Gigabyte RX 7800 XT Gaming OC 16GB Graphics Card Review

Today sees the launch of the latest GPU from team red in the form of the 7800 XT. A card that's aimed at 1440p gaming at max settings for a price point of $499 which makes for quite an interesting proposition, especially as NVIDIA don't really have anything to cater for that part of the market, or that price point. While we do have a fully-fledged review going through mass amounts of games, and focussing heavily on the GPU core and what AMD have done over here, this review will focus more on the Gigabyte Gaming OC model and what that brings to the table in terms of the performance of the cooler in both acoustics and temperatures, because as we know, the marginal difference with each AIB model of the same GPU really does show a negligible change in the overall gameplay and framerate performance. Due to this, the only reason why you'd buy one model over another with the same GPU cores comes down to the brand, the design, and the cooler. Gaming OC Now I've been a long-standing fan of the Gaming OC cards from Gigabyte. They do cost more than an MSRP-based GPU, like the Eagle series, but you get a tried and tested product for that extra cost. It's not always the best in terms of performance, but it's definitely up there, and always seems to offer a happy middle-ground for those wanting a solid product that can rival some of the big guns which end up costing quite a bit more money. When I think of a Gigabyte Gaming OC card, I always mention the "don't break it, don't fix it" mentality when I look at them as they typically use the same cooler for every model of GPU which is a good thing, because if this cooler is able to keep the top-end 7900 XTX under control, it should make light work of the 7800 XT so with its Windforce cooling system and a large design, I'm hopeful that the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC should be able to keep the RDNA3 based GPU core, GDDR6 memory and VRM circuitry all under control, and that's exactly what we'll be looking at today. Features Powered by Radeon™ RX 7800 XT Integrated with 16GB GDDR6 256-bit memory interface WINDFORCE Cooling System RGB Fusion Dual BIOS Protection metal back plate A Closer Look So first things first. The card is big at 302mm long, 130mm high and 56mm thick, though actually comes in much smaller than the likes of the XFX MERC 319 and Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT cards that we've also looked at. It also weighs in at 1515g so again, not the heaviest card we've had come through it, but certainly no slouch in terms of size and weight either. The Windforce cooler hasn't changed much for this generation and still includes three Gigabyte branded 90mm fans with the outer two spinning alternately to the middle while incorporating blades with ridges for increased airflow and reduced turbulence. The top of the card is where we find more Gigabyte branding in RGB of course, along with a simple Radeon logo towards the end. We can also see how the front shroud wraps around the heatsink slightly and meets towards the large backplate. The backplate covers the full PCB with a small cut-out area towards the end to allow heat to pass through. Other than the simple Gigabyte logo, it's a pretty standard affair and isn't the thickest backplate we've seen and is more for decoration than functionality. The I/O is pretty typical for what we've seen on other 7800 XT cards with two DisplayPort connectors and two HDMI ports along with ventilation on the rest of the I/O. Stripping the card down to reveal the PCB where we find a total of eight 2GB GDDR6 memory ICs surrounding the GPU core and some pretty well laid out VRM circuitry. There are two 8-pin power connectors as expected, because AMD haven't gone down the same route as NVIDIA with a 12VHPWR connector. There's also a BIOS switch just to the left. In terms of the VRM setup, the card features 14 phases in total which are split between 8 for the GPU, 2 for the SOC, 2 for the memory and 2 for other smaller components. The heatsink is large and includes a large copper plate that makes direct contact with the GPU core, while composite heatpipes push the heat away to opposite ends of the heatsink for the best cooling efficiency. The memory ICs also make direct contact with the copper plate, while the phases sit under separate plates. From the other side, we get a clear view of the heatpipes and how the main part of the heatsink is split, along with a frame that sits around it for extra rigidity. How We Test We continue to update our testing methods around once per year. As such, we re-test older hardware to reflect changes over time. These can be driver updates, Windows updates, game patches, and more; all of which have an impact on performance figures. Furthermore, we update our test benches to newer and more relevant hardware. This means that our new reviews aren’t always comparable to those of older reviews, so please compare the testing methodology on older reviews should you be trying to compare them with newer ones. Replicate Our Results When it comes to our benchmarks in our reviews, the benchmarks are pretty self-explanatory and are kept as simple as possible, although there are a few exceptions. Remember that your choice of a graphics card, CPU, the silicon lottery, and other factors can yield different numbers, and there’s always a margin for error when using any software. Links are provided below, as well as the settings we use. We encourage you to not just look at how one product compares to any other, but how it compares to your own. If you’re looking to build a new system, you should benchmark your current PC using the benchmarks available to you. You should then look at the percentage improvement from your current hardware to the hardware tested here to give you a ballpark figure of how much of an upgrade this will provide you with. Processor Test Systems Test System (GPU) Motherboard ASUS ROG Z690 Maximus HeroBIOS Version 1720 Buy Now Processor Intel Core i9 12900K Review Buy Now GPU Changes Per Review RAM Patriot Viper Venom 32GB (2x16GB) 6200MHz Review Buy Now CPU Cooler NZXT Kraken Z73 RGB Buy Now Power Supply NZXT C1000 Gold Review Buy Now Storage Seagate FIRECUDA 530 1TB Review Buy Now Chassis NZXT H7 Flow Review Buy Now OS Windows 11 Pro Version 21H2 Drivers AMD Graphics: 22.10.1NVIDIA Graphics: 521.90 Additional Hardware Nvidia PCAT Software We use a variety of software from different developers to assist in our testing and to give us the most consistent results possible. Some applications are specifically used for testing, while others are simply used for monitoring and to aid us in making sure that our results are as accurate as possible. Gaming To gauge performance levels which are easily reproduced time after time, by both ourselves and our readers, we now stick strictly to games' default profiles. Given how powerful most modern cards are getting, we've begun using more demanding