If black PC builds bore you, you’ll be pleased that the selection of white components is growing. Gigabyte has newly added Radeon RX 9060 XT and RX 9070 XT Gaming OC models in an Ice variant. Their core specs and features match the classic Gaming OC models; the less traditional look combines a white shroud with grey and silver accents. And since they rank among the most affordable models, they’re among the best-value white cards.
The construction of the white RX 9060 XT Gaming OC Ice variant is no different from the standard black Gaming OC version. However, the colors of the plastics and the color accents of other elements differ. The black-colored fans and plastic shroud parts have been replaced by white-colored plastics. The shades of the grey elements are also different, and the color of the backplate and printing is distinct.
The rear of the PCB is protected by a metal backplate. In the rear section, behind the PCB, there is a cutout through which air can flow freely through part of the fin stack directly upwards from the card. It provides greater support for the card also because it is screwed to the bracket.
The heatsink has a base made of thick copper plate, from which composite heat pipes draw heat away. It cools both the graphics chip and the memory.
Heat from the MOSFETs is transferred via thermal gel to smaller bases, through which it moves into the tall fins on the heatsink.
The fans are counter-rotating, with the middle fan having the opposite rotation direction. In the area where the blades of adjacent impellers meet, they move in the same direction, so they also push air in the same direction and don’t have to fight each other. As a result, the fan speeds fluctuate less, and the cooler’s acoustic profile is more even.
Beneath the third fan, you can see the window of the open-pass-through fin stack, which extends roughly two-thirds of its diameter.
The fans are much smaller than those commonly found on cards today. The impeller diameter is approx. 75 mm, with a height of only about 7 mm. They are thus very low-profile with narrow blades. To achieve airflow similar to fans with blades of greater area, they will need higher RPM. Or put differently—even at high speeds, they will be quieter than fans with larger blades. Keep this in mind when you’re surprised by the high operatng speeds shown in the graphs with test results.
The cooler is compact. From the side, you can see that the fin stack fills practically all the space under the shroud. In the rear part, behind the PCB, the fin stack is additionally extended.
Along the outer edge of the card is a sliding cover. You can slide the transparent Gigabyte logo over a strip backlit by ARGB LEDs. The lighting effects can be configured using the Gigabyte Control Center application.
Weighing 850 g, the card is among the lighter ones. The black variant tested in June was, for some reason, about 20 g lighter.
The card is just over 28 cm in length. Its width extends less than a centimeter from the bracket. Its height is about four centimeters, and it fits within a two-slot space.
A single 8-pin connector is used for auxiliary power. Above it is an LED signaling power issues. If it is off, everything is fine; if it is lit, the cable is disconnected; and if it is blinking, there is a problem with the power supply.
The port configuration is more modest than on most current cards. Instead of the usual three DisplayPort 2.1b connectors, the card has only two, complemented by an HDMI 2.1b connector. The DisplayPorts support UHBR13.5 mode, whereas GeForce cards already support the faster UHBR20 mode.
That should suffice regarding the card’s design; in the following chapters, we will look at the test results.
⠀
