of the Rabbit in Chinese language tradition. The cardboard was initially a China unique mannequin, launching in mid 2023, nevertheless it has been obtainable in OEM programs within the wider marketplace for a number of months, although it has not been obtainable within the channel as a standalone buy.
That modifications from the twenty seventh of February, because the RX 7900 GRE can be obtainable worldwide to buy as a standalone graphics card. It plugs the sizable worth and efficiency hole that exists between the Radeon RX 7800 XT and the RX 7900 XT. That places it proper within the crosshairs of the RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Tremendous. The latter lately launched at $599 whereas base RX 7900 GRE fashions will launch at $549, the identical degree because the RTX 4070 was dropped to.
By way of the core spec, the RX 7900 GRE is basically a trimmed down RX 7900 XT. It options the identical Navi 31 chiplet GPU however with a bit much less of, nicely, every little thing. AMD can be hoping that the GRE’s affordable worth, aggressive efficiency, and absolutely its 16GB of VRAM will entice consumers.
The unique Made by AMD (MBA) GRE mannequin won’t be obtainable within the retail channel, so you will solely be capable to purchase third-party variations. I’ve the Sapphire Nitro+ RX 7900 GRE available for assessment and it is an absolute beast of a card, with all of the trimmings you’d anticipate from a premium tier mannequin, and at $599, it is markup of $50 could be very affordable.
However is the RX 7900 GRE too late to the get together? Let’s not neglect we have really ticked over to the Yr of the Dragon, which at the very least makes the identify appear a bit anachronistic.
Sapphire Pulse RX 7900 GRE fast verdict
The Sapphire Nitro+ RX 7900 GRE is a card nicely price contemplating if silence is paramount to you. It is hardly audible below sustained masses and my take a look at system’s AIO cooling followers had been far more noticeable throughout typical gameplay.
I am unable to communicate for different RX 7900 GRE fashions, however given the comparatively thrifty 260W TDP of this iteration of the Navi 31 GPU, it is a protected guess that just about any firm’s massive triple fan coolers may have zero issues dealing with the cooling necessities of the RX 7900 GRE.
Purchase if…
✅ You are do not care a lot about ray tracing efficiency: RT is right here to remain, however enabling it nonetheless ends in a giant efficiency hit. Rasterization nonetheless issues and the RX 7900 GRE is excellent at it.
✅You desire a quiet card: The Sapphire Nitro+ is an exceptionally quiet card. It actually can’t be heard below most common operational eventualities.
Do not buy if…
❌You care lots about ray tracing and DLSS: An increasing number of fashionable video games help ray tracing. Whereas the RDNA 3 technology is a giant step ahead on this regard, the RTX 4070 Tremendous’s DLSS help and ray tracing efficiency stays a step forward.
The Nitro+ is Sapphire’s high RX 7900 GRE mannequin. I’ve written favorably about Nitro+ playing cards for a very long time. They’re undeniably premium playing cards in each means and the RX 7900 GRE model is not any completely different. It is received a wholesome manufacturing unit overclock, an enormous 3.5 slots price of cooling capability, a full-length steel backplate, 2x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, twin BIOS and a header for controlling exterior ARGB merchandise.
However the card has a considerably minimalist look, at the very least from the entrance. The RGB mild bar working throughout the highest of the cardboard, nevertheless, appears unbelievable. As a chunk of recent tech, the cardboard feels strong, heavy and nicely constructed. In my expertise, Nitro+ playing cards are each bit nearly as good as the perfect playing cards from different AMD distributors.
Apart from reaching very low noise ranges, the Nitro+ cooler is ready to hold temperatures nicely inside examine, with a peak load temperature of 65°C. Sapphire may in all probability be a bit of extra aggressive with its fan profile, however I will take silence over a number of additional MHz of increase clock any day. Talking of increase clocks, the Nitro + RX 7900 GRE was capable of maintain a lift clock of two,276MHz. Unusually, that is decrease than its highest rated increase clock of two,391MHz.
Efficiency clever, the RX 7900 GRE sits about precisely the place I anticipated it to even earlier than I would plugged it in; proper in the course of the RX 7800 XT and RX 7900 XT. At 4K, the GRE is about 15% quicker than the RX 7800 XT on common, and 15% slower than the RX 7900 XT. Crucially, the Sapphire is on par with the RTX 4070 Tremendous whereas costing the identical $599.
