Sapphire’s recently released Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB is now available for $229.99. The Navi 24-powered graphics card is only $20 more costly than the standard Radeon RX 6500 XT, which is one of the best graphics cards for the money. Sapphire announced a brand-new Radeon RX 6500 XT with 8GB of memory.
The previously entry-level graphics card has now doubled the 4GB quota of the original model. Nothing else has significantly changed; the GPU and memory performance specs remain unchanged, but we anticipate a price increase due to the additional VRAM. The RX 6500 XT is one of the best graphics cards, owing primarily to its low price, but we’d prefer a faster GPU for a little more money.
The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT was widely ignored when it was first released as underpowered and under-featured. The 4GB of GDDR6 memory was one of the more dubious factors of the Radeon RX 6500 XT. AMD argued in a blog post titled “Game Beyond 4GB,” released in 2020, that 4GB was insufficient for modern gaming. As a result, AMD’s decision to include only 4GB of memory in the Radeon RX 6500 XT continues to perplex many.
RX 6500 XT 8GB Storage Graphics Card
Sapphire’s Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB, on the other hand, addresses the Radeon RX 6500 XT’s memory shortfall. Unfortunately, AMD does not formally list a Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB on its website. Sapphire apparently produced the 8GB version on its initiative, and other vendors may not follow suit. The 8GB Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT is probably quicker than the 4GB Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT.
The 8GB model has a game clock of 2,695 MHz and a boost clock of 2,855 MHz. Meanwhile, the 4GB model has a game clock of 2,685 MHz and a boost clock of 2,825 MHz. That’s a difference of less than 2%. The memory system has received the most significant upgrade. However, it appears that both Intel and Nvidia have attempted to make it look like a winner in the interim period by having to release competing graphics cards such as the Arc A380 and RTX 1630.
AMD’s own Radeon RX 6400 also helps make the RX 6500 XT appear quite powerful. There were also concerns about using a PCIe x4 connection — not a massive deal with PCIe 4.0. However, a particular issue in older generation systems is slower PCIe standards and limited display interconnection (one HDMI and one DisplayPort). Finally, the utter absence of hardware video encoding support. In short, no one was requesting more VRAM except Sapphire’s marketing department.
Review of RX 6500 XT 8GB
Memory capacity was not our primary concern when testing the RX 6500 XT. We noticed that the specs and features of the RX 6600 are now. There were some concerns about the appropriate definition, but they were more about the 64-bit bus than the 4GB. Sapphire’s new model has twice the memory of the original. The memory, however, continues to operate at 18 Gbps across a 64-bit memory interaction.
As a result, the Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB has the same 143.9 Gbps memory bandwidth as any other Radeon RX 6500 XT. The Radeon RX 6500 XT graphics card has a power output of 107W. Sapphire prices the 4GB and 8GB models at 130W of board power.
However, the manufacturer was forced to swap PCIe power interconnects due to the slightly quicker clock speeds and double memory. Consequently, the Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB has an 8-pin PCIe power connector rather than the 6-pin one found on the 4GB model.
Display Outputs are limited to a Single HDMI 2.1 Port and a Display Port 1.4 port.
On Newegg, the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB costs $229.99 (opens in new tab). The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB originally cost that much. Before discounts and promotions, the 4GB model costs $209.99(opens in new tab). For $20, you get twice the memory (10 percent ).
The issue is that other specially made Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB models start at $185. So, the Sapphire graphics card already enjoys a price advantage over its competitors. To make matters worse, the Radeon RX 6600 is accessible for as little as $259.99.
Pro
- Theoretically cheaper than other models
- 1080p medium/high performance
- Not much power is required
Cons
- 64-bit memory and x4 PCIe slot connectivity
- Slower than GPUs
