SAPPHIRE Nitro+ Radeon RX 5700XT – Top Tier Navi

Conclusion - SAPPHIRE Is As Good As It Gets With Navi

When I reviewed the SAPPHIRE PULSE RX 5700XT I mentioned how it was as premium feeling as the previous Nitro+ releases from SAPPHIRE and it left me wondering what they had in store for a Nitro+ lineup if that was coming.  I did not foresee what they released.  SAPPHIRE has created a grown-up version of Navi and delivered on every single front, even the addressable RGB that runs the side of the card and along the backplate feels well-executed and classy, missing that aggressive gamery vibe of others. The ability to control the lighting off of the motherboard is a very welcome addition as well.  If there's not enough RGB for you then SAPPHIRE will be selling a replacement fan kit that features aRGB lighting for another $29.99, but that puts the total cost absurdly close to the RTX 2070 SUPER.  And that is the real issue that you run into with 5700XT based cards that are flirting with the ~$450 mark, that's really close to the base models of the RTX 2070 Super, a card that is still faster than the 5700XT and has quite a bit of overclocking headroom that will only extend that lead for around 10% more than the cost of these cards.  Compared to the base models it is about $100 or 25% more but as these custom models creep up in price that gap closes, so anything more than what SAPPHIRE did here blurs the lines, they were smart to keep their price at $439 and not go higher.

Performance of the SAPPHIRE Nitro+ from frame rates to cooling is excellent and continues to reduce the reasons you would not go for an aftermarket design.  The only drawback is its length, the card is long, very long.  If length constraints are an issue the PULSE may be the better option.

Overclocking has never been Navi's strong point but this card can muster up a bit and extend it even further from the reference RX 5700xt's performance making it's 10% price premium feel a bit more worth it.  But more than that is the whisper that it operates at even while combating its higher power draw.  The SAPPHIRE Nitro+ RX 5700XT is indeed top tier Navi and the aftermarket card that needs to be at the top of your list if the RX 5700XT is what you're wanting.

 

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9.4

WCCFTECH RATING

SAPPHIRE has designed a truly top tier variant of the RX 5700XT and provided you have the ability to fit it in your case I would have it at the top of your consideration list.

Pros

• Actually overclocked core
• Excellent lighting
• Very quiet
• Fantastic cooling
• Fan check
• RGB can be controlled by the motherboard
• Performance is top tier for Navi
• only $20 more than the PULSE model
• vBIOS can be changed via software

Cons

• No dedicated hardware for Ray Tracing
• Not a lot of overclocking headroom left
• Power consumption slightly on the high side

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