AMD Radeon RX 5700 and 5700 XT Evaluation: Are They Tremendous Sufficient?
Dan Baker/Digital Tendencies
Ryzen processors have given AMD all of the weapons it wanted to wage its underdog battle towards Intel. However AMD fights its warfare on two fronts, and within the graphics division, the corporate hasn’t picked up practically as a lot momentum up to now couple of years.
With the Radeon RX 5700 and 5700 XT, AMD hopes to alter all that. Armed with a brand new graphics structure, these Radeon playing cards have their eyes set on Nvidia’s RTX 2060 and RTX 2070. With the brand new “Tremendous” variations of these playing cards, although, can the RX 5700 and 5700 XT nonetheless make the robust displaying AMD wants?
Making a dent available in the market
The Radeon VII had its strengths, nevertheless it wasn’t the ability transfer AMD wanted to match absolutely the brawn of the RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti. Greater than that, it didn’t undercut the value of the RTX 2080 by any vital quantity.
AMD hopes to take a extra aggressive method with the Radeon RX 5700 and 5700 XT. These are the primary playing cards within the new RDNA graphics structure. Extra importantly, these playing cards are AMD’s effort to undercut Nvidia in value and over-deliver in energy throughout mid-range value factors.
Anticipating the impression of Nvidia’s RTX Tremendous playing cards, AMD countered with a value drop, even earlier than the playing cards truly dropped. The RX 5700 XT obtained a $50 value lower from its preliminary announcement value, coming right down to $399. That’s a full $100 beneath the RTX 2070 Tremendous. The RX 5700 was lower by an extra $20, bringing it right down to $349, which is now $50 lower than the RTX 2060 Tremendous.
There’s loads to say concerning the value drop, nevertheless it clearly locations the RX 5700 XT in a unique class than the RTX 2070 Tremendous. As you’ll see within the efficiency outcomes later, this was seemingly AMD’s solely alternative.
With all of the last-minute value shuffling within the combine, right here’s how the excessive finish of AMD’s graphics card lineup now stacks up:
Radeon VII
Radeon RX 5700 XT
Radeon RX 5700
Radeon Vega 64
Radeon Vega 56
Structure
GCN fifth gen
RDNA
RDNA
GCN fifth gen
GCN fifth gen
Compute items
60
40
36
64
56
Base clock
1,400MHz
1,605MHz
1,465MHz
1,247MHz
1,156MHz
Sport clock
n/a
1,755MHz
1,625MHz
n/a
n/a
Enhance clock
1,750MHz
1,905MHz
1,725MHz
1,546MHz
1,471MHz
Reminiscence
16GB HMB2
8GB GDDR6
8GB GDDR6
8GB HMB2
8GB GDDR6
Bandwidth
616 GBps
448GBps
448GBps
483GBps
448GBps
TDP
300w
225w
180w
295w
185w
Value
$699
$399
$349
$499
$399
From the specs alone, you may be a bit confused as to how AMD intends to differentiate every of those playing cards from one another. Making an attempt to know the distinction between the Radeon VII and the Radeon RX 5700 XT isn’t as easy accurately.
As for the bodily design of the playing cards themselves, they’ve a primary, minimal aesthetic. They’re nothing particular. If something, the RX 5700’s gray plastic seems to be a bit drab, even in comparison with earlier designs just like the Vega 64 or Vega 56. The RX 5700 XT’s “dent” in the midst of the shroud is actually head-turning, however maybe not for the explanation AMD would possibly need.
Much like its predecessors, the RX 5000-series playing cards are blower-style designs, with a single fan in comparison with the three on the Radeon VII. Whereas it’s not fairly as loud as that card, AMD’s latest are nonetheless louder than their rivals.
Connectivity on each playing cards is restricted to DisplayPort 1.four and HDMI. Although fairly a big energy requirement differentiates them, each playing cards use a six-pin energy connector. That’s totally different from Nvidia’s new RTX 2060 Tremendous, which makes use of a four-pin connector and consists of each a USB-C port and even an old-school VGA port. AMD retains it easy.
Can they recreation?
Let’s get into the actual promise of those new playing cards. Energy and worth. When AMD was first pitching its new RX 5000-series, its rivals had been the RTX 2070 and RTX 2060. However as of this week, these playing cards have been changed by newer, extra highly effective Nvidia playing cards, and now the targets have moved.
I examined all 5 of the next playing cards on the identical system, which included a six-core Intel Core i7-8086Okay processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB M.2 SSD. Right here’s how they lined up in our first check, 3DMark’s Time Spy.
