CONS

• Value proposition increases if you find it on sale
• Lagging ray-tracing performance

ASROCK AMD RADEON RX 7800 XT PHANTOM GAMING 16GB OC SPECS

ASRock has developed the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC graphics card to offer a premium alternative to AMD’s standard version of the Radeon RX 7800 XT. This particular card boasts a larger and more efficient thermal solution, as well as higher clock speeds to enhance its performance. However, these improvements do come at a higher cost compared to the base price of the reference card instead of, putting it in direct competition with other similarly priced options. Despite this, the ASRock card remains a strong contender in the graphics card market segment. While our Editors’ Choice award in this category and price range goes to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super, the ASRock card is still an excellent choice, especially if you manage to find it at a discounted price.

Configuration and Design: Keeping Cool with Eye-catching Illumination.

Since I have already provided a comprehensive analysis of AMD’s reference design for the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, I will refrain from extensively discussing its architecture or design in this evaluation. If you require further insights regarding these aspects, I recommend referring to the aforementioned review. Instead, let us now focus on the crucial factors you should contemplate when contemplating this specific ASRock card.

The Radeon RX 7800 XT boasts 3,840 streaming processors, 240 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 60 ray accelerators. It is equipped with 16GB of GDDR6 memory running at a speed of 19.5Gbps through a 256-bit memory interface, resulting in a bandwidth of 624GBps. The base clock on the reference model is 1,800MHz, with a turbo clock of 2,430MHz. However, the ASRock AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC pushes the turbo clock even further to 2,565MHz.

The increase in clock speed equates to approximately a 5.5% rise in overall clocks, potentially leading to a similar improvement in performance. However, this boost comes at a cost. The ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC is 6% more expensive than the reference model. Nevertheless, considering the upgraded triple-fan thermal solution provided with this model compared to the dual-fan solution on AMD’s reference card, the price difference is not too significant.

ASRock’s card not only boasts an additional fan and improved cooling capabilities, but it also stands out aesthetically. While predominantly black, the card features dark-purple accents on the metal backplate for a touch of sophistication. Furthermore, RGB LEDs on the front and side enhance its visual appeal, making it more eye-catching when in use.

Evaluating the ASRock AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Phantom Gaming: Configuration and Rivalry.

We conducted a performance evaluation of the ASRock AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC using our most recent GPU testbed desktop. This system is centered on an Intel Core i9-12900K processor operating at default frequencies on an Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard. The processor is supported by 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM clocked at 5,600MHz, and it is efficiently cooled by a Corsair Hydro Series H100X water cooler.

The primary storage device in the system is a 1TB Corsair MP600 Pro NVMe 4.0 SSD, which has Windows 11 Pro installed. Power is provided by a Corsair HX1500i 1,500-watt 80 Plus Platinum power supply.

The system is equipped with a 1TB Corsair MP600 Pro NVMe 4.0 SSD as its main storage device, running Windows 11 Pro. It is powered by a Corsair HX1500i 1,500-watt 80 Plus Platinum power supply.

The Radeon RX 7800 XT is priced at, putting it in direct competition with Nvidia’s  GeForce RTX 4070 and the  GeForce RTX 4070 Super. While both Nvidia cards are slightly more expensive than ASRock’s Radeon RX 7800 XT, the differences are minimal enough to make them appealing options if they offer superior performance. Let’s take a closer look.

The RX 7800 XT demonstrated strong performance in 3DMark, nearly matching the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, although the latter ultimately had the edge. Both cards were closely matched in Furmark and LuxMark. The Radeon RX 7800 XT was able to slightly outperform in Superposition by a narrow margin.

Tests for Ray-Tracing, DLSS, and FSR were conducted.

AMD’s ray-tracing technology has demonstrated slightly less power compared to its rivals, resulting in a slight setback in games that utilize ray-tracing. The Radeon RX 7800 XT performed above its typical standard in these assessments, potentially attributed to the driver updates that were introduced alongside the card’s debut.

