Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB specifications and in-depth review

Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

Manufacturer: Sapphire

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT is a graphics card designed to deliver solid performance for gamers and content creators alike. Featuring a base GPU clock speed of 1700 MHz, it offers a balance of speed and efficiency for demanding applications.

Equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, the RX 9060 XT is optimized for high-bandwidth tasks, supporting features like DirectX 12 Ultimate and AMD FSR4. It has a GPU memory speed of 2518 MHz, a pixel rate of 210.6 GPixel/s, and a maximum memory bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s, making it well-suited for modern gaming and creative workflows.

Pros
  • Supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and ray tracing for enhanced gaming and graphical realism.
  • Equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, providing ample memory for high-resolution textures and demanding applications.
  • Offers 2 DisplayPort outputs and 1 HDMI 2.1b port, allowing for multiple display setups.
  • Has AMD SAM support for improved performance with compatible systems.
  • Compact design with a width of 240 mm and height of 124 mm, making it suitable for various PC cases.
Cons
  • Lacks USB-C, DVI, and mini DisplayPort outputs, limiting compatibility with certain display setups.
  • No support for DLSS or XeSS (XMX), which could have enhanced performance and visual quality in compatible games.
  • Does not feature air-water cooling, relying solely on air cooling which may not be ideal for extreme workloads.
  • No RGB lighting, which may be a downside for users looking for customizable aesthetics in their setup.
Who is this for?

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT is well-suited for gamers and content creators seeking high-end graphical performance. With 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM and DirectX 12 Ultimate support, it excels in modern gaming, offering smooth performance in demanding titles and visual fidelity with ray tracing. It is also ideal for multi-display setups, supporting up to three displays, making it a great choice for immersive gaming or professional workflows that require extensive screen real estate.

Who is this NOT for?

This graphics card may not be the best choice for users seeking cutting-edge AI-driven upscaling features like DLSS or XeSS (XMX), as it does not support these technologies. Additionally, those who require advanced display options such as USB-C or DVI ports for specific setups may find the available connectivity options limited. Furthermore, users looking for a solution with air-water cooling for extreme thermal management may find this card lacking, as it relies solely on traditional air cooling.

Performance:

GPU clock speed 1700 MHz
GPU turbo 3290 MHz
pixel rate 210.6 GPixel/s
floating-point performance 26.95 TFLOPS
texture rate 421.1 GTexels/s
GPU memory speed 2518 MHz
shading units 2048
texture mapping units (TMUs) 128
render output units (ROPs) 64
Has Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP)

The performance of the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT is driven by a GPU clock speed of 1700 MHz and an impressive GPU turbo speed of 3290 MHz, delivering smooth and responsive performance. With a floating-point performance of 26.95 TFLOPS and a texture rate of 421.1 GTexels/s, it excels in demanding graphical tasks. The card also boasts 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 render output units (ROPs), making it suitable for high-quality rendering. Its GPU memory speed is set at 2518 MHz, and it also supports Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP) for precision-intensive workloads.

Memory:

effective memory speed 20000 MHz
maximum memory bandwidth 322.3 GB/s
VRAM 16GB
GDDR version GDDR6
memory bus width 128-bit
Supports ECC memory

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT is equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, offering ample memory for demanding applications and gaming. Its memory runs at an effective speed of 20000 MHz, ensuring fast data transfer and responsive performance. With a maximum memory bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s and a 128-bit memory bus width, it is designed to handle high-resolution textures and complex workloads. Additionally, the card supports ECC memory, helping maintain data integrity during intensive tasks.

Features:

DirectX version DirectX 12 Ultimate
OpenGL version 4.6
OpenCL version 2.2
Supports multi-display technology
supports ray tracing
Supports 3D
supports DLSS
has FSR4
has XeSS (XMX)
AMD SAM / Intel Resizable BAR AMD SAM
has LHR
has RGB lighting
supported displays 3

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT supports a range of advanced features to enhance the gaming and computing experience. It is fully compatible with DirectX 12 Ultimate and offers ray tracing support for realistic lighting and shadow effects. Additionally, it supports AMD FSR4 for performance-boosting upscaling. The card can drive up to three displays simultaneously and also supports multi-display technology, making it ideal for immersive setups.

Ports:

has an HDMI output
HDMI ports 1
HDMI version HDMI 2.1b
DisplayPort outputs 2
USB-C ports 0
DVI outputs 0
mini DisplayPort outputs 0

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT offers versatile connectivity options, featuring 1 HDMI 2.1b port and 2 DisplayPort outputs for multi-monitor setups. While it lacks USB-C, DVI, and mini DisplayPort outputs, it is still well-equipped for modern display standards, supporting a range of resolutions and refresh rates.

General info:

GPU architecture RDNA 4.0
release date June 2025
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 170W
PCI Express (PCIe) version 5
semiconductor size 4 nm
number of transistors 29700 million
Has air-water cooling
width 240 mm
height 124 mm

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 GPU architecture and operates with a 170W Thermal Design Power (TDP), ensuring efficient performance. It utilizes the latest PCI Express 5.0 interface for fast data transfer and is constructed using a 4 nm semiconductor size, which helps improve performance and power efficiency. With a total of 29,700 million transistors, the card offers robust processing power in a compact form, measuring 240 mm in width and 124 mm in height.

Final Verdict

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9060 XT is a solid choice for gamers and professionals looking for strong performance in modern graphics applications. With its 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and ray tracing, it delivers impressive visual fidelity and smooth performance in demanding workloads. While it may lack advanced AI-driven upscaling technologies like DLSS, and its connectivity options are somewhat limited, it excels in multi-display setups and is well-suited for high-quality gaming and content creation. Overall, the RX 9060 XT offers a well-rounded package for users who prioritize performance and reliability in their graphics card choice.

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