MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB Graphics Card Review

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT launched last week and showed that AMD can offer some interesting competition in the lower end market with their new designs. Now, admittedly, there is some give and take between what Nvidia has to offer and what AMD has to offer. However, on the whole, they trade blows on price and performance pretty well. MSI has sent us their flagship 5500 XT 8GB, which is a tricky thing to explain. This is the high-end version of a low-end version of the current AMD lineup. That means it comes priced about £30-60 more than something like the Sapphire Pulse we reviewed recently. The question we have to answer today is "why?" MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB Now, on paper at least, the Sapphire card and the new MSI one are broadly the same specifications. They have the same boost clocks, the same memory speeds. However, the MSI card has twice as much. While the other 5500 XT made do with just 4GB, this one features a more impressive 8GB of memory, and I suspect that'll make a big difference in higher resolution tests. Specifications Boost Clock / Game Clock / Base Clock / Memory SpeedUp to 1845 MHz / Up to 1737 MHz / 1685 MHz / 14Gbps8GB GDDR6DisplayPort x 3 (v1.4) / HDMI 2.0b x 1 TORX FAN 3.0 Dispersion fan blade: Steeper curved blade accelerating the airflow.Traditional fan blade: Provides steady airflow to massive heat sink below. RGB Mystic Light Customize colours and LED effects with exclusive MSI software and synchronize the look & feel with other components. Afterburner Wireless control through Android / iOS devices.Predator: In-game video recording. Dragon Center A consolidated platform that offers all software including MYSTIC LIGHT functionality for your MSI Gaming product. A Closer Look The latest graphics card from MSI may not be their most high-end, but I'll be damned if it doesn't look it. The cooler design is drop-dead gorgeous and looks as good as any card that costs three times as much. The mixture of black, grey and red may have been done to death, but I still think it looks amazing. Plus, it'll be easy to find other hardware that matches this theme. The card uses two huge TORX fans, which should drive significantly more airflow than this chipset could possibly need. That should mean fantastic cooling performance though, which will help the card maintain those boost clocks for a heck of a lot longer. Of course, the card is quite compact but much bigger than we would expect for this chipset. It's a big heatsink though, and that means it's able to run in zero RPM fan mode until the card gets too warm. Of course, that's great, as it means the GPU will be completely silent a lot of the time. Down the side of the card, you'll find a bit of the heatsink exposed, where you can see some of those massive heatpipes. There's also a little bit of extension to the card beyond the PCB, which tells you just how big that heatsink must be. Despite looking like a monster GPU, remember, it's actually quite modest. For that reason, you'll only find a single 8-pin PSU connector. Moving around to the back of the card, you'll find one of the best looking backplates on any GPU. Not only will that provide cooling to the PCB, but it also adds to the durability of the card. However, all this extra bling doesn't come for free, and it's easy to see why this card is quite expensive for a budget card. Finally, around the back, you'll find three DisplayPorts and a single HDMI port. 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 bench 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 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. Graphics Card Test System Motherboard – Aorus Z390 Gaming MasterProcessor – Intel Core i9-9900K (Stock)RAM – Crucial Ballistix Gaming 32GB (4 x 8GB) 3000 MHzCPU Cooler – Noctua NH-D15SPower Supply – Be Quiet Power Zone 1000WMain Storage Drive – Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GBChassis – Thermaltake Core P5 TGOperating System – Windows 10 64-bitMonitor – AOC 28-Inch 4K Gaming Monitor Additional Hardware Killawatt style electricity usage meter wall plugPrecision Gold N05CC Decibel meter 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. We now use the “High” profiles for all games or their respective equivalent at all resolutions. V-Sync is always disabled in our testing, as are FreeSync and G-Sync technologies or similar. Graphics card power usage is set to optimised or balance, and the system power mode set to High Performance within Windows and the available GPU driver software. Identical settings are used for all resolutions unless otherwise stated. Games and Settings Used Shadow of the Tomb Raider DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pDeus Ex: Mankind Divided DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pGhost Recon: Wildlands High Preset1080p1440p2160pBattlefield V DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pBattlefield V DX12 High Preset (DXR Enabled) NVIDIA RTX Cards ONLY1080p1440p2160pMetro Exodus DX12 High Preset1080p1440p2160pMetro Exodus DX12 High Preset (RT, then RT and DLSS Enabled) NVIDIA RTX Cards ONLY1080p1440p2160pFar Cry New Dawn High Preset1080p1440p2160p The Division 2 High Preset1080p1440p2160pGhost Recon: Breakpoint1080p1440p2160pBorderlands 3 High Preset1080p1440p2160p Software Used 3DMark Fire Strike (download)FireStrike Ultra BenchmarkUnigine Superposition (download)4K Optimised BenchmarkHWMonitor (download)GPU-Z (download)MSI Afterburner (download) Noise Everyone has a reasonable noise level preference when it comes to components on a computer. Some can handle all fans at 100% load to keep temperatures down; some want an entirely silent computer. To accurately gauge the noise output of a graphics card, we position a Precision Gold N05CC one meter above our open-air test bench and take an average reading at idle and load. Power Consumption We take power readings during the idle state with no background applications running. Then again at 50% completion of the Unigine Superposition benchmark, using the average as the final published result. Temperatures We take temperature readings after 10 minutes of desktop idle with no background programs running, then take the recorded maximum delivered from Unigine Superposition after a 4K optimised run, confirming the numbers are accurate with HWMonitor. Furthermore, the ambient temperature is always kept +/- 1c from 21c. Synthetic Benchmarks While this card is perfectly fine, I really wasn't expecting it to be nearly identical to the performance of the Sapphire XT Pulse. Sure, they both have the same boost clock, but with 8GB of memory, I was expecting more than a handful of points difference. Alas, they're broadly the same. That being said, the scores are pretty solid, and keep pace with the GTX 1660 series of cards overall, give or take. 3DMark FireStrike Ultra - 35363DMark TimeSpy - 5250Unigine Superposition 4K Optimised - 3859 3DMark FireStrike Ultra 3DMark TimeSpy Unigine Superposition Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. Available now on Steam. Shadow of the Tomb Raider Performance 1080p Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 771440p Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 512160p Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 28 Now an experienced covert operative, Adam Jensen is forced to operate in a world that has grown to despise his kind. Armed with a new arsenal of state-of-the-art weapons and augmentations, he must choose the right approach, along with who to trust, in order to unravel a vast worldwide conspiracy. Available now on Steam. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Performance 1080p Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 75.61440p Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 48.92160p Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 24.4 The Ghosts, an elite US Special Forces team, are sent behind enemy lines to wreak havoc, destabilize, and eventually break the alliance between the cartel and the corrupted government. Facing an almighty enemy in a massive and hostile environment, the Ghosts will need to make critical moral choices and engage in tough battles to complete their mission – their grittiest and most dangerous operation to date. Available now on UPlay. Ghost Recon: Wildlands Performance 1080p Ghost Recon Wildlands - 74.481440p Ghost Recon Wildlands - 53.972160p Ghost Recon Wildlands - 30.33 Enter mankind’s greatest conflict with Battlefield™ V in the most intense, immersive, and innovative Battlefield yet. Lead your squad to victory in all-new multiplayer experiences like the multi-map Grand Operations. Fight for survival in Firestorm – battle royale, reimagined for Battlefield. Witness a never-before-seen portrayal of WW2 in the single-player War Stories campaign. Assemble your Company of customized soldiers, weapons, and vehicles – then take them on an expanding journey where every chapter brings a new battlefield. You will never be the same. Available now on Origin. Battlefield V Performance 1080p Battlefield V - 811440p Battlefield V - 592160p Battlefield V - 31 Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first-person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created. Flee the shattered ruins of dead Moscow and embark on an epic, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia in the greatest Metro adventure yet. Explore the Russian wilderness in vast, non-linear levels and follow a thrilling story-line inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter. Available now on Epic Game Store. Metro Exodus Performance 1080p Metro Exodus - 44.941440p Metro Exodus - 35.342160p Metro Exodus - 21.99 Seventeen years after a global nuclear catastrophe, civilization re-emerges from the chaos to find a world dramatically changed. In Hope County, Montana, the remaining populace has gathered into different groups, each with their own rules for survival. In this new world order, the vicious Highwaymen, led by twin sisters Mickey and Lou, travel from place to place bleeding people dry of all available resources. As the Survivors try to defend their lands against the Highwaymen's relentless onslaught, it's up to you to come to their aid and lead the fight. In the latest instalment of the award-winning Far Cry franchise, you are the last line of defence in a transformed, post-apocalyptic Hope County. Help the community of Survivors grow stronger, craft a makeshift arsenal through Turf Wars and cross-country Expeditions, and form unexpected alliances to fight for survival in a dangerous new frontier. Available now on UPlay. Far Cry New Dawn Performance 1080p Far Cry New Dawn - 881440p Far Cry New Dawn - 622160p Far Cry New Dawn - 32 Seven months have passed since a deadly virus hit New York City and the rest of the world, crippling the population. When the virus hit, The Division, a unit of civilian sleeper agents, was activated as the last line of