In the world of computer graphics, the advent of a new player can stir a significant buzz. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, which first made waves under the moniker Golden Rabbit Edition, has officially hit the consumer market as of late February. With a starting price of 580 euros, it brings a fresh conversation to the table for enthusiasts and gamers considering an upgrade solely based on performance capabilities.
This graphics card, initially assessed in August 2023, was a hidden gem that has now become readily available in mainstream retail, circumventing the obstacles once involved in its acquisition. As it enters its second spring, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE presents itself as not just an exciting option for potential users, but as a subject of comprehensive analysis. This includes discussions on its architectural features, benchmarks, noise levels, power consumption, efficiency, and the cost-to-performance ratio with a specific focus on the benefits it brings to frames per second (fps) in gaming upgrades.
Essential Upgrade Considerations
When examining graphics card benchmarks, highly potent processors are leveraged to ensure even the most advanced cards are fully utilized. The test platform, a finely-tuned Z790 system powered by an overclocked Core i9-13900KS at 5.7 GHz, maximizes the performance of these GPUs. Therefore, when interpreting the following benchmarks, remember that actual frame rates may differ on less powerful CPUs. Upcoming issues will cover an extensive range of GPU and CPU pairings for a comprehensive comparison.
Recognizing performance gains is key when upgrading components. An increase of 50% or more in performance is considered significant and easily noticeable. While improvements in the 30-50% range are moderate, upgrading for performance alone may not always be justified; other aspects, such as noise levels, should influence the decision. For a boost of less than 30%, carefully weigh the decision against various factors, including cost.
- Performance Gains:
- Over 50%: Significant; should clearly enhance user experience.
- 30-50%: Moderate; consider other influences before upgrading.
- Below 30%: Insufficient for performance-based upgrade alone; examine additional factors and pricing.
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Gaming Without Ray Tracing (Image Rendering)
In assessing a compilation of 20 video games, an emphasis is placed on non-ray tracing visual fidelity. Titles like ‘Starfield,’ ‘Baldur’s Gate 3,’ ‘Alan Wake 2,’ along with ‘Jagged Alliance 3’ and ‘Sons of the Forest’ are part of this assessment. A performance index consolidates resolutions tested at an equal weight of 25 percent each. This index normalizes the frame rates to ensure that all numbers, irrespective of magnitude, carry equal influence in the final evaluation.
The benchmarks highlight the Radeon RX 7900 GRE graphics card, which, while not topping the index, serves as a considerable option for upgrading. For easy comparison, two additional graphics units, the RX 6800 XT and the RTX 2080 Ti, symbolizing the RTX 2000 series, are pre-selected in the forum for their popularity. Users have the option to hover over and select their current graphics card to calculate the performance increase when upgrading to the RX 7900 GRE.
- Performance Index Overview:
- Starfield
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Alan Wake 2
- Jagged Alliance 3
- Sons of the Forest
- Graphics Cards Highlighted:
- Radeon RX 7900 GRE
- Radeon RX 6800 XT
- RTX 2080 Ti
Users can interactively explore potential enhancements to their gaming experience by considering different GPU options. This serves as a tool for informed decision-making regarding hardware upgrades.
Graphics Card Rasterization Analysis 2024: Enhanced 7900 GRE Performance
| Graphics Card | Relative Performance Index |
|---|---|
| Overall | |
| 7900 GRE | 100 |
| 6800 XT | 88 |
| RTX 2080 Ti | 49 |
| Full HD | |
| 7900 GRE | 100 |
| 6800 XT | 89 |
| RTX 2080 Ti | 48 |
| Wide Quad HD | |
| 7900 GRE | 100 |
| 6800 XT | Between 88-100 |
| RTX 2080 Ti | Between 49-53 |
| Ultra-Wide Quad HD | |
| 7900 GRE | 100 |
| 6800 XT | Between 88-100 |
| RTX 2080 Ti | Between 49-53 |
| Ultra HD | |
| 7900 GRE | 100 |
| 6800 XT | 89 |
| RTX 2080 Ti | 53 |
In the competitive landscape of GPU performance in 2024, the 7900 GRE showcases impressive strides in rasterization over its predecessors. In raw rasterizing throughput against earlier models, the card exceeds the 6800 XT by approximately 12% and leaves the RTX 2080 Ti trailing by over 50%.
When analyzing performance at Full HD resolution, the 7900 GRE maintains its lead with an 11% increase over the 6800 XT and outpaces the RTX 2080 Ti by 52%. The more demanding Ultra HD resolution slightly narrows performance gains, with the 7900 GRE still showing an 11% improvement over the 6800 XT and a 47% boost compared to the RTX 2080 Ti. The intermediary resolutions, WQHD and UWQHD, yield performance margins that fall within these ranges.
