Question 7900 xt differences?

Jun 4, 2023
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I'm getting confused on what the differences are between all of the same 7900xt gpu's. Shouldn't a 7900xt be a 7900xt? What is the difference in them? I see a bunch of brands listed when I search it and they range from $800 to almost $1000.
 
The graphics chip is the same.

  • The cooler is the most common difference.
    • Here you're looking at the cooler and/or reviews to determine whether one design will be quieter than another. They generally all ramp fan speeds to maintain a set temp target, so two cards may both maintain 75C, but one could be significantly quieter while doing so
    • More heatpipes = better, more fans = better, thicker = better, etc etc. You know, common physics.
    • Some coolers will have better VRAM or VRM cooling than others, even if they both handle the GPU chip/core the same.
  • Some will flaunt a [laughably] minor clock speed bump as a "factory overclock".
    • With modern GPU boost functionality, these factory overclocks are basically meaningless (IMO)
  • Some SKUs will ship with the TDP modified in excess of the "reference" specs.
    • This is generally modifiable by the end user via AMD Adrenalin OC settings, MSI afterburner, etc etc software.
    • my EVGA 3060Ti has a 220W TDP (factory set), whereas the reference 3060Ti has a 200W TDP
    • This may affect/allow the "factory overclock" mentioned above.
  • Some SKUs will expand the VRM past the "reference" design. It takes a fair bit of component knowledge to decipher what advertised "improvements" are actually meaningfull/valuable.
    • Similar to motherboard VRM design. Is 12 phases better than 6? Sure/yes/probably, but that doesn't necessarily mean 6 phases won't/can't work. Or how do you quantify "better"? 85C VRM temp instead of 88C? Could a better VRM cooling solution throw that out the window? Durability/longevity? How much longer do you perceive 12 phases is going to last you when there's really no data to prove one way or the other.
    • Like motherboard VRM design, you really start to realize/worry about these differences when you're pushing OCs far past stock. And with GPU VRM design (unless you're stripping the stock cooler for a water block or something) you're generally going to get a better VRM as a package deal with a better cooler since there's an assumed usage trend. Much like cars.
  • Fewer SKUs go much past that. (these are generally going to be crazy expensive)
 
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The graphics chip is the same.

  • The cooler is the most common difference.
    • Here you're looking at the cooler and/or reviews to determine whether one design will be quieter than another. They generally all ramp fan speeds to maintain a set temp target, so two cards may both maintain 75C, but one could be significantly quieter while doing so
    • More heatpipes = better, more fans = better, thicker = better, etc etc. You know, common physics.
    • Some coolers will have better VRAM or VRM cooling than others, even if they both handle the GPU chip/core the same.
  • Some will flaunt a [laughably] minor clock speed bump as a "factory overclock".
    • With modern GPU boost functionality, these factory overclocks are basically meaningless (IMO)
  • Some SKUs will ship with the TDP modified in excess of the "reference" specs.
    • This is generally modifiable by the end user via AMD Adrenalin OC settings, MSI afterburner, etc etc software.
    • my EVGA 3060Ti has a 220W TDP (factory set), whereas the reference 3060Ti has a 200W TDP
    • This may affect/allow the "factory overclock" mentioned above.
  • Some SKUs will expand the VRM past the "reference" design. It takes a fair bit of component knowledge to decipher what advertised "improvements" are actually meaningfull/valuable.
    • Similar to motherboard VRM design. Is 12 phases better than 6? Sure/yes/probably, but that doesn't necessarily mean 6 phases won't/can't work. Or how do you quantify "better"? 85C VRM temp instead of 88C? Could a better VRM cooling solution throw that out the window? Durability/longevity? How much longer do you perceive 12 phases is going to last you when there's really no data to prove one way or the other.
    • Like motherboard VRM design, you really start to realize/worry about these differences when you're pushing OCs far past stock. And with GPU VRM design (unless you're stripping the stock cooler for a water block or something) you're generally going to get a better VRM as a package deal with a better cooler since there's an assumed usage trend. Much like cars.
  • Fewer SKUs go much past that. (these are generally going to be crazy expensive)
To add to this, more expensive models MOSTLY have better silicon yields (I say mostly because some companies can be scummy with this).

To simplify the explanation so it doesn't get too technical, the higher the yield, the higher the GPU can clock.

I'm going to use AMD Zen 4 CPUs as an example.

AMD puts their best yields on the 7950X, then the second best on the 7900X, and so on until the 7600X.

As a result, the 7600X struggle to get to 5.3GHz below 1.3V, while the 7950X can get to 5.3GHz easily.

Back to GPU, the manufacturers usually test the yields on each GPU and package each yield tier appropriately. The best yields go to the top model like ROG Strix, Gaming X Trio, etc. Then it goes down.
 
