AMD launched its high-profile, newest-generation Ryzen 8000-series mobile CPUs less than a month ago, saving the more mainstream (read “less expensive”), meat-and-potatoes announcements for CES. As usual, that means a step-up-from-entry-priced graphics chip, the Radeon RX 7600 XT, for cards starting at about $329, and a new slate of low-power Ryzen desktop CPUs, made up of new 8000 series chips and additions to the old 5000 series.
The $269 Radeon RX 7600 remains at the bottom of AMD’s current-generation pecking order, now joined by the XT version. As is common — Nvidia frequently does the same — they use the same GPU, but AMD kind of unbottlenecks it. That means more memory (16GB vs. 8GB) and higher frequencies, with a concomitant increase in power requirements (25 watts more) to drive it all. That means the XT is bigger and takes two 8 pin power connections rather than one.
Radeon RX 7600 XT
Memory | 16GB GDDR6 |
---|---|
GPU clock (GHz, game/boost) | 2.47/2.76 |
Memory data rate/Interface | 18Gbps/128 bits |
Ray accelerators | 32 |
Stream processors | 2,048 |
Compute Units | 32 |
AI accelerators | 64 |
Process | 6nm |
Total board power (watts) | 190 |
Bus | PCIe 4.0×8 |
Size | 2 slots |
Launch price | Starts at $329 |
Ship date | January 24, 2024 |
In practice, the XT probably won’t bump you up a resolution class — in other words, it won’t really get you from 1080p to 1440p gaming without sacrifices. But it could conceivably lift you a quality class at the same frame rate, give you a little more headroom for video editing and viewing large 3D models, or give some generative AI calculations a little boost. Those are the types of things that benefit from the extra memory and the slight speed uptick. The larger size and needier power may disqualify it from fitting into your system as a replacement, depending upon how small it is.
AMD won’t offer its own card with the GPU; it will only be available from the company’s typical partners including Acer, PowerColor, Sapphire, XFX and others. It’s expected to ship on Jan. 24.
Along…
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