Red devil amd radeon rx 6900 xt ultimate Review: Overclocking|MHz | Power Supply

Powercolor red devil amd radeon rx 6900 xt ultimate review: The Ultimate Radeon RX 6900 XT. Review and testing of the PowerColor Red Devil Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate video card 16GB GDDR6 (AXRX 6900XTU 16GBD6-3DHE/OC)

Last year, AMD pleased us with a powerful response to the announcement of NVIDIA Ampere graphics cards, introducing top models based on the RDNA2 architecture. In our reviews, we managed to look at different versions of the Radeon RX 6800 XT and Radeon RX 6800. Now it’s time for a detailed acquaintance with the Radeon RX 6900 XT. The situation on the market itself contributes to this, because after a period of wild shortages, older video cards begin to return to the market. In this review, we will take a look at the top-end version of the Radeon RX 6900 XT from PowerColor, which combines powerful cooling with increased frequency characteristics and ultimate performance.

First, let’s briefly recall the main characteristics of the Radeon RX 6900 XT. This is the older model based on the Navi 21 GPU with all 80 Compute Units active. As a result, the Radeon RX 6900 XT operates with 5120 stream processors, 320 texture units and 128 ROPs. 80 Ray Accelerators provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing.

The operating frequencies of the Radeon RX 6900 XT are identical to those of the Radeon RX 6800 XT. For Boost frequencies, two parameters are declared: Game Clock at 2015 MHz and Boost Clock at 2250 MHz. The processor has a large 128MB Infinity Cash L3 cache. The video buffer is packed with 16 gigabytes of GDDR6 memory with an effective frequency of 16 GHz on a 256-bit bus. The big plus of the top-end model is the power at the level of 300 W, which does not differ from the Radeon RX 6800 XT. And based on the results of the tests, we will see

Red devil amd radeon rx 6900 xt ultimate Review: Specification

Now let’s talk about the PowerColor video card.

PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate 16GB GDDR6 (AXRX 6900XTU 16GBD6-3DHE/OC)

In our hands was a model that belongs to the top Red Devil series, and Ultimate in the name hints at maximum performance and high factory overclocking.

This product comes in a large box with a wide range of accessories.

A separate envelope contains instructions and product cards with a QR code for registration and participation in the contest for the best photo with a PowerColor Red Devil video card. There is an adapter cable for connecting the backlight to the motherboard.

The manufacturer not only took care of a support for a heavy video card, but even provided for the possibility of different configuration of such a support. When installing inside a conventional enclosure, you will need a version with an adjustable support, where you can change the position of the rubber-coated support “lug”. If necessary, the support can be increased with a second block.

Before us is a large video card with a length of 32 cm, which has become the standard for top models from AMD and NVIDIA. The weight is 1.6 kg, which is a bit against the background of some 1.9 kg GeForce RTX.

The video card occupies three slots, the thickness of the device is 62 mm. The massive heatsink is covered with a metal casing with three fans.

The reverse side is covered with a backplate.

The plate features an illuminated Red Devil logo. Slots are provided on the side, where there is no board, to reduce resistance to air flow inside the case. Power is connected to three eight-pin connectors.

The BIOS switch is located in the opposite corner. The video card has two firmwares with different frequencies and different fan speeds – OC and Silent modes. By default, the OC production mode is enabled, and we will consider it as the main one.

Even on visual inspection, the cooling system looks very solid thanks to the massive radiator.

As befits a top-end product, the PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate is equipped with RGB lighting. Backlit panels and logo create a bright red illumination inside the case.

The Devil Zone RGB app allows you to change the glow mode. To control the backlight and synchronize it with the motherboard, a connection via an additional cable is provided.

The rear panel displays three DisplayPort and one HDMI. Additional illumination of the connectors makes it easy to connect when you need to crawl under a table to plug in a cable.

PowerColor uses a single heat sink for all elements. Large contact pads are provided for contact with power supply transistors and chokes.

The large base removes heat from the GPU and memory chips. It is worth noting the high quality of processing and the flat surface of this base and all areas on the radiator.

Five heatpipes provide heat distribution across the two plate sections. On top of the heatsink is a thin mounting frame to which three fans are screwed.

The diameter of the impeller of the side fans approaches the full 100 mm, while the central one does not exceed 90 mm. They have large blades, but in general they do without any unique structural elements such as an outer ring, etc.

PowerColor engineers took a basic reference design as a basis and reinforced the power system.

If the standard Radeon RX 6900 XT has 16 power phases, then PowerColor Red Devil has 19 (16 on the GPU).

The Navi 21 processor powers all 5120 stream processors for maximum computing power.

Samsung K4ZAF325BM-HC16 memory microcircuits are soldered, the video buffer volume is 16 gigabytes.

PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate runs at higher frequencies. The base frequency was increased from 1825 to 2050 MHz, the Game Clock was increased from 2015 to 2235 MHz, and the Boost Clock from 2250 to 2425 MHz. The data exchange rate of GDDR6 memory is at the standard level of 16000 MHz.

The specified characteristics correspond to the OC mode. The maximum Boost point is 2600 MHz. Real frequencies in games are closer to the 2350-2420 MHz range. The 3DMark Time Spy stress test warmed the video card up to 73 ° C at a fan speed of up to 1870 rpm, the Godfall long-term load with tracing warmed up to 74 ° C at a fan speed of 1800 rpm. Testing conducted in an open enclosure at 26 ° C indoor.

These are excellent thermal and noise characteristics for a top-end factory-overclocked video card, especially against the backdrop of the hot GeForce RTX 3080 Ti from NVIDIA. However, the temperature of the hottest point of the Hot Spot crystal is almost 20 ° C higher.

Switching to Silent firmware lowers Game Clock to 2135 MHz and Boost Clock to 2335 MHz.

In the 3DMark Time Spy stress test, the fan speed dropped to 1560 rpm with an increase in operating temperature by one degree. Changes in the dynamics of frequencies are barely noticeable, but the results in 3DMark tests are lower by 1.7%.

The initial frequencies of PowerColor Red Devil Ultimate are at the same level as the overclocked AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT of the reference design showed. Additional overclocking allows you to squeeze even more. To do this, we exclusively used the software tools available in the GPU settings menu in the standard AMD software suite. Our final settings configuration is reflected below.

2120 MHz base clock with 2400 MHz Game Clock and Boost up to 2680 MHz. It was not possible to raise the memory frequency above 2180 (17440) MHz, high frequencies led to a drop in results or rare image artifacts. In general, this is standard behavior and many RX 6800 series graphics cards are unstable at 17600 MHz memory frequencies. Power Limit increased to maximum, fan speed increased for better cooling.

The average Boost in games has grown to 2440-2500 MHz. With our settings, the fan speed was kept within 2800 RPM at GPU temperatures up to 75 ° C.

Increasing frequencies leads to a serious increase in heat generation. To maintain acoustic comfort, you will have to carefully select a frequency configuration that will only slightly exceed the factory settings.

Characteristics of the tested video cards

PowerColor graphics card tested at factory frequencies (OC mode) and overclocked. Additionally, tests were carried out with lower frequencies to standard values ​​in order to assess the initial advantage of Red Devil – settings were selected that provided average Boost frequencies of about 2300 MHz, which is close to the reference video cards or slightly higher.

Let’s compare PowerColor with AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, GeForce RTX 3090 (ASUS TUF-RTX3090-O24G-GAMING with corrected frequencies) and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3080TI-O12G-GAMING) with reduced frequencies). Of NVIDIA’s competitors, only the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti was tested in overclocking, which is closer to the AMD flagship at a price.

The graphics for the GeForce show the full frequency range from base to peak. For Radeon, the range is from Game Clock to the maximum Boost value.

Test stand

The test bench configuration is as follows:

• processor: Intel Core i9-9900K;
• cooling system: be quiet! Silent Loop 280mm;
• motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula;
• память: Kingston HyperX HX434C16FB3K2/32 (DDR4-3466@3600);
• system disk: Kingston SSDNow UV400 480GB;
• additional disk number 1: Kingston A2000 NVMe PCIe 1000GB;
• additional disk number 2: Kingston KC2000 NVMe PCIe 1000GB;
• case: Antec NX800;
• power supply: Antec HCG850 Gold;
• monitor: ASUS PB278Q (2560×1440, 27 ″);
• operating system: Windows 10 Pro x64;
• driver AMD Radeon Adrenalin Edition 21.7.1 / 21.6.1
• driver NVIDIA GeForce 466.77.

The tests were carried out in 3840×2160 resolution according to the described method. Added Godfall to the list of test games.

Test results

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

AMD graphics provide the best results in Valhalla. The Radeon RX 6900 XT shows an unattainable result for NVIDIA rivals.

Cyberpunk 2077

The regular version of the Radeon RX 6900 XT demonstrates an advantage over the Radeon RX 6800 XT of up to 13%, slightly inferior to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. But PowerColor confidently competes with the opponent, losing to him only in overclocking. But the overall results are below the acceptable level, so for 4K on AMD cards you will have to lower the graphics settings.

Days Gone

In this game, the best fps is provided by video cards from the green camp.

Godfall

With active ray tracing, the Radeon RX 6900 XT is slightly inferior to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. PowerColor stands up to the competition more confidently due to the increased frequencies.

Enabling AMD FSR technology in Ultra Quality mode allows the simple version of the Radeon RX 6900 XT to achieve an advantage over the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The Red Devil video card at the initial frequencies is 5% faster than the opponent in average fps, overclocking increases the gap.