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I understand your confusion. The model number "7900XT" refers to the GPU chip itself, which is produced by AMD. However, once the GPU chip is released by AMD, different graphics card manufacturers can create their own versions of the GPU, each with its own unique features, designs, cooling solutions, and performance characteristics. These variations in design and features are what differentiate the different brands and models of the 7900XT graphics card.

When you search for the 7900XT, you may come across different brands such as ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Sapphire, and others. Each brand may offer multiple models of the 7900XT, which could have differences in clock speeds, cooling systems, power delivery, and additional features.

The variations in price you mentioned can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, different brands have different manufacturing and marketing costs, which can affect the pricing. Secondly, higher-priced models may come with more advanced cooling solutions, better power delivery, factory overclocking, or other premium features, which can contribute to the price difference.
 
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Search/read specific card reviews if you can. Again focusing on temps (core, VRAM, and VRM) and noise of the cooler.

Sometimes manufacturers will reuse a cooler design across multiple GPU offerings. My brother's Asus Strix 3060Ti has the exact same cooler they used on 3080Ti offerings.....you can imagine it's quite overpowered for a 3060Ti at that point. But it might help if you can't find a review for your EXACT GPU (7900XT in this instance) but obviously try to visually verify that the coolers are the same (design, heatpipes, etc)

Not sure what country you're shopping in but: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=547&sort=price

Sapphire Pulse cards generally tend to be among the better mid priced offerings (PCPP says Sapphire Pulse 7900XT in USA = $800. If the Sapphire Pulse offering of xxxx GPU is relatively price-competitive I'd rarely hesitate to buy that. (Nitro is their premium line)

The Powercolor Hellhound is sufficiently beefy (3 slots, 3 fans, lots of heatpipes) that it shouldn't pose any issues. Honestly, physically looks like it would perform better than the Sapphire Pulse, but I'd have to read reviews. I'd give a long hard look at this.

AsRock Phantom Gaming OC is a similarly mid tier offering from AsRock (Taichi is their premium line). Looks to be more in the class of the Sapphire Pulse (slightly less robust than the Hellhound), but I'd probably go with the Pulse given the same price. Again, didn't read reviews of these specific cards, just visual and past history.

I generally avoid XFX. Not sure if my reasons are justified or not, so I'll leave that up to you to decide.

All companies make low end cards and high end cards.
 
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Search/read specific card reviews if you can. Again focusing on temps (core, VRAM, and VRM) and noise of the cooler.

Sometimes manufacturers will reuse a cooler design across multiple GPU offerings. My brother's Asus Strix 3060Ti has the exact same cooler they used on 3080Ti offerings.....you can imagine it's quite overpowered for a 3060Ti at that point. But it might help if you can't find a review for your EXACT GPU (7900XT in this instance) but obviously try to visually verify that the coolers are the same (design, heatpipes, etc)

Not sure what country you're shopping in but: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=547&sort=price

Sapphire Pulse cards generally tend to be among the better mid priced offerings (PCPP says Sapphire Pulse 7900XT in USA = $800. If the Sapphire Pulse offering of xxxx GPU is relatively price-competitive I'd rarely hesitate to buy that. (Nitro is their premium line)

The Powercolor Hellhound is sufficiently beefy (3 slots, 3 fans, lots of heatpipes) that it shouldn't pose any issues. Honestly, physically looks like it would perform better than the Sapphire Pulse, but I'd have to read reviews. I'd give a long hard look at this.

AsRock Phantom Gaming OC is a similarly mid tier offering from AsRock (Taichi is their premium line). Looks to be more in the class of the Sapphire Pulse (slightly less robust than the Hellhound), but I'd probably go with the Pulse given the same price. Again, didn't read reviews of these specific cards, just visual and past history.

I generally avoid XFX. Not sure if my reasons are justified or not, so I'll leave that up to you to decide.

All companies make low end cards and high end cards.
Im in the US. I'll check that link put. Think the sapphire is the 1 I selected for my build list on a post in systems I put up earlier. I'll search reviews on the ones I've been looking at to make the best choice. Thank you for bringing that up
 
I wouldn't overspend on the card, even the cheaper ones with smaller coolers are capable of delivering good performance.
I bought a Sapphire RX 7900 XT, that's all it's called, it's not even the pulse. I assume it's the same as the original reference cards AMD released....it was cheap and from Sapphire, so that's all I needed to know. Anyway, I have only just got it and haven't tried overclocking it or anything yet, but it runs faster than the official specs (2,500 to 2,640 MHz) and I've never seen it's temperature go over 72C.

My point is, you don't need to overspend on a massive cooler, if you're going to do that, just buy a cheap XTX.
 
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