Club3D HD7790 royalKing 1GB Review

Final Thoughts

Club3D’s UK availability has never been that good, though it is getting much better but expanding their UK and global supply is something they are working very hard on . That said we struggled to find genuine plentiful UK supply of the Club3D royalKing HD 7790 as on Amazon it was only available via German import companies (who have to pay extra import tariffs and taxes) so was more expensive than it should be at around £126. In terms of UK stock Club3D did say that the UK stock price is in the region of £100 to £110 with a typical price of £105, though some retailers may choose to be more aggressive. At this price Club3D is essentially coming in at the bottom end of market pricing and the cheapest HD 7790s on the market cost around £105. That said we certainly cannot argue with the value for money as other 1GB OC HD 7790s out there can cost around £115.

Club3D’s HD 7790 royalKing is a very nice graphics card for its price point. In terms of performance we are seeing levels that are typical of an overclocked HD 7790 though the card is not as good as it could be due to a stock memory clock speed. In terms of cooling performance this unit was above reference in what it offers both in terms of cooling and noise output but it was not as good as other HD 7790s we have tested, the design could probably have benefited from an extra one or two 6mm heat pipes instead of the single heat pipe it equips to keep up with the competition. Though it is worth noting the slightly “budget” cooler is the trade-off Club3D make between value and performance and right away I will say they have made the right decision. That decision is right because the HD 7790 is clock speed limited to 1200MHz core and 1600MHz memory (6400MHz effective) and Club3D’s version can easily reach that maximum overclock, stay within good temperatures and do so with relatively low noise output all while being affordable so having implemented a more expensive cooler would have lowered temperatures and maybe noise but what benefit would the end user see apart from an increased price? Club3D’s royalKing HD 7790 also ticks boxes in terms of its aesthetics and they have played it very safe with a black PCB and black shroud with red accents. Additionally they use a short PCB which allows for maximum case compatibility which is great.

As already hinted at I do have a few niggles with the product. Firstly, the memory should be overclocked in my opinion. Other vendors are doing it and it does make quite a big difference to performance. Secondly, the cooling solution could have benefited from an extra heat pipe or two if that is still possible while retaining the card’s relatively low price point. Thirdly, the two year warranty period is quite short but again this does help Club3D keep the price down and a 2 year warranty is kind-of typical for this type of entry level card. Finally, I have an issue with availability which does affect the product. In the UK because so few UK retailers stock the Club3D royalKing none of the retailers that do are actually part of the Never Settle Forever program. Due to that fact you miss out on the opportunity to choose one of the following free games; Sleeping Dogs, Far Cry 3, Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Dirt 3 or Dirt Showdown. However, despite these problems I feel that the Club3D royalKing HD 7790 is still a good buy if you can get it for £100-£110 from a UK retailer. Hopefully in the near future Club3D will be able to expand supply to bigger UK retailers which would in-turn allow you to take advantage of the great Never Settle Forever program.

Pros

• Aesthetics -looks like a quality graphics card
• Quiet
• Capable of maxing CCC limits
• Good bang for buck
• Compact

Cons

• Runs quite hot compared to other rivals
• Low CCC limits (AMD’s fault)
• Stock VRAM speeds
• UK availability is sparse
• Not available in the UK as part of Never Settle Forever program because of limited availability

eTeknix says: “Club3D’s HD 7790 royalKing is a rock solid overclocked HD 7790 for its affordable price point. You’ll get the maximum performance a 1GB HD 7790 can offer, thanks to the overclocking potential of the royalKing, and it is at an affordable price point thanks to Club3D’s sensible cooling solution. The card runs very quiet which is a big bonus, though it isn’t as cool as the competition but is still cooler than a reference design. While Club3D need to work on availability quite a lot, the card is still very good for money if you can find it at the recommended retail price in your country. “

Thank you to Club3D for providing this review sample.