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5 Best RX 5600 XT Graphics Cards For High-End 1080p Gaming

AMD has stirred up the gaming community with its 7nm graphics cards and NVIDIA seems to be sharing the same fate as Intel, especially in the mid-range graphics cards. The latest RX 5XXX-series graphics cards come with similar core count to the RX 580, however, the architectural difference is huge and the performance increase is a lot. The GDDR6 memory seems to be doing great as well and the memory performance is similar to some of the high-end RTX-series graphics cards like RTX 2060 Super and 2080.

1080P Gaming At Its Best

The RX 5600 XT was released a few days ago and the graphics card is looking very promising, as its parameters are quite similar to the RX 5700. In fact, the core features are exactly the same, as both GPUs have 36 compute units, leading to 144 Texture Mapping Units and 2304 Shader Processing Units. The Render Output Units count is also the same, however, the core clocks are slightly lower.

The memory seems to have taken a great impact, as the memory is now clocked at 1500 MHz, instead of 1750 MHz and the size of the memory is reduced to 6 GB. The memory bus is now 192-bit, leading to a memory bandwidth of 288 GB/s which is significantly lower than the memory bandwidth of RX 5700. In this article, we will discuss some of the best variants of RX 5600 XT, so stay tuned.

1. Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 5600 XT

Best Value RX 5600 XT

Pros

  • Very beautiful fan shroud
  • Highly overclocked
  • Comes with two BIOS
  • Great cooling

Cons

  • Quite tall

Boost Core Clock: 1750 MHz | Shader Processing Units: 2304 | Memory: 6 GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 1750 MHz | Length: 10 Inches | No. of Fans: 2 | RGB Lighting: Yes | Graphics Outputs: 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Maximum Nominal Power Consumption: 160 W

Sapphire is known for manufacturing high-end graphics card variants and their graphics cards are considered one of the best among the vendors that manufacture AMD cards. Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 5600 XT is another successor to the Pulse variants and the company seems to have completely redesigned the looks. This graphics card is definitely one of the most beautiful variants of the RX 5600 XT, especially amongst the dual-fan ones. The fan shroud looks fabulous and also provides premium feels. The fans also seem quite an improvement over the previously used ones and they look fantastic. There is the Sapphire logo at the top, which is RGB-lit, just like the previous-gen Pulse cards. The backplate of the graphics card is quite airy, as it has a lot of vents and also incorporates the famous “pulse” design.

All in all, Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 5600 XT is great looking card. Furthermore, it comes with two BIOS options so go with a good motherboard like the Z690 for Intel or the B550 for AMD.

The performance of this graphics card is quite superior to the other variants of the RX 5600 XT, as it comes heavily overclocked, having a boost core clock of 1750 MHz. The memory is also overclocked and it runs at 1750 MHz, leading to effective memory clock of 14,000 MHz. You don’t have to worry about the cooling performance of this graphics card, as it has a TDP of 160 watts and the cooler is capable of keeping it way under 75 degrees. Since the graphics card comes heavily overclocked, there is a minimal amount of OC headroom and we will not suggest you to overclock this card any further.

As discussed above, this GPU has great overclocking potential but when it comes to overclocking consumers often feel confused about it. We have a detailed GPU overclocking guide to help you out.

Overall, Sapphire Radeon Pulse RX 5600 XT is one of the finest variants of the RX 5600 XT and you should definitely have a look at this graphics card, although make sure that there is enough space in your case because the graphics card is quite tall.

Related read : Best RX 5 5600X motherboards

2. PowerColor Red Dragon Radeon RX 5600 XT

Professional Design

Pros

  • Sophisticated design
  • Dual BIOS support
  • Uses 100 mm fans
  • Tough backplate

Cons

  • As tall as the Pulse variant

Boost Core Clock: 1620 MHz | Shader Processing Units: 2304 | Memory: 6 GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 14 Gbps | Length: 9.45 Inches | No. of Fans: 2 | RGB Lighting: No | Graphics Outputs: 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Maximum Nominal Power Consumption: 150 W

PowerColor Red Dragon Radeon RX 5600 XT is another high-quality variant of the RX 5600 XT and the card looks absolutely gorgeous. The fan shroud provides very clean looks and the fans have chromium-coloured rims, which provides a shiny look. The graphics card uses two 100 mm fans and with five 6 mm heat-pipes, the graphics card does a great job at keeping the card cool. The backplate of the graphics card does not offer vents, although it feels extremely solid and is quite thick as well too.

Since this a more clean looking RX 5600 XT we recommend a good case as well preferably a micro-ATX or an open air case if you want to go for a more premium look.

The performance of this graphics card is somewhat lower than the Pulse variant, as the boost core clock is rated at 1620 MHz instead of 1750 MHz. The memory performance of the graphics card is the same though, as it is clocked at 1750 MHz, leading to effective memory clocks of 14 Gbps. The graphics card can be overclocked a bit here by up to 100 MHz, although the gains are not that great. The temperatures, on the other hand, look very safe, as expected from a 150 W TDP card.

Related read: A roundup of GPU support braces

Conclusively, if you are into clean-looking graphics cards and are actively looking for an RX 5600 XT variant, this graphics card will fulfil all your needs.