profiles for most games, but will otherwise state on a per-game basis if we use other profiles beyond High, Ultra, Maximum or their respective equivalent at all resolutions. V-Sync is always disabled in our testing, and all FPS caps that can be removed are. We also enable XMP and Resizable bar technology across all platforms to keep things as fair as possible. Games While we test a lot of games, it's not possible to display all of the data on the website or in our videos. Instead, we include access to all of our testing data for our Patreon members (link), where members get a ton of other benefits as well. What we do, however, is display charts for averages across all game titles to give a better picture of performance across all titles tested. Call Of Duty Warzone Cyberpunk 2077 Death Stranding Watch Dogs: Legion Resolutions 1440p (2560 x 1440) Some tests will also include features such as NVIDIA DLSS and Ray Tracing. However, these will be clearly labelled and may only appear in reviews for graphics cards that support those features. Power Consumption Not being content on simply reading total system power draw, we now run F1 22 for an hour loop and measure power draw at the end of the loop for the most accurate measurement that represents real-world gameplay experience. Temperatures We take temperature readings after the same hour long F1 22 loop with no other background programs running, again to simulate a real-world gaming experience. Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II drops players into an unprecedented global conflict that features the return of the iconic Operators of Task Force 141. From small-scale, high-stakes infiltration tactical ops to highly classified missions, players will deploy alongside friends in a truly immersive experience. Available now on Steam. While the Gigabyte card did perform the worst in this game compared to the Sapphire and XFX models that we also have, it was only by a single frame per second, though did come out the best in the 1% lows and due to this it would be deemed a margin of error and all cards performed identically. Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in the megalopolis of Night City, where you play as a cyberpunk mercenary wrapped up in a do-or-die fight for survival. Improved and featuring all-new free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades. The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be? Available now on Steam. It's a similar story in Cyberpunk, where the Gigabyte comes in the middle of our three cards but well within the range that we'd expect any 7800 XT GPU to perform. Death Stranding From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes a genre-defying experience, now expanded in this definitive DIRECTOR’S CUT. As Sam Bridges, your mission is to deliver hope to humanity by connecting the last survivors of a decimated America. Can you reunite the shattered world, one step at a time? Available now on Steam. The Gaming OC came in with 190 FPS in Death Stranding, again perfectly aligning with the performance parameters that we'd expect for this GPU. Watch Dogs: Legion Build a resistance from virtually anyone you see as you hack, infiltrate, and fight to take back a near-future London that is facing its downfall. Welcome to the Resistance. Recruit and play as anyone in the city. Everyone you see has a unique backstory, personality, and skill set. Available now on UPlay. Then lastly in Watch Dogs: Legion, the Gaming OC shows strong performance again with similar figures to both the Sapphire and XFX 7800 XT cards. Power & Temperatures To get an idea as to what benefit the cooler has, we booted up F1 22 for an hour long benchmark loop to see exactly how the card performs under a prolonged gaming session. It's here where the GPU temperature was around 57 degrees for the most part, but did peak up to 60 degrees on occasion while the hotspot was around 81 degrees, but again did max out slightly higher at 84 degrees. The memory junction temperature peaked at 72 degrees, but stayed around the 70 degree mark throughout out testing. The core clock ran at an max of 2739MHz while the fans span around 2130RPM which is admittedly quite loud and used a total board power of 286W. How Much Does it Cost? So as I mentioned before, a Gaming OC model of any GPU will cost a little more than MSRP, but Gigabyte cater for that with the Eagle range of cards which arguably are still very good and very capable, but the Gaming OC just goes a little further and that comes at a cost. While we don't have concrete pricing, you can normally expect to pay around another $50 on top of the $499 MSRP price tag and for that you get a well built card from a respectable brand that should last you. Overview In terms of the design, there isn't really much to say as we've seen it before and it's nothing new, but that's the whole point. If it's not broke, don't fix it and that's why we only really see the Gaming OC change for a completely new series, like the 7000 series RDNA3 GPUs and how it changed slightly from the cooler used on the 6000 RDNA2-based cards. What is clear to see is that normally that change involves size, and the Gaming OC has got a lot bigger due to demands from the GPU needing to be kept cool, which is something it did a good job on. The GPU, hotspot and memory temperatures were all under control, and inside your machine, you'll have no worries about the boost clock staying high during those long gaming sessions, but I do worry about the noise. At over 2100 RPM, it's loud and comparatively so when putting it up against other, similar priced 7800 XT's on the market from the likes of Sapphire with their Nitro+ card, and XFX with their MERC 319 model which both come in so much quieter and I'm a little unsure as to why the Gaming OC is so bad in this area. Maybe it's been nerfed slightly to sell higher-end SKUs like the AORUS range of cards, though upon looking at Gigabyte's website, I don't think that's the case, as it seems at the time of writing this, there are no other 7800 XT SKUs available, but that could change after launch. That aside, when you're gaming, the last thing you're going to be able to hear is the fan noise, as you'll have your speakers blaring, or headphones on, so I guess it's not a deal breaker, but I want to make it clear that other models are available and are for the same price, just that little bit better. The one big selling point that the Gigabyte Gaming OC has is that it can look great inside any system, whether you're into the gamery look or want something that looks a bit more "professional". It can cater for both markets Should I Buy One? While it has a drawback with the acoustic side of things with the fans spinning high, that can be tweaked in a sacrifice for a few degrees in terms of temperatures, but that aside, it's a solidly built card with a tried and tested cooler that will do the job just fine and without breaking the bank. Gigabyte RX 7800 XT Gaming OC