Should You Choose Radeon VII or RTX 2080? Our Review Reveals the Truth

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Background: AMD's Radeon VII
3. Specifications and Features of Radeon VII
4. Comparison with Previous GPUs
5. Performance Benchmarks
6. Power Consumption and Thermal Performance
7. Value for Money Analysis
8. Overclocking and Stability Issues
9. Availability and Pricing
10. Conclusion

Introduction

In this article, we will be delving into AMD's latest offering for gamers, the Radeon VII. This graphics card has generated a lot of interest and expectation among the gaming community, as it promises significant improvements in performance and features. In the following sections, we will explore the specifications and features of the Radeon VII, compare it with previous AMD GPUs, analyze its performance in various benchmarks, discuss its power consumption and thermal performance, evaluate its value for money proposition, and address any overclocking and stability issues that users may face. We will also touch upon the availability and pricing of the Radeon VII, and provide a comprehensive conclusion based on our findings.

Background: AMD's Radeon VII

The Radeon VII is AMD's latest flagship graphics card, targeting gamers and content creators alike. It is based on the Radeon Instinct MI50, a compute product that has been repurposed for gaming. Initially announced at CES, the Radeon VII garnered mixed reactions among gamers, who were expecting AMD's new GPU architecture codenamed Navi. However, the Radeon VII is built on the GCN 5th generation architecture, similar to the Vega 56 and Vega 64 GPUs. Despite not being a completely new architecture, the Radeon VII boasts some impressive specifications and features that make it a worthy contender in the high-end GPU market.

Specifications and Features of Radeon VII

The Radeon VII features a gimped Vega 20 silicon, but this gimping does not have any Meaningful impact on gaming performance. It offers 3840 stream processors and 60 compute units, which is slightly fewer than the Vega 64 but with higher clock speeds. The most notable improvement is in its memory capacity, with a massive 16GB of VRAM and a 4096-bit wide memory bus, providing an impressive 1 terabyte per Second of memory bandwidth. These specifications, coupled with its 7-nanometer manufacturing process, allow the Radeon VII to deliver top-notch performance in gaming and content creation tasks.

Comparison with Previous GPUs

While the Radeon VII is a step up from the Vega 56 and Vega 64 GPUs, its performance falls slightly behind the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. In a series of benchmarks, the Radeon VII showed mixed results, with some games performing on par with the RTX 2080, while others lagged behind. However, it is worth noting that these results are based on AMD's unstable press drivers, which may have impacted the overall performance. Once stable drivers are released, it will be interesting to see how the Radeon VII stacks up against the RTX 2080 and other GPUs in a wider range of games and applications.

Performance Benchmarks

In our benchmark testing, we focused on a dozen popular titles at 1440p resolution, representing a wide range of Game genres. The Radeon VII performed admirably in some games, such as Battlefield 5 and Far Cry 5, where it matched or even outperformed the RTX 2080. However, it fell behind in titles like Monster Hunter World and Rainbow Six Siege, where it was only slightly faster than the RTX 2070. The overall performance of the Radeon VII was decent, but it failed to deliver the groundbreaking results that many gamers were hoping for. It is important to note that these benchmarks were conducted using AMD's unstable press drivers, so there may be room for improvement once stable drivers are available.

Power Consumption and Thermal Performance

One area where the Radeon VII lags behind is power consumption. Despite being based on a 7-nanometer manufacturing process, it consumes slightly more power than the Nvidia GTX 1080Ti, which uses a 16-nanometer process. This is a disappointing result for AMD, as it indicates that their GPUs are still not as efficient as their Nvidia counterparts. Another drawback is the operating temperature of the Radeon VII, which is relatively high even under normal load. The fans on the graphics card run at high speeds, resulting in a loud and noisy gaming experience. It is worth noting that replacing the thermal paste with a high-quality alternative can help in reducing the temperatures, but it may void the warranty.

Value for Money Analysis

In terms of value for money, the Radeon VII falls short when compared to its competitors. Priced at $700, it is on par with the RTX 2080, but fails to surpass its performance in most games. Moreover, it is significantly more expensive than the Vega 56 and Vega 64, but only offers marginal performance gains. The Radeon VII's cost per frame ratio is also higher than the RTX 2070, making it a less appealing option for budget-conscious gamers. While the large frame buffer and memory bandwidth are advantageous for content creators, they do not justify the price premium for gamers.

Overclocking and Stability Issues

During our testing, we encountered stability issues and crashes with the Radeon VII, using AMD's unstable press drivers. This is a concern as stable drivers are essential for delivering optimal performance and ensuring a smooth gaming experience. While we expect these issues to be resolved in future driver updates, it is worth noting that some users have also reported similar problems. Additionally, overclocking capabilities were limited due to the instability of the current drivers. Users interested in overclocking may need to wait for stable drivers before fully exploring the potential of the Radeon VII.

Availability and Pricing

Availability of the Radeon VII has been a challenge since its release. Retailers have reported limited stock, making it difficult for consumers to get their hands on this graphics card. This scarcity is compounded by the fact that custom versions from board partners may not be available due to low demand and production costs. The $700 price tag is also controversial, as it is similar to the RTX 2080 while offering slightly lower performance. It remains to be seen if prices will drop in the future, as manufacturing costs decrease and supply improves.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Radeon VII is a mixed bag. While it offers significant improvements over previous AMD GPUs, it falls short of delivering the groundbreaking performance that gamers were hoping for. Its performance in gaming benchmarks is decent, but it lags behind the RTX 2080 and does not justify its $700 price tag. Power consumption and thermal performance are also areas of concern, with the Radeon VII consuming more power than its Nvidia counterparts and running hot under load. Stability issues and limited availability further dampen the appeal of this graphics card. While the Radeon VII may find value in specific use cases, such as content creation, it remains a questionable choice for gamers seeking the best performance for their money.