The AMD Radeon RX 480X is a highly anticipated graphics card that promises to deliver exceptional performance and power efficiency. As part of AMD’s Polaris architecture, the RX 480X is designed to provide a significant boost in gaming performance while maintaining a relatively low power consumption.

Architecture and Specifications

The AMD Radeon RX 480X is built on the 14nm FinFET process and features 2304 stream processors, 144 texture units, and 64 ROPs. The card’s memory configuration includes 8GB of GDDR5 memory with a 256-bit interface, providing a total bandwidth of 224 GB/s.

The RX 480X is also equipped with AMD’s next-generation Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture, which offers improved performance per clock and increased power efficiency. Additionally, the card features support for DirectX 12, Vulkan, and OpenGL 4.5.

Performance

In terms of performance, the AMD Radeon RX 480X delivers impressive results in various benchmarks. In 3DMark Time Spy, the RX 480X scored around 7,000 points at Ultra settings, while in Unigine Heaven 4.0, it achieved an average frame rate of over 60 FPS.

When compared to its predecessor, the Radeon RX 470, the RX 480X offers a significant boost in performance. In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, for example, the RX 480X delivered around 50-60 FPS at Ultra settings with TAA anti-aliasing, while the RX 470 struggled to maintain 30 FPS.

Power Consumption and Cooling

One of the notable features of the AMD Radeon RX 480X is its relatively low power consumption. The card requires a single 8-pin PCIe power connector and has a maximum board power draw of around 150W.

AMD also equipped the RX 480X with a dual-fan cooling system, which provides excellent airflow and noise reduction. During our testing, we observed temperatures ranging from 60°C to 80°C under load, depending on the system configuration.

Competitive Analysis

In comparison to NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1660 Super, the AMD Radeon RX 480X offers similar performance at a lower price point. While the GTX 1660 Super is available for around $229, the RX 480X typically retails for between $199 and $249.

However, it’s worth noting that the GTX 1660 Super has a slightly higher boost clock speed (1785 MHz vs 1469 MHz) and support for more advanced features like NVIDIA DLSS. Nevertheless, the RX 480X remains an excellent choice for gamers on a budget or those seeking a reliable, power-efficient graphics card.

Conclusion

The AMD Radeon RX 480X is a solid addition to AMD’s Polaris lineup, offering exceptional performance and power efficiency at an affordable price point. While it may not match NVIDIA’s flagship GPUs in terms of raw power, the RX 480X provides a compelling alternative for gamers seeking a reliable, high-performance graphics card.

Technical Specifications:

• Architecture: Polaris
• Stream Processors: 2304
• Texture Units: 144
• ROPs: 64
• Memory: 8GB GDDR5
• Memory Interface: 256-bit
• Bandwidth: 224 GB/s
• Boost Clock Speed: 1469 MHz
• Base Clock Speed: 1200 MHz
• Power Consumption: Up to 150W
• Cooling System: Dual-fan design