This DirectX 12 benchmark confirmed me proper off the bat that AMD was in a little bit of hassle. The RTX 2060 Tremendous doesn’t simply beat the RX 5700, it’s even taking down the RX 5700 XT. The 5700 XT retains eight% between itself and the 5700, nevertheless it’s neck-and-neck with the Radeon VII.
Meaning AMD has two costly graphics playing cards, neither of which might surpass the RTX 2060 Tremendous. That’s not a superb signal. The RX 5700 XT is 20% cheaper than the RTX 2070 Tremendous and 11% slower. The RX 5700? It’s 15% lower than the RTX 2060 Tremendous and is 9% slower. However because of AMD’s last-minute value lower, the 5700 XT now competes extra straight with the RTX 2060 Tremendous. In that match-up, they’re neck-and-neck.
In case you examine two widespread choices from the earlier era of playing cards, the GTX 1080 and Vega 64, AMD was inside 2% of its rival on this benchmark. They had been each $499, however they lined up a bit extra intently when it comes to efficiency. On this era, AMD can’t compete on the high-end — however the center floor leaves some alternative for these playing cards to shine.
That’s only one benchmark, so let’s get to some video games.
Our first check recreation, and the one you’re most probably to play your self, is Fortnite. The RX 5700 and 5700 XT are each high-end playing cards, so that they each play the sport fantastically in 1080p and 1440p on the best graphics settings. These excessive framerates are excellent for 144Hz refresh charge displays, that are more and more widespread.
However once you have a look at the competitors, the image isn’t fairly as fairly. The RTX 2060 Tremendous beats the RX 5700 by 9%, whereas the RTX 2070 Tremendous’s lead on the RX 5700 XT is a little more substantial at 18%. In greater resolutions, the RTX 2060 Tremendous even begins to edge previous the 5700 XT.
The variations in efficiency between the RX 5700 XT and its rivals aren’t as noticeable in Civilization VI, at the least not in decrease resolutions. The highly effective CPU in our rig was doing many of the heavy lifting there. However not with the RX 5700. That little man delivers framerates a worrying 26% behind the RTX 2060 Tremendous. Civilization VI is one other instance of a preferred recreation the place the RTX 2060 Tremendous smashes the RX 5700.
Dan Baker/Digital Tendencies
Murderer’s Creed Odyssey is a tricky recreation for even essentially the most highly effective graphics playing cards to run nicely, and these AMD playing cards don’t change that. It’s practically unplayable at 4K with out reducing graphics settings, although they common over 60 FPS in 1080p on the maxed Extremely Excessive settings.
Comparatively, although, AMD is behind. In all of our runs throughout settings and resolutions, the RX 5700 is all the time a couple of FPS behind the RTX 2060 Tremendous. Right here, it’s the 5700 XT with the uphill climb, lagging behind the RTX 2070 Tremendous by as a lot as 14% in 1080p at most element.
As I famous in my overview of the RTX Tremendous playing cards, the one huge exception in all our outcomes is Battlefield V. It’s a recreation the Radeon VII excelled at, and these new playing cards are not any totally different. Even the RX 5700 hits a buttery easy 117 FPS (frames per second), a strong eight% over the RTX 2060 Tremendous. The 5700 XT simply barely slides in over the RTX 2070 Tremendous. As I moved greater up in decision, the AMD playing cards carried out admirably, with the 5700 XT averaging 60 FPS in 4K. The opposite playing cards can handle that feat too, however solely at medium element.
AMD nonetheless has so much to show
Whereas the $699 Radeon VII wasn’t shy about competing with the skyrocketing costs of Nvidia’s playing cards, the 5700 and 5700 XT really feel extra modest.
The RX 5700 XT undercuts the GeForce RTX 2070 Tremendous by $100, whereas the 5700 is now $50 cheaper than the GeForce RTX 2060 Tremendous. While you have a look at the efficiency variations, these costs make sense. The RX 5700 XT specifically sits in a superb place as a $400 graphics card, now competing straight with the RTX 2060 Tremendous. In that match-up, AMD’s card stands an opportunity. Nonetheless, within the majority of our check video games, the RTX 2060 Tremendous nonetheless edges previous the RX 5700 XT.
The true drawback for AMD is its lacking high-end competitor. Even setting ray tracing apart, proper now, Nvidia is probably going the extra compelling choice for many avid gamers. AMD has made spectacular strides on this era, nevertheless it nonetheless has work to do.
