The AMD RX 7800 XT may not have set the world on hearth this yr, however for me it has been nothing however a pleasure

Earlier this yr, I discovered myself in a little bit of a dilemma. Resulting from some private circumstances I might reasonably not go into, I wanted a brand new system, and I wanted it quick. It’d been some time since I might constructed myself a brand new PC from scratch, and on condition that my career revolves round conserving updated with the most recent {hardware}, I made a decision that I used to be going to place my cash the place my mouth is and construct one thing with loads of gaming grunt however to an affordable funds. 

No RTX 4090s for me, I assumed. I might have to construct myself one thing with nice efficiency, however not ridiculous on the subject of the pressure on my checking account. It could possibly be executed. I knew it may.

CPU, RAM and motherboard? Straightforward picks, and I handled myself to a platform improve with the most recent AM5 gear. PSU, case, SSD? Kid’s play. However like I believe a lot of you constructing a brand new PC on a funds this yr skilled, when it got here to selecting the GPU, issues obtained tough.

This is an admission. After an extended day of writing about a few of the greatest {hardware} on the planet, evaluating spec sheets and benchmarks and worth comparisons, once I shut my browser home windows and boot up a sport what I am actually in search of is simple. I do not wish to fiddle with too many settings, and run benchmark after benchmark in my very own free time. I simply wish to sink into the nice and cozy tub that may be a good PC sport operating easily, and so my fast and soiled hack is that this: whack the decision to 1440p, set the graphics preset to excessive (not extremely), and press play.

Dishonest, I do know, however for me and I am positive many others, that is normally the candy spot for secure, excessive body fee gaming with nice picture high quality on system. So what I used to be in search of was one thing with wonderful 1440p high-setting efficiency, and I did not wish to spend way more than £500.

The apparent alternative right here was the RTX 4070, and I got here actually, actually shut to purchasing one. Nothing incorrect with ’em. Superb playing cards certainly. However that 12GB of VRAM bugged me somewhat, because it felt just a bit on the tight facet for a card I might hoped would final me some time. And whereas I almost pulled the set off greater than as soon as, maybe most significantly of all, it was tough to search out one close to my goal funds at that time limit. Too expensive. Simply.

Then got here the discharge of the AMD RX 7800 XT. And that basically threw the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.

I might at all times admired AMD GPUs, but when I am trustworthy, from one thing of a distance. Testing them in different machines was effective, good even, however when it got here to my private picks I at all times went Nvidia. Not out of some misguided model loyalty you perceive, however just because each time it got here all the way down to sizing up the quantity of efficiency I might get for my cash, when it got here time to put down my money it was at all times an Nvidia card that made essentially the most sense. 

Not so right here, because the AMD RX 7800 XT offers the RTX 4070 a severe run for its cash within the benchmarks, even outright beating it in lots of, and for much less money as well. And so I assumed, and I assumed, flitting backwards and forwards between the 2. Fretting even. Dare I be courageous?

After which I purchased the AMD card, on supply for simply shy of £500 on the time. And let me inform you: For my functions, it has been a delight.

Sure, I do not get to revel within the glory that’s DLSS 3. Neither is my new GPU a lot cop at ray tracing, a bug bear that I foolishly hope can be improved in future with some magical driver replace, however let’s face it, will not. However apart from that, my RX 7800 XT has been, for need of a greater phrase, good.

I went for a 3 fan mannequin, and consequently it runs cool and quiet. As a result of I might additionally picked an AMD Ryzen CPU all my main driver wants are dealt with by AMD Adrenalin, and I have never heard a peep from it since it has been put in. I bear in mind the dangerous previous days of AMD driver points, however in my admittedly brief time period expertise I’ve but to expertise a single drawback. I hope fervently that this continues.

Efficiency? Effectively sure, the aforementioned ray tracing points aren’t nice. That being stated, I have been hammering away at Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty in my spare time, and it has been operating at 1440p extremely settings (broke my very own rule, I do know) with ray tracing off and no upscaling at principally over 100 fps. It seems nice. It feels nice. Do I really feel a slight twinge once I see a puddle, and realise it might be prettier if my card was higher at dealing with ray tracing? Certain. A couple of times.

However in the end, I would like clean, I would like quick, I would like hassle-free, and I do not wish to pay by means of the nostril for it. In the end I simply wish to play my gosh-darn video games at excessive body charges and nice picture high quality with none fuss, and for that the RX 7800 XT has been very good.

I can hear the rumblings already. It is not likely any quicker than the RX 6800 XT it changed. FSR is not fairly pretty much as good as DLSS. The idle energy draw, and many others, and many others. However this appears like a card that was designed to hit Nvidia the place it hurts, and steal its lunch. It was designed to sway players like me, and I’ve to say, for me personally, it labored.

I shall not apologise. It has been nice, and every time I sit all the way down to get pleasure from my video games it quietly will get on with the job of delivering them to me, at pace, and it did not rampage by means of my financial savings account as a way to do it. In real-world, day-to-day phrases it is my favorite piece of {hardware} this yr, and sure, I’ll die on this hill.

I submit my private rig to the altar of AMD. Please do not destroy the drivers and let me down. I encourage of thee.