AMD has started off the year 2024 with the release of the Radeon RX 7600 XT, a graphics card that boasts 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM and minor enhancements to the GPU’s clock speed. Despite utilizing the same Navi 33 graphics chip as its predecessor, the original Radeon RX 7600, the new RX 7600 XT shows improvements primarily in clock speeds. This article analyzes the key features and performance of the RX 7600 XT, while also highlighting AMD’s peculiar choice in comparing it to Nvidia’s four-year-old GeForce RTX 2060.
The RX 7600 XT features 2,048 shaders and a 128-bit combined memory bus width, with 16GB of VRAM running at a transfer rate of 18Gbps. AMD has increased the Game clock by 220MHz (2.25 to 2.47GHz) and the Boost clock by 100MHz (2.66 to 2.76GHz), resulting in a 9.8% and 3.8% improvement, respectively. Although the higher clock speeds and additional VRAM enhance performance, they also increase power demands, with the RX 7600 XT now requiring a total board power of 190W compared to the previous model’s 165W.
According to AMD, the RX 7600 XT offers a performance boost ranging from 6% to 31% compared to the standard RX 7600, specifically at 1440p resolution. Notably, these figures are based on specific games, with the highest increase observed in Forza Horizon 5 when using maximum ray tracing settings. However, it is worth questioning AMD’s decision to compare the RX 7600 XT to Nvidia’s older GeForce RTX 2060. AMD justifies this by stating that 50% of GPUs in the November 2023 Steam Hardware Survey were RTX 2060 or slower graphics cards, targeting PC gamers seeking upgrades this year. Nevertheless, it raises eyebrows considering the age difference between the two GPUs.
Aside from gaming, AMD also highlights the RX 7600 XT’s potential for content creators on a budget, particularly those utilizing local generative AI systems. While VRAM is undoubtedly important for memory-intensive tasks like video editing and generative AI, simply doubling the VRAM capacity does not transform a GPU into a creation powerhouse. AMD claims superiority over Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4060, specifically in games that support FSR 3 upscaling and Frame Generation. However, it is essential to consider a more comprehensive selection of games to form a well-rounded perspective on performance.
AMD’s partners, such as Sapphire and PowerColor, will be producing the RX 7600 XT. While the exact power connector requirement is not clearly depicted in images of the third-party models, it is expected that a single 8-pin PCIe power connector will be sufficient. As for pricing, the RX 7600 XT has a starting SEP (aka MSRP) of $329, which is $60 higher than the regular RX 7600. This price increase offers 8GB more VRAM and slightly higher clock speeds. Whether this justifies the additional cost is yet to be determined and will be further evaluated in extensive testing.
The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT brings minor improvements to the previous model, primarily in clock speeds, while maintaining the same Navi 33 graphics chip and memory configurations. While AMD’s benchmarks indicate a performance boost, it is crucial to assess a broader range of games to obtain an accurate depiction of its capabilities. Moreover, the comparison to Nvidia’s outdated RTX 2060 raises questions about AMD’s marketing strategy. As the RX 7600 XT hits the market on January 24, it will be interesting to see how it fares in real-world testing and if the additional VRAM and clock speed enhancements justify its price increase.
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