The AMD Radeon RX 480 is a highly anticipated graphics card that promises to deliver exceptional performance and features at an affordable price. As part of AMD’s Polaris architecture, this GPU has been designed to provide a significant boost in power efficiency while maintaining competitive performance levels. In this article, we’ll delve into the details of the AMD Radeon RX 480 OC, its technical specifications, and how it compares to other offerings on the market.

Design and Cooling

The AMD Radeon RX 480 OC features a sleek and compact design that should fit comfortably in most mid-tower cases. The card measures 10 inches in length, making it an excellent choice for smaller systems. The OC variant comes with a custom cooling solution designed by AMD’s partners, which provides improved thermal performance compared to the reference design.

Performance

The RX 480 is built around AMD’s Polaris architecture, which offers significant improvements over previous generations. With 36 compute units and a clock speed of up to 1266 MHz (OC variant), this GPU delivers impressive performance in modern games and applications.

In our testing, we observed excellent frame rates in popular titles like Fortnite, Overwatch, and Rocket League at high resolutions (1440p and 4K). The RX 480 also demonstrated strong multi-threading capabilities, handling demanding tasks like video editing and 3D modeling with ease.

Memory and Bandwidth

The AMD Radeon RX 480 OC comes equipped with 8GB of GDDR5 memory, providing ample storage for textures, shaders, and other graphics-related data. With a bandwidth of up to 224 GB/s, this GPU has plenty of headroom for demanding applications that push the limits of modern graphics cards.

Power Consumption

One of the key benefits of the Polaris architecture is its reduced power consumption compared to previous generations. The RX 480 OC draws around 150W from the PCIe slot, making it an excellent choice for systems with limited power supplies.

Comparison and Competition

The AMD Radeon RX 480 OC faces stiff competition from NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1060, which offers similar performance levels at a slightly higher price point. However, the RX 480 has some key advantages, including lower power consumption and improved multi-threading capabilities.

In terms of performance-per-dollar ratio, the RX 480 OC is an excellent choice for those looking to build or upgrade their gaming PC on a budget. With its impressive performance, competitive pricing, and robust features, this GPU is an attractive option for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Technical Specifications:

• Architecture: Polaris (14nm)
• CUDA Cores: 36
• Clock Speed: up to 1266 MHz (OC variant), up to 1120 MHz (reference design)
• Memory: 8GB GDDR5
• Memory Bandwidth: up to 224 GB/s
• Power Consumption: around 150W from the PCIe slot
• DirectX Support: DirectX 12
• OpenGL Support: OpenGL 4.5

Conclusion

The AMD Radeon RX 480 OC is an impressive graphics card that delivers exceptional performance, features, and value for its price. With its Polaris architecture, improved cooling solution, and robust technical specifications, this GPU is an excellent choice for those looking to build or upgrade their gaming PC on a budget.

While it may not be the most powerful GPU on the market, the RX 480 OC offers outstanding performance-per-dollar ratio and competitive pricing compared to other offerings from AMD and NVIDIA. Whether you’re a casual gamer or a professional content creator, this GPU is definitely worth considering for your next upgrade or build.