Horizon Zero Dawn

PowerColor is 4% faster than the regular version of the Radeon RX 6900 XT, which allows it to demonstrate the results of the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The gain from overclocking is at a modest level of 4%.

Mafia: Definitive Edition

NVIDIA representatives demonstrate the best results, but the PowerColor lag is not critical – the video card allows you to play comfortably in 4K.

Necromunda: Hired Gun

Tests were performed in DirectX 11, as the old API allows for better performance in the game.

The Radeon RX 6900 XT beats the Radeon RX 6800 XT by an impressive 17-19%. Such a large gap may be due to the newer PowerColor driver. At the same time, the video card still falls short of the level of NVIDIA rivals.

Outriders

GeForce RTX is ahead again. The Radeon RX 6900 XT has decent results, but it lags far behind the competition. The difference with the Radeon RX 6800 XT in this game is negligible.

Red Dead Redemption 2

AMD reference models differ by 8%. PowerColor brings the lead over the Radeon RX 6800 XT to 12%, overtaking the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. Overclocking speeds up the review hero by 5% in average frame rate, the minimum overclocking indicators react poorly.

Resident Evil Village

An unexpectedly large gap between AMD solutions. At an average frame rate, the Radeon RX 6800 XT is 19% faster than the younger model, at a minimum fps, the difference is 10%. Taking into account the larger number of blocks and a certain difference in real frequencies, the new driver could also provide some acceleration. The AMD flagship confidently outperforms all NVIDIA models.

With ray tracing, the situation is changing, and the Radeon RX 6900 XT turns out to be weaker than the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Initially, we see a slight lag between the Radeon RX 6900 XT and NVIDIA’s rivals, but it can only be compensated for by increasing the frequencies to the maximum. The overall results are quite good, all video cards allow you to play comfortably at maximum graphics settings.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint

In the current version of the game, there is unstable ragged performance from AMD, which was not previously the case. As a result, it turns out that having an advantage in performance, the Radeon RX 6900 XT loses 1% low to its competitors NVIDIA. In general, AMD’s potential is clearly higher, and all problems will be fixed as the drivers are updated.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

Little difference between Radeon RX 6900 XT and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and GeForce RTX 3090 at the initial frequencies. In overclocking, PowerColor is inferior to its forced rival NVIDIA.

Watch Dogs: Legion

The regular version of the GeForce RTX 3090 is slightly inferior to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, and the PowerColor Red Devil is on a par with its rival. Additional acceleration speeds up by 5%.

3DMark

The PowerColor Radeon RX 6900 XT is the best in the Timer Spy benchmark.

In the trace test, the AMD flagship loses to its competitors NVIDIA.

Energy consumption

Below are the results of the total system power consumption in game mode.

Factory overclocked PowerColor is more economical than NVIDIA solutions. At lower frequencies, the video adapter consumes even less than the Radeon RX 6800 XT as an analogue of the reference. And the large spread between the extreme values ​​in frequencies shows how high their influence on the power of the device is. The high performance of our GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is associated with the characteristics of a particular instance. But this does not change the general trend, where the Radeon RX 6900 XT is the most energy efficient device among the flagship models.

conclusions

Let’s summarize first. The Radeon RX 6900 XT demonstrates a 10-13% advantage over the Radeon RX 6800 XT. In some games, the difference between video cards is higher, but we did not compare fair references, but brought the Radeon RX 6900 XT to the desired frequencies. In some games, the partners showed close frequencies, but in others, the Radeon RX 6900 XT showed the best Boost.

Therefore, it is necessary to make a reservation that the advantage of the older model depends on the factory characteristics of each particular instance. It should be noted that the overclocked Radeon RX 6800 XT is in any case weaker than the Radeon RX 6900 XT with the recommended frequencies. The flagship AMD, with any reservations, remains the most powerful graphics accelerator based on GPU Navi 21. Compared to competitors from NVIDIA, then in most games the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and GeForce RTX 3090 perform better. But often we are talking about a small advantage that can be compensated for by overclocking. Add to this the lower cost and you have an optimal solution in the top price segment.

The PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate is a great buy option if you’re looking to get an older AMD graphics card. It is the perfect combination of high factory overclocking and powerful cooling. PowerColor Red Devil will initially provide a few extra percent of the performance, which makes the video card closer to the older NVIDIA models.

At the same time, the cooler maintains normal operating temperatures at low fan speeds and a comfortable noise level. This is especially impressive when compared to the recently reviewed ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3080TI-O12G-GAMING graphics card, which is hotter, noisier and uses more power. In the top segment, we constantly talk about the need for compromises when you have to put up with some shortcomings, in particular, with noise. But in the case of the PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate, you are free from such compromises, which is very nice.

Even if you are extremely demanding on noise, it is enough to switch the video card to the second BIOS in Silent mode. PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate confidently claims to be one of the best video cards in the top segment, possessing an excellent combination of consumer characteristics, high performance and good potential for additional overclocking.

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