A Chinese hardware reviewer found Samsung GDDR6 memory pulling back the RX 9070 XT in performance in some applications after testing and comparing multiple GPU editions.
Samsung GDDR6-Equipped RX 9070 XT Performs 1-2% Slower Compared to RX 9070 XT Equipped with SK Hynix GDDR6 Memory
A few days ago, a China-based tech reviewer who goes by the username "51972" reported some abnormalities found in some of the Radeon RX 9070 XT GPUs. After carefully investigating the issue, the reviewer published a video on Bilibili, explaining the real cause of such performance regression on some of the RX 9070 XT editions.
Apparently, those equipped with the Samsung GDDR6 memory modules performed slightly worse than the editions boasting GDDR6 memory from SK Hynix. Since both memory makers provide their GDDR6 memory solutions to AMD for the Radeon GPUs, it's usual to see some with Samsung and others with SK Hynix memory modules. However, this particular difference is mostly unnoticeable due to the differences between the clock speeds, cooling solutions etc. of each edition.
The only way 51972 was able to find this out was by segregating the Samsung memory-based RX 9070 XT from the SK Hynix-based RX 9070 XT editions. It was found that even the premium OC editions with Samsung memory were outperformed by the base RX 9070 XT GPUs equipped with SK Hynix memory.
After testing 20+ different units of the RX 9070 XT, the test results in 3DMark Speedway revealed that despite boasting higher clock speeds and higher power consumption, Samsung memory-based RX 9070 XTs remained 1-2% slower than the SK Hynix memory-based RX 9070 XT GPUs. The reviewer reached out to the FAE AMD team in China, which confirmed that the issue is indeed due to Samsung GDDR6 modules.
Reportedly, the Samsung GDDR6 memory offers "loose" timings and results in higher memory latency, which was reported by the reviewer earlier. While SK Hynix memory-based RX 9070 XT showed around 350-360ns of max latency, the Samsung memory-based cards were running at slightly higher latency of up to 370-380ns.
Even though the latency seems too high compared to various other GDDR6 memory tests, it has now been established that Samsung memory is indeed the culprit after confirmation from AMD.
News Source: @unikoshardware
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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