In F1 22, the RX 7800 XT performed equally to the RTX 4070 across all resolutions. Despite being slightly slower by two frames per second (FPS) at 1080p, the variance of less than 2% in performance was imperceptible during gameplay. With the activation of FSR 1.0 and DLSS 2.0, the RX 7800 XT experienced a more substantial performance increase compared to its Nvidia counterpart, allowing it to even outperform the RTX 4070 Super. However, when DLSS 3 and FSR 2.0 were enabled, the results were more mixed, with Nvidia cards holding a clear advantage at 1440p, while the RX 7800 XT excelled at 4K.

Test results for the RTX 4070 in Returnal are currently unavailable. However, in this particular test, both with and without FSR and DLSS enabled, the RX 7800 XT performed significantly worse than the RTX 4070 Super. The only time the RTX 4070 Super fell behind was when DLSS 3 was enabled, but if you own an RTX 4070 Super, it would be advisable to keep that feature turned off for this game. Similar results were observed in Cyberpunk 2077, although DLSS 3 had a lesser negative impact in this game. Lastly, in Guardians of the Galaxy, the RX 7800 XT consistently lagged behind the RTX 4070 across all resolutions.

Comprehensive Testing for AAA Games.

AMD outperforms Nvidia in games without ray-tracing capabilities, allowing it to compete closely with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super in Total War: Three Kingdoms. The original RTX 4070 falls behind significantly in this scenario, being outperformed by the RX 7800 XT.

The Radeon RX 7800 XT faced challenges in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, performing similarly to the RTX 4070 rather than the RTX 4070 Super. Unfortunately, the Far Cry 5 results we obtained do not provide much insight, as the game at 1080p seems to be limited by either the host processor or the game engine, resulting in most cards delivering very similar performance.

Game Tests with a Legacy.

The performance of older games is often determined by the level of support provided by modern drivers. Despite being over ten years old, Bioshock Infinite continues to receive relatively good support and demonstrated the superiority of the RX 7800 XT over the RTX 4070. While the RTX 4070 Super performed closely to the RX 7800 XT, the latter was noticeably ahead when it came to 1080p resolution.

The RX 7800 XT once again outperformed the RTX 4070 and the RTX 4070 Super in Hitman Absolution. While the RTX 4070 Super had a slight advantage at 1440p resolution in this game, the RX 7800 XT showcased a more significant performance ratio at both 4K and 1080p resolutions. Moving on to the last legacy game we examined, Sleeping Dogs, the Radeon RX 7800 XT trailed behind the RTX 4070 and the RTX 4070 Super.

Power and Thermal Tests.

The overall power consumption of the graphics card testbed was assessed by employing a Kill-A-Watt power meter. By solely replacing the graphics card, we were able to obtain valuable information regarding the power draw of each card in comparison to the others we have examined.

The power usage of the Radeon RX 7800 XT was notably elevated, surpassing the power consumption of numerous other cards featured in the comparison. Specifically, both the RTX 4070 Super and RTX 4070 exhibited noticeably lower power consumption levels.

The ASRock RX 7800 XT, which we thoroughly tested, demonstrated superior cooling capabilities despite its higher power consumption. This can be attributed solely to the exceptional thermal solution implemented by ASRock for this particular graphics card.

Verdict: A Capable Card Worth Bargain-Hunting For.

The test results unequivocally demonstrate that ASRock has successfully constructed the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC with an exceptional thermal solution that delivers outstanding performance. While the card’s speeds may fluctuate across different tests, it remains highly competitive against Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4070 and the more powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super in numerous aspects. Although the RX 7800 XT encountered challenges in games that incorporate ray tracing, it generally outperformed its main competitors in other titles.

Given the intense competition in the market for these cards, it is challenging to make a blanket recommendation for one over the other. Rest assured, none of them will leave you disappointed, as they all offer enough features to justify their price. Instead, we suggest keeping a close eye on promotions when deciding between these cards. A  reduction in price for either the RX 7800 XT or the RTX 4070 could easily make either card the best value option. Additionally, the inclusion of a game with one of the cards could also sway your decision.

Both options come highly recommended, however, in the absence of promotions, we believe the ASRock AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT Phantom Gaming 16GB OC has a slight advantage. Nevertheless, we would still choose the RTX 4070 Super over the RX 7800 XT, underscoring the importance of evaluating current pricing before making a decision on a graphics card within this price bracket.