Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT specifications and in-depth review

Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT

Manufacturer: Sapphire

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT is a high-performance graphics card designed for demanding gaming and computing tasks. It offers a large 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, which makes it suitable for memory-intensive applications. With a GPU clock speed of 1660 MHz and the ability to boost up to 2970 MHz, it delivers impressive speed and responsiveness.

This card utilizes the RDNA 4.0 architecture and boasts a floating-point performance of 48.66 TFLOPS, ensuring smooth rendering of complex scenes. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and OpenGL 4.6, along with features like ray tracing and AMD FSR4. The card is equipped with 2 HDMI 2.1b ports and 2 DisplayPort outputs, making it versatile for multiple display setups.

Pros
  • Supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, ensuring compatibility with the latest graphical technologies.
  • Equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, providing ample memory for high-resolution gaming and intensive workloads.
  • Offers ray tracing support for more realistic lighting and shadow effects in compatible titles.
  • Has two HDMI 2.1b ports and two DisplayPort outputs, enabling flexible multi-display setups with modern displays.
  • Includes support for ECC memory, enhancing data stability and error correction for improved reliability during long sessions.
Cons
  • Lacks support for DLSS and XeSS, limiting performance enhancement features in supported games.
  • Does not include air-water cooling, which may require additional cooling solutions for optimal performance in demanding tasks.
  • No USB-C, DVI, or mini DisplayPort outputs, potentially limiting compatibility with certain display setups or accessories.
Who is this for?

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT is ideal for users who require high graphical performance for demanding tasks like gaming and content creation. With its 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM and support for ray tracing, this card excels in rendering high-quality graphics and providing smooth, immersive experiences. Its support for multi-display setups with 2 HDMI 2.1b ports and 2 DisplayPort outputs makes it a great choice for professionals or gamers needing a multi-monitor environment for increased productivity or gaming setups.

Who is this NOT for?

This graphics card may not be suitable for users looking for ultra-portability or systems with limited space, as its 320 mm width may require larger cases. Additionally, its lack of USB-C, DVI, and mini DisplayPort outputs limits compatibility with some specific display setups or accessories. Users seeking cutting-edge performance features like DLSS or XeSS may also find it lacking, as this card does not support these technologies, which can enhance frame rates and visual quality in certain games.

Performance:

GPU clock speed 1660 MHz
GPU turbo 2970 MHz
pixel rate 380.2 GPixel/s
floating-point performance 48.66 TFLOPS
texture rate 760.3 GTexels/s
GPU memory speed 2518 MHz
shading units 4096
texture mapping units (TMUs) 256
render output units (ROPs) 128
Has Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP)

The performance of the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT is driven by its impressive specifications. The GPU operates at a base GPU clock speed of 1660 MHz, with the ability to boost up to 2970 MHz in turbo mode. It delivers a strong floating-point performance of 48.66 TFLOPS, and the pixel rate reaches 380.2 GPixel/s, ensuring smooth rendering of high-quality visuals. Additionally, the card offers a high texture rate of 760.3 GTexels/s, supported by 4096 shading units and 256 texture mapping units (TMUs), making it well-suited for demanding graphical tasks. The card also features 128 render output units (ROPs) for efficient image processing, and supports Double Precision Floating Point (DPFP) for enhanced computational accuracy.

Memory:

effective memory speed 20000 MHz
maximum memory bandwidth 644.6 GB/s
VRAM 16GB
GDDR version GDDR6
memory bus width 256-bit
Supports ECC memory

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT is equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, ensuring ample memory for demanding applications. Its effective memory speed reaches 20000 MHz, providing fast data access for smooth performance. The card features a maximum memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s, supported by a 256-bit memory bus width, enabling rapid data transfer. Additionally, it supports ECC memory, which enhances stability by correcting errors in the data stored within the memory.

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 4

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT supports a range of advanced features for enhanced visual and gaming experiences. It is compatible with DirectX 12 Ultimate and OpenGL 4.6, ensuring support for the latest graphical technologies. The card also supports ray tracing, providing more realistic lighting and shadows in supported games. It allows for multi-display setups, supporting up to four displays, and is equipped with AMD FSR4 for performance enhancement. While it does not support DLSS or XeSS, it includes AMD SAM for better data handling between the CPU and GPU.

Ports:

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

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT offers a variety of connectivity options, including 2 HDMI 2.1b ports and 2 DisplayPort outputs, allowing for flexible multi-monitor setups. While it lacks USB-C, DVI, and mini DisplayPort outputs, the provided HDMI and DisplayPort ports ensure compatibility with modern displays and high resolutions.

General info:

GPU architecture RDNA 4.0
release date March 2025
Thermal Design Power (TDP) 304W
PCI Express (PCIe) version 5
semiconductor size 4 nm
number of transistors 53900 million
Has air-water cooling
width 320 mm
height 120.3 mm

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the advanced RDNA 4.0 GPU architecture and features a 4 nm semiconductor size, enabling efficient performance. It operates with a thermal design power (TDP) of 304W and utilizes PCIe 5.0 for fast data transfer. The card has a transistor count of 53.9 billion, supporting its high-performance capabilities. While it does not include air-water cooling, the card's dimensions are 320 mm in width and 120.3 mm in height, providing a clear size profile for compatibility with various systems.

Final Verdict

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT is a powerful graphics card well-suited for gamers and professionals seeking high-end performance. With its impressive 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM and support for ray tracing, it delivers smooth, visually stunning experiences in demanding applications. The card’s multi-display capabilities and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate further enhance its appeal. While it lacks some advanced features like DLSS and XeSS, it remains a solid choice for users looking for a reliable, high-performance GPU for intensive workloads and gaming.

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