These results are particularly striking when compared to older and less powerful GPUs, where the performance differentials are even more significant, solidifying the 7900 GRE’s position at the forefront of current GPU offerings.
Ray-Tracing Games Overview
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Alan Wake 2
- Hogwarts Legacy
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Next-Gen
A performance index was developed to evaluate ray tracing in ten games, assessing the impact of this advanced graphical feature. Benchmarks across four resolution settings contribute equally to the final performance score, ensuring a balanced comparison. The frame rates are normalized to ascribe equal importance to all numbers, regardless of magnitude. This provides a comprehensive look at the graphics capabilities of modern titles with ray tracing enabled.
Enhanced Raytracing Capabilities in 2024’s GPUs
The latest graphics cards from leading manufacturers come with significant advancements in raytracing, a technology that simulates the physical behavior of light to bring real-time, cinematic-quality rendering to video games and other visual media.
Key Takeaways:
- The Radeon RX 7900 GRE shows a 17% improvement in raytracing performance over the RX 6800 XT and fares better than the RTX 2080 Ti by 18% on average.
- At Full HD resolution in raytracing-enabled games, the RX 7900 GRE continues to maintain a 17% lead over both the RX 6800 XT and RTX 2080 Ti.
- When scaling up to Ultra HD, the RX 7900 GRE overtakes the RX 6800 XT by 14% and holds a more notable lead over the RTX 2080 Ti, at a margin of 22%.
- Intermediate resolutions such as WQHD and UWQHD display incremental performance differences.
- Without raytracing, the 7900 GRE still outperforms previous generation cards, with an 11% increase over the RX 6800 XT and an impressive 52% over the RTX 2080 Ti at Full HD.
The table below reflects these comparisons in more detail:
| Game Resolution | Improvement of 7900 GRE Over 6800 XT | Improvement of 7900 GRE Over RTX 2080 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Full HD | +17% (with RT) / +11% (without RT) | +17% (with RT) / +52% (without RT) |
| WQHD | +18% (with RT) / +13% (without RT) | +17% (with RT) / +53% (without RT) |
| UWQHD | +18% (with RT) / +14% (without RT) | +20% (with RT) / +54% (without RT) |
| Ultra HD | +14% (with RT) / +10% (without RT) | +22% (with RT) / +47% (without RT) |
It is evident that enhancements in raytracing capabilities are most prominent when contrasting the performance gains of the RX 7900 GRE against older and slower GPUs. This performance gap is attributed to the heavy graphical demand placed by raytracing operations. Products in this category are measured using full raytracing details coupled with quality upsampling techniques like Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) and are analyzed with contemporary software and driver specifications under Windows 11 x64. Their performance metrics are relative and best understood by looking at the indexes provided.
Graphics cards like the Geforce RTX 3080 come with a core frequency of approximately 1.89 GHz, a memory speed of 19 Giga Transfers per second (GT/s), and are equipped with 10GB of video memory. In contrast, the Geforce RTX 3050 is available in both 8GB and 6GB models, with the same core frequency but slower memory speeds at 14 GT/s. The Radeon RX 6500 XT stands out with its higher frequency of about 2.86 GHz and memory speed of 18 GT/s, bundled with 8GB of video memory.
Evaluation of Upgrading to GRE Graphics Cards
After analyzing approximately 250 tests per card, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE closely matches the performance of the GeForce RTX 4070 Super. Both cards offer a 16% improvement over the GeForce RTX 4070 and about an 8% lead over the Radeon RX 7800 XT. For those with older models like the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 3070, or Radeon RX 6750 XT, these cards suggest a potential 50% increase in performance, at least for traditional rasterization games. Users upgrading from even older models such as the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, RTX 2070 Super, or Radeon RX 5700 XT can expect up to double the performance.
When comparing reference cards, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE outperforms the Radeon RX 7800 XT by 9%, with slightly higher power consumption but improved efficiency. This is attributed to AMD’s use of a scaled-down, lower clocked Navi-31 package, as opposed to the Navi 32 with fewer compute units used in the RX 7800 XT. Nvidia’s response in the form of the GeForce RTX 4070 Super stands out in terms of ray tracing and power efficiency.
- Performance Boost:
- Radeon RX 7900 GRE vs. GeForce RTX 4070 Super: Comparable
- Upgrade from RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 3070, RX 6750 XT: ~50% increase
- Upgrade from GTX 1080 Ti, RTX 2070 Super, RX 5700 XT: ~100% increase
- Radeon RX 7900 GRE vs. RX 7800 XT:
- Performance increase: 9%
- Power Efficiency: Improved with Navi-31
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super:
- Ray tracing: Superior
- Power efficiency: Notable
