AMD Radeon RX 480: A Blast from the Past vs 2021 Scalper Pandemic

AMD Radeon RX 480: A Blast from the Past vs 2021 Scalper Pandemic

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The 2021 Scalper Pandemic
3. The Rise of Cryptocurrency Mining
4. The Legacy of AMD's Polaris Architecture
5. The Radeon RX 480: A Blast from the Past
6. The Sapphire RX 480: A Unique Aesthetic
7. testing the RX 480 in Modern PC Builds
8. Gaming Performance: Valorent
9. Gaming Performance: Warzone
10. Gaming Performance: Fortnite
11. Gaming Performance: Valheim
12. Gaming Performance: Doom Eternal
13. Gaming Performance: Assassin's Creed Valhalla
14. Gaming Performance: Horizon Zero DAWN
15. Gaming Performance: Forza Horizon 4
16. Gaming Performance: Cyberpunk 2077
17. Benchmark Results: Time Spy
18. Conclusion

🔍 Introduction

In recent years, the world of PC gaming has experienced the emergence of a new phenomenon: the scalper pandemic. With the latest generation of Nvidia RTX cards being quickly snatched up by miners, it's become increasingly challenging for gamers to get their hands on high-performance graphics cards. But let's take a step back to the crypto boom of 2017 when a different set of cards took the spotlight. At that time, the graphics cards that stole the spotlight were based on AMD's Polaris architecture. One particular card that stood out was the Radeon RX 480. In this article, we'll explore whether this card has stood the test of time and how it performs in modern PC builds.

🦠 The 2021 Scalper Pandemic

The year 2021 has seen a surge in scalping, where supplies of the latest generation graphics cards, such as the Nvidia RTX cards, have been rapidly bought up by cryptocurrency miners. This has left the gaming community frustrated and struggling to find these highly sought-after cards at reasonable prices. The scalper pandemic has become a significant obstacle for gamers who want to upgrade their systems and enjoy the latest gaming experiences. But amidst this frenzy, let's delve into the past and revisit the graphics cards that caused a stir during the crypto boom of 2017.

💰 The Rise of Cryptocurrency Mining

During the crypto boom of 2017, miners were feverishly mining cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum. Graphics cards, which offered powerful computing capabilities, became an essential tool for these miners. The Radeon RX 480, based on AMD's Polaris architecture, became a popular choice due to its excellent price-to-performance ratio. However, these mining activities often led to a surplus of used cards flooding the market, causing the prices to plummet. This presented a unique opportunity for budget-conscious gamers to acquire high-performance cards at a fraction of their initial cost.

🔧 The Legacy of AMD's Polaris Architecture

The Radeon RX 480, sharing its architecture with the outgoing PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, packed a punch when it was released. With optional eight gigabytes of VRAM, it promised a smooth gaming experience even in demanding titles. Now, four years later, its price has stabilized, standing not far from where it was when it first hit the market. As someone who frequently builds and sells PCs, I've had the opportunity to work with many RX 470s and 480s over the years. In this article, I'll share my experiences with a particular variant of the RX 480: the Sapphire RX 480.

💎 The Sapphire RX 480: A Unique Aesthetic

When it comes to graphics card aesthetics, the Sapphire RX 480 is among my personal favorites. Its elegant design stands out among other graphics cards, and it's a sight to behold when installed in a PC build. In this article, I'll take you through my testing of this card in a modern yet modest PC build. We'll explore its gaming performance and see if it can still hold its own against newer, more powerful options. So, brace yourself for a visual treat as we dive into the benchmark results and gaming experience of the Sapphire RX 480.

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