Your RX 9070 XT might be losing performance if it’s using this specific memory
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Through a thorough test of 22 identical GPUs, Karminski-tester on YouTube has demonstrated that there is, in fact, a difference between the two memory options used in these graphics cards. The RX 9070 XT reviews, including our own, praised the card for the value it offers in terms of performance, but it may not always be the best choice among the range of models available.
Usually, you can expect there to be a difference between an overclocked GPU and one that is not due to being able to clock higher and then run faster, gaining better performance. Even the board power these cards can achieve varies, as AMD unlocks the power limits and allows these cards to overclock much higher than standard.
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However, even with all that power, the Samsung memory chips are unable to perform as well as the Hynix ones, as shown in the tests. The cards are split in half between Hynix and Samsung chips, and the former takes up the top 12 spots, as even the lowest-powered card beats out Samsung’s top performer.
RX 9070 XT 22 model test Google translated, Source Karminski-tester, YouTube
RX 9070 XT 22 model test, Source Karminski-tester, YouTube
Samsung VRAM performs worse by up to 3% than Hynix chips
Using 3DMark’s SpeedWay speed test as the benchmark, the lowest Hynix model is the ASRock Steel Legend, which at 303W achieves a score of 6,339. In comparison, the Eitsun Sakurahito with Samsung memory, clocked at 330W, achieves a score of only 6,322. That’s just a 0.3% difference between the models, but then at the top is the Gigabyte Elite with a score of 6,504, which has a near 3% uplift from the Hynix models.
Following this realization, the creator, also known as 51972 on BiliBili, attempted to identify the issues. Having found that these cards had different memories, they inquired with AMD China about the potential issue. They responded, suggesting the VRAM had a higher latency than the Hynix chips.
Those looser timings do result in a lower temperature as seen in a follow-up post to the video below, but do come at a performance drawback. Crucially, though, these tests are just benchmark tests and not gaming ones, so the performance could not be as impactful or barely noticeable, but it’s still a worthy bit of information to know when choosing which model to pick.
RX 9070 XT 22 model test
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