How Much Does It Cost?
Stock and prices are all over the place, as one really expects from a new GPU these days, so it’s hard to nail down what you would actually have to pay right now. However, this card should have the same MSRP as the AMD reference card, making it around $999.
Overview
I’ve got to admit, I’ve probably been a bit harsh on the PowerColor RX 7900 XTX HellHound, but I’d like to think that my criticisms are justified, and that’s not really through any fault of PowerColor, but more that AMD has really stepped up their game with their reference-based cards. I think with NVIDIA going so strong on the FE design of cards that they have, they really set a bit of a precedent that AMD had to take note of and adapt, and with the way that the market is, and margins being smaller than ever, PowerColor still need to be able to make a product and make money doing so which I can’t fault them for.
The HellHound isn’t a bad card, don’t get me wrong. It’s able to harness the true potential of the RDNA 3-based GPU and keep it under control at the same time. I think I’d be angry if this card was more expensive than a reference card, but luckily it’s coming in with the same MSRP as AMD’s own GPU and that makes it ok because it gives you as a user some choice.
LED Lighting
Obviously blue or purple isn’t going to be for everyone and the beauty of that is that it can be turned off if that’s not your cup of tea, so I can’t knock that too much.
Performance
I kind of feel that PowerColor could have done a little more here. Obviously, as I mentioned, the card has a dual BIOS but the OC is still extremely quiet, and I would have much preferred to have seen either a higher clock speed or slightly faster fans which would have resulted in a lower temperature because when looking at the face of it, it’s almost too similar to the reference card.
I know it’s a hard one to get right between performance, temperatures, and fan noise so yes PowerColor has done a good job, but I’d like to see a little more, but I guess that’s all part of the course when you have higher SKU models in your stack, and that’s what you’ll pay quite a bit extra for.
For an MSRP card, you’d be stupid to dismiss the HellHound, and while I mentioned, the design won’t be for everyone. If you don’t care about that and just want a card that performs, runs moderately cool and is silent, at least in terms of the fan noise, then it’s a winner.
Added Value
One thing I will say is that it definitely has some stand-out features that I maybe wouldn’t have expected to see on a card that comes in at MSRP pricing, so there’s definitely some added value there, so like I said, maybe I’ve been a bit critical but I’d like to think for good reason. Let me know, do you agree with the points I’ve raised here today. Also, we will be looking at other AIB cards in the coming days, so definitely be sure to stick around for that.
