XFX 7800 XT & 7900 XTX Magnetic Air Review

A Closer Look

So let me start by saying, we’re not going to be focussing on gaming performance too much because underneath, these are still 7800 XT and 7900 XTX models. They still feature the same core counts and the same amount of memory that you’d expect from a 7800 XT or 7900 XTX.

There are some differences with the clock speeds and that comes down to the models because XFX don’t just release one SKU of each model, but instead have the likes of a reference card, or one with a better cooler, and not forgetting, their black edition cards.

So let’s talk about the models because we have a 7800 XT and 7900 XTX here today and they’re available in black or white for the 7800 XT, white for the 7900 GRE which we don’t have here and black only for the 7900 XTX, and while it would have been nice to see a white model, we instead have have the black models here today.

The 7800 XT comes in with a game clock of 2124MHz and a boost clock of 2430MHz, and comes with a TGP of 212 Watts, while the 7900 XTX comes in with a game clock of 2455MHz and a boost clock of 2615MHz and a TGP of 327 Watts meaning that the 7800 XT matches the specs of the Core Edition, while the 7900 XTX comes in identically to the Black Edition. Though we don’t have one here, in terms of the GRE, that will come in with a game clock of 2052MHz, a boost clock of 2395MHz and a TGP of 244 Watts.

Now specs aside, these GPUs have a massive trick up their sleeve and the clue is in the name. Magnetic Air. What we essentially have is a tool-less set of fans, with no screws, which easily allows you to quickly swap over the fans. What this means is that cleaning or even replacing the fans is a breeze. Simply remove the fan or fans, give them a dust off and slap them back in and it’s amazing how quickly they connect and start spinning up again.

Each fan has a strong magnet that means that placement allows the fan to drop into place easily and with the 4 pins and contact plate that spans the whole structure, you can almost throw the fan in and off it goes. 

Now after speaking to XFX, they have advised, from a health and safety standpoint to turn the system off, but it does look pretty cool slapping the fans in while it’s going and seeing how quickly it picks up the contact and starts operating but XFX nor eTeknix will accept any responsibilities for damaged fingertips and you may also break a fan blade.

Also, it’s unclear at this time as to if you’ll be able to buy the 11 bladed fans separately or if it’s more for pure warranty purposes if one dies in action and you need to replace it, but in theory, at least from a cost perspective, this is a game changer, as you can just replace the individual broken fan without the need for sending your card off for repair and I honestly think this could be the future, though XFX do have a patent on the design, so I wouldn’t expect to see anything remotely similar from other brands any time soon.

What’s also cool is thinking about the possibilities of customised colour fans to make the GPU unique in your own way, and I know that this is something that XFX are potentially looking at for the future.

In terms of the fans, the 7800 XT and 7900 GRE feature 2 x 100mm fans and a single 90mm fan, while the 7900 XTX features 3 x 100mm fans, all with 11 blades and a double ball bearing design.

Speaking of design, I won’t lie, the cards are big taking up 3.5 slots inside your case and they feature a pretty typical black and red design on both the shroud and the fans, while the white is much simpler with an all white design across the shroud and the fans.

Branding wise, it’s quite simple and not too in your face. Even the fans just have a simple X off to one side of the middle of the fan along with a nicely lit XFX logo on the top of the shroud and a stealth Radeon logo stemming from the backplate which wraps around, and this is the area you’re more likely to see if you’re mounting the cards in their typical horizontal orientation anyway.

In terms of the backplate, the 7900 XTX is typical XFX with an industrious ridged design that covers the complete PCB with some small ventilation slits and a larger cut-out towards the end of the card for exhausting air and this gives our first glimpse of the large heatsink.

The 7800 XT is slightly different in design, but being a lower-end card won’t require as much surface area, though it does still take up the full length of the card, and actually has a lot more ventilation, but follows the same design philosophies as its bigger brother.

In terms of size, the 7800 XT comes in at 337mm x 132mmmm x 59mm and weighs in at 1440 grams.

While the 7900 XTX comes in at 346mm x 132mm x 68mm and weighs in at 2145 grams.

For power delivery, the 7800 XT gets its power from 2×8-pin power connectors. While the beefier 7900 XTX is powered by 3×8-pin power connectors so nothing too out of the ordinary but enough power to allow the cards to hit their rated boost speeds.

Now when it comes to cooling, XFX don’t mess around and that’s clear to see from the large heatsink which spans the full length of the PCB and then some as they actually extend beyond the length of the PCB which should aid in cooling.

Speaking of cooling, the 7800 XT features a nickel plated copper surface, so nothing too out of the ordinary whereas the 7900 XTX features a nickel plated copper vapour chamber design which makes direct contact with both the GPU core and the memory modules.

For the VRM circuitry, XFX have strategically placed various thermal pads to make the best contact with the phases for the very best cooling performance.

On top of this, XFX have also switched the thermal paste that they use to Honeywell PTM7950 which according to their own R&D is more efficient and longer lasting, so you get a sense that XFX really want to push the longevity of their cards from the thermal paste, right down to the Magnetic Air design for the fans.

So with the rundown on the cards done, let’s see how they perform.