As for which card it is best to go for, the outdated AMD vs Nvidia tropes stay related right here. The RTX 4070 Tremendous has superior energy effectivity and ray tracing efficiency, whereas the RX 7900 GRE has higher raster efficiency. Nvidia nonetheless has a bonus with its DLSS 3 and Body Era tech, however AMD is catching up with FSR 3 and its Fluid Movement Frames expertise.
Sapphire Pulse RX 7900 GRE specs
Notice that the specs listed under are for AMD’s reference fashions. That Sapphire I am reviewing right here comes with the next increase clock.
The RX 7900 GRE relies on AMD’s RDNA 3 structure and it is the third card to ship with the Navi 31 GPU after the RTX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT. The GRE has 5,120 stream processors, 80 Ray Accelerators and 160 AI processors. That is not all that far behind the RX 7900 XT, however its decrease 260W TDP means it has to sacrifice some clock speeds in comparison with the RX 7900 XT. Curiously, that 260W TDP is lower than the 263W TDP of the slower RX 7800 XT.
If you would like to learn extra in regards to the RDNA 3 structure, it is nicely price testing Jacob’s assessment of the reference RX 7900 XTX. The Navi 31 GPU introduces a radical (for a GPU) chiplet design that splits the Compute Models from the cache and reminiscence controllers. In fact, there’s much more to it than simply that, nevertheless it’s a moderately wonderful piece of engineering, particularly given the bandwidth calls for of recent GPUs. The necessity for bandwidth and the adoption of a chiplet design led to AMD creating what it calls the Infinity Hyperlink, which might present as much as 5.3 TB/s of bandwidth. Spectacular to say the least.
The GRE comes with 4 of the utmost six MCDs lively. This implies the reminiscence system is considerably lower down from the upper tier RX 7900 fashions. The top result’s a complete of 16GB of 18Gbps GDDR6 reminiscence and a 256-bit bus. By fashionable requirements, that is fairly affordable—significantly in comparison with the RTX 4070 Tremendous with its 12GB of reminiscence and 192-bit bus.
The Sapphire Nitro+ comes with twin HDMI 2.1a and twin DP 2.1. The latter continues to be lacking in motion on RTX 40-series playing cards. That DP 2.1 help is a type of little options that may ultimately into its personal with future displays with excessive resolutions and really excessive refresh charges, although each of these will arguably have little relevance to this card once they do arrive.
Different fascinating options embrace an RGB header for controlling an exterior strip and twin BIOS with efficiency and quiet modes.
AMD has lengthy been at work creating its FSR and accompanying applied sciences. Fluid Movement Frames is only one instance. FSR 3 continues to be new, and it has an extended approach to go to catch as much as Nvidia’s ever increasing DLSS help, nevertheless it’s getting there. Video games like Starfield and COD: Trendy Warfare 3 are simply two notable examples of video games with FSR 3 help. A part of the complete characteristic mixture of FSR 3 is its personal Body Era engine, one which must be enabled on a per-game foundation by the devs, however AMD additionally has one other answer.
Fluid Movement Frames is AMD’s sport agnostic Body Era competitor. It is just like Nvidia’s model, however very completely different. Not like DLSS 3 Body Era, AMD’s answer is software program based mostly, and does not require machine studying capabilities. AFMF can be ready for use in any DirectX 11 or 12 sport. Think about {that a} actually good worth add for a card just like the RX 7900 GRE should you’re struggling to hit or preserve that every one necessary 60 FPS threshold.
Sapphire Pulse RX 7900 GRE benchmarks
Sapphire Pulse RX 7900 GRE efficiency
At 1080p, we see the RX 7900 GRE edging out the RTX 4070 Tremendous total in historically rasterized titles, however in video games with ray tracing, similar to Cyberpunk 2077 and to a lesser extent, Metro Exodus Enhanced, the RTX 4070 Tremendous retakes the lead. We have heard this all earlier than, have not we? The RX 7900 GRE is a really succesful card, however Nvidia’s competing RTX fashions stay a step forward in ray tracing efficiency.
