Gigabyte has added new Radeon models to its lineup. That’s good news for anyone tired of all-black components. Alongside the budget-friendly Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming OC and RX 9070 XT Gaming OC, the company is introducing “Ice” variants that pair a white shroud with gray and silver accents. As long as pricing doesn’t stray far from the standard black versions, they should rank among the best-value white cards on the market.
The Radeon RX 9070 XT probably needs no introduction at this point. We covered it in detail, along with the RX 9070, at launch in articles dedicated to the RDNA4 architecture and the parameters of both models, their features, and new technologies they introduce. We have also tested numerous models from various manufacturers across different price segments.
The key innovations and changes that the new generation of Radeons, including the RX 9060 XT, bring compared to the RX 7000 series include:
- Improved ray tracing: The third generation of RT accelerators offers double the performance compared to the previous generation.
- Enhanced AI acceleration: Second-generation AI accelerators with significantly higher performance per unit and support for new data types such as FP8
- FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4): Advanced supersampling and frame generation using AI.
The Radeon RX 9070 XT is the most powerful model in the current generation of cards with the RDNA4 architecture. It uses the Navi48 chip as its foundation. The RX 9070 XT features a fully unlocked chip with 64 CUs, 4096 stream processors, 128 raster operations units, and 256 texture units. Detailed specifications are in the table below.
Following the launch of the Radeon RX 9070 series, I tested the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC 16G model from the mid-range, in a black finish. It was equipped with GDDR6 memory from Hynix. Some time ago, I also received a card with chips from Samsung; we examined the differences compared to the Hynix version in articles focusing on operating characteristics and later in a performance comparison.
Today, I have a new card from Gigabyte for testing—the RX 9070 XT Gaming OC in a white finish.
Gigabyte AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice 16G in test
(GV-R907XGAMINGOCICE-16GD)
Gigabyte currently has four Radeon RX 9070 XT models in its lineup. The top model is the Aorus Radeon RX 9070 XT Elite 16G (starting from 746 EUR). Below it is the overclocked version, the Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16G (from 661 EUR), and the newly released variant, the Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice 16G. The most affordable should be the RX 9070 XT Gaming with reference clocks (price starts around 660 EUR). However, it’s only a few euros cheaper than the OC version, so it only makes sense to buy it if you plan to underclock the RX 9070 XT to reduce power consumption and noise.
- Aorus Radeon RX 9070 XT Elite 16G: boost clock up to 3100 MHz, game clock up to 2570 MHz
- Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice 16G: boost clock up to 3060 MHz, game clock up to 2520 MHz
- Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC 16G: boost clock up to 3060 MHz, game clock up to 2520 MHz
- Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming 16G: boost clock up to 2970 MHz, game clock up to 2400 MHz
Although the Radeon RX 9070 XT Gaming OC Ice is positioned among the more affordable models, it doesn’t lack a dual BIOS. The Performance mode is active by default, where the card has a more aggressive fan control curve. The fans run at higher speeds in this mode. As a result, the chip has lower temperatures and power consumption, allowing it to run at slightly higher clock speeds within the set power limit. In the Silent mode, the fan speeds under load are somewhat lower, making the card noticeably quieter, but the performance difference is almost unmeasurable.
The boost clock is increased from the reference 2970 MHz to up to 3060 MHz. The stated typical game clock is raised from 2400 MHz to up to 2520 MHz. In practice, operating clock speeds are usually higher. Details can be found in the chapters with operating characteristics tests, which also include graphs showing clock speed progression.
The first set of screenshots belongs to the Performance BIOS.
The GPU-Z monitoring shows only the usual data as on other models. The fans are monitored and regulated via a single header. The power limit can be set on both BIOS versions in the range of -30 to +10 % (231 to 363 W).
The second set of screenshots shows values from the Silent BIOS. Neither the clocks stored in the BIOS nor the power limit differ. The difference lies solely in the fan control curve settings, but this cannot be read from diagnostic utilities.
The HWiNFO application can extract the most information from the monitoring systems of most cards. You can see the list of sensors available for the tested card in the latest version of the application in the screenshot below. The left shows the Performance BIOS, the right shows the Silent BIOS; both display the power limit set at 330 W. It is therefore increased compared to the reference value of 304 W.
On the back of the packaging, Gigabyte presents the card’s features and the proprietary technologies it utilizes. First and foremost, it boasts a stylish design with smooth color lighting and a sliding cover on the side of the card. A metal backplate with a rounded edge, also attached to the bracket, provides significant reinforcement for the card. The Windforce cooling system uses newly designed Hawk fans, claimed to achieve higher efficiency and lower noise, along with a cooler featuring a vapor chamber base and composite heat pipes that cool both the GPU and memory. Lastly, it mentions Screen Cooling technology, referring to the open-pass-through section of the fin stack designed to better exhaust heat from the cooler upwards, away from the card.
The card is powered by a trio of traditional 8-pin connectors, so it doesn’t require power adapters. It’s also not particularly heavy, so it manages without a support bracket. Therefore, the accessories include only a concise installation manual.
In the next chapter, we will take a closer look at the cooler’s design and other features of the card.
