Jesper Berg
As an AIB (add-in board) partner manufacturer for Nvidia and AMD, Asus typically releases ROG Strix and TUF models of high-end graphics cards from each generation. These are in turn offered in OC (factory overclocked) and non-OC varieties. The Radeon RX 7900 XTX launch lineup only consisted of a TUF-branded model, with ROG Strix varieties to be released at a later date.
Considering the card’s size and feature set, the Asus TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XTX OC is positioned between more affordable variants of the card such as the PowerColor Hellhound, and pricier cards like the Sapphire Nitro+ RX 7900 XTX.
Specifications
| Specifications | Asus TUF RX 7900 XTX Gaming OC | ASRock RX 7900 XTX Phantom Gaming OC | AMD RX 7900 XTX Reference Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPU | Navi 31 XTX | Navi 31 XTX | Navi 31 XTX |
| Shading Units | 6144 | 6144 | 6144 |
| GPU Clock: Base/Game/Boost | 1855 MHz / 2455 MHz / 2615 MHz | 1855 MHz / 2455 MHz / 2615 MHz | 1855 MHz / 2300 MHz / 2500 MHz |
| FP32 Theoretical Performance | 64.3 TFLOPS | 64.3 TFLOPS | 61.4 TFLOPS |
| Dual BIOS | Yes | No | No |
| Memory Configuration | 24 GB GDDR6 | 24 GB GDDR6 | 24 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Clock (Effective) | 2500 MHz (20 Gbps) | 2500 MHz (20 Gbps) | 2500 MHz (20 Gbps) |
| Memory Bandwidth (Bus Width) | 960 GB/s (384-bit) | 960 GB/s (384-bit) | 960 GB/s (384-bit) |
| Outputs | 2x HDMI 2.1a 3x DisplayPort 2.1 | 1x HDMI 2.1a 3x DisplayPort 2.1 | 1x HDMI 2.1a 2x DisplayPort 2.1 1x USB Type-C |
| TDP | 355 Watt | 355 Watt | 355 Watt |
| Recommended Power Supply | 850 Watt | 1000 Watt | 800 Watt |
| PCIe Power Connectors | 3x 8-pin | 3x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| Slots | 3.6-Slot | 3-Slot | 2.5-Slot |
| Dimensions (Length/Width/Height) | 353 mm (13.9 in) 158 mm (6.2 in) 73 mm (2.9 in) | 320 mm (12.6 in) 136 mm (5.4 in) 72 mm (2.8 in) | 287 mm (11.3 in) 110 mm (4.3 in) 51 mm (2 in) |
All cards based on the demanding AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX (Navi 21 XTX) GPU come with large coolers, but the Asus TUF model is one of the largest.
It occupies almost four full expansion slots and is actually bigger than both Sapphire’s and Gigabyte’s already-bulky Nitro+ and Aorus Elite models. It’s also slightly larger than the PowerColor Red Devil.
Like the aforementioned cards, the TUF Gaming OC is also equipped with triple 8-pin power connectors (compared to two on the reference model), but it’s clocked slightly lower than its more expensive counterparts.
To compensate for the higher clocks and potentially increased power draw, Asus has upped the power supply (PSU) recommendation to 850 W from the original 800 W. This applies to the entire system, but user overclocking could still push the extra power consumption above the extra 50 W implied by the PSU recommendation.
Cooling Solution
Asus’ TUF cooler design used for the TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XTX OC is used for multiple high-end AMD and Nvidia cards from this and previous-gen cards. The metal fan shroud and backplate along with the very large heatsink all contribute to the card’s weight. Like many other cards of its kind, the TUF RX 7900 XTX is therefore supplied with a support bracket for secure mounting.
Thanks to the cooler’s layout and sheer size, the card’s cooling capacity appears to be significantly greater than the reference model and more compact competitors.
Reviews
In our apples-to-apples heatsink comparison test at normalized noise and power output, the TUF heatsink can achieve a temperature reduction of 14°C (!) over the AMD reference XTX—very impressive.
… you can’t go wrong with the ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XTX OC Edition. The build quality is excellent, the design itself looks fantastic, and the performance you get is impressive across-the-board.
ASUS hit the nail on the head with the TUF; it has the most excellent acoustics we have tried with an XTX and keeps its cool while running under load.