defence. Since then, Division agents have been fighting relentlessly to save what remains. For The Division, the stakes are higher than ever. Washington, D.C. – the most heavily protected city on earth – is at risk, leaving the entire nation on the brink of collapse. If Washington, D.C., is lost, then the nation falls. As a Division agent who has been in the field for seven months, you and your team are the last hope to stop the fall of society after the pandemic collapse. Available now on UPlay. The Division 2 Performance 1080p The Division 2 - 861440p The Division 2 - 572160p The Division 2 - 30 The original shooter-looter returns, packing bazillions of guns and a mayhem-fueled adventure! Blast through new worlds and enemies as one of four new Vault Hunters. Play solo or with friends to take on insane enemies, score loads of loot and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy. At the hard edge of the galaxy lies a group of planets ruthlessly exploited by militarized corporations. Brimming with loot and violence, this is your home—the Borderlands. Now, a crazed cult known as The Children of the Vault has emerged and is spreading like an interstellar plague. Play solo or co-op as one of four unique Vault Hunters, score loads of loot and save the galaxy from this fanatical threat. Available now on Epic Games Store. Borderlands 3 Performance 1080p Borderlands 3 - 54.011440p Borderlands 3 - 37.032160p Borderlands 3 - 19.29 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint puts you in the boots of the Ghosts, an Elite US Special Operations Unit stranded behind enemy lines. This time there is no briefing. All contact has been lost with Auroa. This archipelago is home to Skell Technology, a high-tech company. You are sent there with your unit for a recon mission, but your helicopters are shot down: Skell Tech has fallen into the wrong hands. The Wolves, a lethal ex-US military unit gone rogue, have taken over the island. Led by your ex-brother-in-arms, Colonel Cole D. Walker, they have reprogrammed Skell’s drones into killing machines and are ready to use them, no matter the casualties. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a military shooter set in a diverse, hostile, and mysterious open world that you can play entirely solo or in four-player co-op. Injured, without support, and hunted down by ex-Ghosts, you must fight to survive while lost in Auroa. Choose the right alliances and decide how to take down your toughest enemy. Available now on UPLAY. Ghost Recon: Breakpoint 1080p Breakpoint - 651440p Breakpoint - 462160p Breakpoint - 24 Power Consumption Temperatures Acoustics This is not a high-end overclocking graphics card, it just doesn't have the power delivery for it at all. That's fine though, as we can still squeeze a bit of extra performance from it. The boost clock pushed from 1845 MHz to a much more impressive 2045 MHz. However, as we've seen with other cards of this chipset, the memory has a hard limit of 1860 MHz. The modest overclock was enough to take the 3DMark score from 3536 and push it up to 3750 points. At 74.48 FPS, Wildlands was already running great at 1080p, but the OC took that average to around 78 FPS overall. Stock Overclocked FireStrike Ultra Ghost Recon Wildlands How Much Does It Cost? AMD is already cutting it fine when it comes to price with this one. Nvidia is in a very strong position to counter them on price and they have been doing so. The issue is, MSI has stuck a very fancy cooler on this card, and that means lots of expensive materials and manufacturing. The end result is a card that's about £30-60 more expensive than it needs to be. Don't get me wrong, you're getting what you pay for in build quality, and that's fine. However, you can get the same performance for a little less money or a little more performance for the same money. Right now, it's £243.99 in the UK or $219.99 in the US. Overview When it boils down to it, there's really NOTHING wrong with this card. I'd even argue that is the best Radeon RX 5500 XT we'll ever see. However, just how much do you have to try to push the lowered end model up rather than just give it enough of a fancy cooler to get the job done? The Sapphire card had an OK cooler and half the RAM, but outside of the 4K tests, it made little to no difference, which is a shame. Performance The figures are good on this card though, and hitting around 90 FPS at 1080p is great, and we are shouting around 60 even at 1440p on many games too. A few of the more demanding games may need you to adjust settings, but for a £200 (ish) card, that's expected at higher resolutions. The GTX 1660 Ti will perform better for the same money though. Which raises an interesting question, as I know a lot of people who wouldn't touch Nvidia if their life depended on it. I know a lot of people who wouldn't touch AMD if their life depended on it. Either way, there are loyalists out there, and this is the best AMD card in this price range right now. So it depends on how you want to look at it. Should I Buy One? Are you going to enjoy Borderlands 3 any less at 1080p when it's sitting at 60 FPS and you have VSync on this card vs the Nvidia card? I doubt it. Buy what makes you happy I say, but don't overspend if you don't need to either. The 1660 Ti is simply faster for the same money, and there are equally fast cards for less money. MSI may have made the best performing, the best looking, and the best made RX 5500 XT the market will ever see, but I'm not entirely sure who's going to buy it.