1440p is the candy spot for the GRE, able to hitting round 90 FPS+ in non-ray traced video games. At 4K the cardboard begins to expire of a little bit of horsepower, although enabling scaling applied sciences will imply the RX 7900 GRE continues to be a succesful 4K card, so long as you do not ask an excessive amount of of it by cranking up the ray tracing eye sweet.
The RX 7900 GRE destroys the RX 6900 XT in each effectivity and efficiency.
The Sapphire’s cooler is a match for any available on the market. It is not like the opposite playing cards, even reference ones do a nasty job at cooling, however AMD’s RX 7000 reference coolers do should resort to larger noise ranges to offset their extra compact dimension. Chalk up a strong purpose to spend the additional $50 for the Sapphire proper there. It truly is a quiet card.
The facility consumption numbers are about as anticipated. The RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Ti Tremendous playing cards are amazingly energy environment friendly, however the GRE is not too unhealthy in that regard. Its 260W TDP provides it good efficiency per watt, and curiously, the RX 7900 GRE completely destroys the RX 6900 XT in each effectivity and efficiency, displaying what the change from RDNA 2 to three has delivered. There isn’t any purpose to purchase a 6900 XT or 6950 XT anymore until you get one second hand or at a fireplace sale.
Total it is a pretty robust displaying for the RX 7900 GRE. Except—and also you simply know what I’ll say—you charge DLSS 3, Body Era and ray tracing efficiency extremely. They have not been fringe applied sciences for a very long time, so it is one thing you have to to think about in the event that they’re necessary to you.
Sapphire Pulse RX 7900 GRE evaluation
I am a bit of bit curious as to why AMD initially selected to solely launch the RX 7900 GRE in China solely, and why it is now opening that restriction up. I assume it is a mixture of things. It is absolutely a response to Nvidia’s RTX Tremendous playing cards, nevertheless it’s additionally prone to have decrease margins given its complexity. Anyway, it is right here, and it is a welcome competitor within the higher mid-range graphics card market.
The RX 7900 GRE is quicker than the RX 7800 XT and slower than the RX 7900 XT, precisely as anticipated. What it does do is take some enchantment away from the RX 7800 XT. It must constantly drop under $500 to stay related. In any other case spending the additional $50 on the GRE is a little bit of a no brainer. Concurrently the discharge of the GRE, AMD is formally saying a worth drop for the RX 7700 XT to $419, which creates a little bit of a niche for the 7800 XT to fall into. AMD has not introduced a 7800 XT worth drop although.
The RX 7900 GRE is an excellent RTX 4070 Tremendous competitor. You may say the GRE is the quicker card, however solely in conditions the place ray tracing is absent, it is also $50 cheaper, though the Sapphire is priced on the similar $599 as base RTX 4070 Supers. The GRE has a reminiscence bandwidth and capability benefit, whereas the Tremendous retains the sting in energy effectivity. I believe selecting between the 2 is tough. Personally, I would just lean in direction of the RTX 4070 Tremendous, however by a hair’s width. Its extra mature software program ecosystem stays an excellent worth add.
I really feel as if the RX 7900 GRE is presently essentially the most interesting card of the RX 7000-series lineup
The Sapphire Nitro+ RX 7900 GRE will set you again $50 over the price of base playing cards. In my view, it is nicely price the additional moolah. The cooler alone is price the additional cash. It is constructed like a battleship, it is all however silent and it is greater than able to taming a 260W TDP. The RGB mild bar appears nice and also you get a wonderful PCB with twin BIOS and an ARGB header.
That is the primary 7900 GRE card I’ve examined, so I can not say the way it stacks up efficiency clever to different variations, however I used to be a bit of shocked the Sapphire was not capable of attain clocks far past the two,245MHz reference clock. It was capable of maintain a median of two,276MHz over a future, in order that’s nonetheless higher. Maybe we’re seeing energy constraints kick in, because the TDP of the is a few 40W lower than the RX 7900 XT.
In conclusion, I really feel as if the RX 7900 GRE is presently essentially the most interesting card of the RX 7000-series lineup. Premium RX 7900 XT’s are a giant step up in worth, and the RX 7800 XT is all of a sudden too costly. The RTX 4070 Tremendous is a really succesful and interesting competitor however the RX 7900 GRE stands up nicely. That is the form of competitors we wish to see within the graphics card market.