3. XFX RX 5600 XT Thicc II PRO

Premium Design

Pros

  • Clean Looks
  • Airy backplate

Cons

  • The cooling solution is not that competent
  • Noisier than other variants

309 Reviews

Boost Core Clock: 1620 MHz | Shader Processing Units: 2304 | Memory: 6 GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: 12 Gbps | Length: 11.02 Inches | No. of Fans: 2 | RGB Lighting: Yes | Graphics Outputs: 2 x HDMI, 2 x DisplayPort, 1 x USB Type-C | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Maximum Nominal Power Consumption: 150 W

XFX released all-new Thicc-series variants that are not particularly praised due to lower cooling performance, however, RX 5600 XT does not have a high TDP, which is why XFX RX 5600 XT Thicc II PRO seems a great option to consider. The design of the graphics card is quite similar to the Red Dragon variant and provides clean and sophisticated looks. The backplate is very airy and provides tons of vents for airflow. There is no RGB lighting in this graphics card, so if you are interested in RGB lighting, perhaps you should look at other variants.

The performance of the graphics card is quite similar to the Red Dragon variant, as it has similar boost core clock, although the memory is clocked at 1500 MHz, leading to 12 Gbps effective memory clock. One can overclock the memory of this graphics card but it is more of a hit and miss situation and there is a chance that you won’t be able to get the same clocks as the Pulse or Red Dragon variant. As for the cooling, the graphics card stays cool but the cooling solution is incompetent and has loopholes, which is why the fans have to work hard to achieve similar temperatures as other variants, leading to noisy operation.

The XFX RX 5600 XT Thicc II PRO is a premium option and we would recommend a decent CPU and motherboard combo to bring out its full potential. The i7-13700k is a good option, if you want an intel build, just pair it up with a good Intel motherboard.

Also checkout: Best LGA1700 coolers

 All-in-all, if you are not concerned about the operating noise of the graphics card and are attracted by the professional looks of this graphics card, you should definitely check the details.

4. GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT GAMING OC 6G

Tri-fan Design

Pros

  • Comes with three fans
  • Has beastly looks
  • High-end cooling solution

Cons

  • Pricier than other variants
  • Might not fit in small cases

Boost Core Clock: 1620 MHz | Shader Processing Units: 2304 | Memory: 6 GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: N/A | Length: 11.02 Inches | No. of Fans: 3 | RGB Lighting: Yes | Graphics Outputs: 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Maximum Nominal Power Consumption: 150 W

GIGABYTE is a well-known company that designs a lot of products and their graphics cards are known for great cooling solutions. GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5600 XT GAMING OC is from the higher-end variants of the RX 5600 XT and provides some unique features like tri-fan design and RGB lighting. The RGB lighting is present only at the top GIGABYTE logo but something is better than nothing. The design of the fan shroud looks amazing too and the card comes with a solid backplate.

The performance of this graphics is although similar to the XFX Thicc II Pro variant, the overclocking capability of this graphics card is a bit higher due to a better cooling solution. The tri-fan design comes handy and not only performs great but also has lower noise than the Thicc variant. Due to the lengthy form factor, the card might not fit in small cases, so make sure that you check the GPU clearance of your case before buying this graphics card.

Related read : Best CPU coolers for i9-13900k

Overall, this graphics card is great for those people who like to make their rigs beastly, although the graphics card is slightly pricier than other variants.

5. MSI Radeon RX 5600 XT MECH OC

Compact Form Factor

Pros

  • Compact design
  • Great acoustic performance
  • Boxy design looks cool

Cons

  • No RGB lighting
  • Premium price

855 Reviews

Boost Core Clock: 1620 MHz | Shader Processing Units: 2304 | Memory: 6 GB GDDR6 | Memory Clock: N/A | Length: 9.09 Inches | No. of Fans: 2 | RGB Lighting: No | Graphics Outputs: 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Maximum Nominal Power Consumption: 150 W

MSI Radeon RX 5600 XT MECH OC is the last on our list but it is an interesting card nonetheless. The looks of the card are exquisite and this new Mech variant is one of the first from MSI. There is no RGB lighting in these variants and you should go for Gaming X/Z variants if you want RGB lighting but all of those bells and whistles tend to increase the price of the graphics card, which is why the Mech OC version seems a very attractive product. In fact, despite the lack of RGB lighting, the graphics card looks quite cool. The backplate of the graphics card does not have vents, although there won’t be much of a difference in the cooling performance.

As for the performance is concerned, the graphics card is clocked at 1620 MHz, which is the same as the GIGABYTE GAMING OC and the Thicc II Pro variant. The cooling solution of the graphics card is quite good and keeps the card fairly cool despite having a smaller form factor than most of the variants. Moreover, these MSI Torq fans are very good at keeping the noise down. When it comes to overclocking, fiddling around might give you a little bit boost, especially in the memory department, however, the gains are not going to be significant.

 However, if you want a boxy-shaped graphics card and you are a fan of MSI products, then MSI Radeon RX 5600 XT MECH OC will be a great product for you, however, it is surely overpriced for the given features even if by a small amount.

To conclude, the RX 5600XT can be little expensive for some consumers. If you are going for a more GPU intensive build then going for a budget CPU is a good idea as it will save you some money and offer great performance.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ace Luke


Ace Luke is a Washington Accord certified computer engineer with a keen interest in gaming and reviewing computer hardware since childhood.