Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT: AMD’s old and new reference designs in direct comparison

AMD’s new RDNA 3-based Radeon RX 7000 series (details) will be available as the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 7900 XT starting December 13. ComputerBase has test samples that can be shown today. To provide added value, the editors compared the images against the previous reference design and against the GeForce RTX 4000.

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX vs. Radeon RX 7900 XT

Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT do not use the same cooling system. In width, though, both coolers take nothing: the 2.5 slots are like the Radeon RX 6950 XT, 6900 XT, and 6800XT, while the Radeon RX 6800 and 6700 XT have used a 2.0 slot design.

The XTX’s cooler is also slightly wider and longer than that of the top RX 6000 models, which is not surprising in view of the 355-watt TDP (6900/6800 XT: 300 watts, 6950 XT: 355 watts): At a slightly larger one Cooling system meets higher or equal TDP.

The RX 7900 XT’s heatsink isn’t quite as wide, albeit a few millimeters longer than the RX 6800’s, but the jump from 2.0 to 2.5 slots should still increase the available cooling surface area. It should, too, because the TDP of the RX 7900 XT is 300 watts, which is 50 watts more than the Radeon RX 6800.

In addition to the dimensions, AMD has significantly adjusted the design of the new cooler: the silver face has given way to black, and the red frame on the side has a much more subtle accent in the form of painted fins of the cooler.

Radeon RX 7900 XT(X) vs. Radeon RX 4080/4090 FE

Compared to the gargantuan cooler Nvidia is using in both the GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 4080 this year, AMD’s reference design still looks small and can be found in systems running an RTX 4000 instead. the two series available so far. inconceivable. It remains to be clarified what effects this has on the volume under load.

The use of the classic 8-pin PCI connector is not surprising, because AMD has been communicating publicly for a long time, and recently with some smugness. Both the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT use two of them to be able to absorb 300 watts of electrical power according to specification. The partner cards will also be based on this standard, even if three factory connections can be expected for variants with a particularly high TDP. With the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4000, all previously released designs use the new 12+4-pin 12VHPWR connector.

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX will be available on December 13 with an MSRP of $999 before taxes, and the Radeon RX 7900 XT will retail for $899. The manufacturer has not yet published an RRP for the euro zone.

ComputerBase received AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT on loan for testing. Graphics cards were made available under NDA. The embargo on details or even tests has not yet fallen, but the embargo on content that only shows the new reference designs has. The only other specification in this context was the earliest possible release date. The manufacturer had no influence on the content and there was no obligation to publish it.