AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB

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AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB
It's hard not to like what AMD has accomplished here, as it ultimately benefits PC gamers with better performance and lower barriers to entry. We'd have been more impressed if the RX 480 was more efficient or a better overclocker. AMD is pushing the RX 480 for VR gaming, though we tend to think this is the bare minimum you will want to have, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the year to come.
– As reviewed by TechSpot on Jun 2016
GCN 4.0 (Polaris)
Architecture
Midrange
Product Tier
2304
Shader Cores
32
ROPs
144
TMUs
No RT
Ray Tracing
8 GB
Memory
GDDR5
Memory Type
256 GB/s
Bandwidth
150 W
TDP
GPU Snapshot
Release date:Jun 29, 2016Price at Launch:$229
Type:DesktopArchitecture:GCN 4.0 (Polaris)
Generation:RX 400 seriesProduct Tier:Midrange
VRAM Capacity:8 GBTotal Board Power:150 W
Core Configuration
Shader Cores:2304TMUs:144
ROPs:32L2 Cache:2 MB
Memory
VRAM Capacity:8 GBMemory Type:GDDR5
Memory Speed:8 GbpsMemory Bus:256-bit
Bandwidth:256 GB/s
Graphics Processing
Base Clock:1.12 GHzBoost Clock:1.26 GHz
FP32 Throughput:5.83 TFLOPsRay Tracing:No
Process Size:14nmProcess Name:GlobalFoundries 14LPP
Die Size:232 mm²
Power & Connectivity
Total Board Power:150 WPower Connectors:1x 6-pin
Bus Interface:PCIe 3.0 x16HDMI Support:HDMI 2.0b
DisplayPort Support:DP 1.4aDSC:No
Max Displays:4
Media & Software Support
DirectX Support:12Shader Model:6.7
Vulkan Version:1.3OpenGL Version:4.6

Reviews and Ratings

86

Average Score

Based on 18 reviews

7.8

User Score

Based on 43 reviews

Reviewers Liked

  • Great value for mainstream gaming at 1080p and 1440p
  • Widens its lead in DirectX 12 benchmarks
  • GTX 980 performance for less
  • Quiet operation
  • Dirt-cheap price

Reviewers Didn't Like

  • Poor overclocking capabilities
  • WattMan clearly still in BETA
  • Build quality show the card's budget roots
  • Still not as power efficient as GeForce cards
85

It's hard not to like what AMD has accomplished here, as it ultimately benefits PC gamers with better performance and lower barriers to entry. We'd have been more impressed if the RX 480 was more efficient or a better overclocker. AMD is pushing the RX 480 for VR gaming, though we tend to think this is the bare minimum you will want to have, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the year to come.

By TechSpot on
86

Finally, the Nvidia GPU with the larger memory configuration is more expensive than the RX 480, so you largely get what you pay for. Regardless, the RX 480 is an impressive GPU from AMD and is a great pick for those hoping to get into the world of VR via the red team. Based on this GPU’s capabilities we can’t wait to see what AMD has in store for us with its big Vega GPU.

By IGN on
60

AMD has once again left it to their AIB partners to fill in the performance gaps to bring out RX 480's with more robust power delivery designs, and hopefully more overclocking headroom to help it compete with the GTX 1060. As it stands, the reference RX...

By CriticalHit on
90

AMD has returned with another value-driven card that delivers the goods. Whether you're looking to game at 60 fps at 1080p, hook up a 120Hz FreeSync monitor or even dip your toes into 1440p gaming, this card does it all without breaking the...

By TechRadar on
90

AMD's first graphics card built around its cutting-edge Polaris GPU delivers big performance and better power efficiency for just $200.

By PCWorld on
85

Right this second, the RX 480 sets a new bar for performance and smoothness at its price point, and it's undoubtedly the midrange card we'd recommend to most—at least, once AMD's board partners get their hands on it. It'll be interesting to see what Nvidia's answer to the RX 480 will be, but for now, we're excited to see where AMD will go now that it has its eyes on the stars.

By TechReport on
90

The build up has been tremendous and the product is very strong, but the Radeon RX 480 will have a battle on its hands again sooner rather than later. One advantage that AMD may hold over NVIDIA is on availability - if the RX 480 is widely available for the next several weeks, I see no reason why product shouldn't fly off the shelves. It's not perfect, and there are openings to be taken advantage of if competition is on point, but for the vast majority of PC gamers in the world, the Radeon RX 480 might be the perfect card at the perfect time.

By PC Persperctive on
90

I like the Radeon RX 480, I really do. But considering it is so very close to the 390 series I do foresee a problem. Anyone that is already in that performance bracket will simply skip this product and wait for Vega (AMD's future replacement for the 390 series). But it works both ways, anyone looking for an affordable upgrade to a WQHD capable graphics card coming from say a 280/380... well, this card series will offer killah value for money.

By The Guru of 3D on
85

If you have a 1080p screen, the AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB has "Winner" written all over it. And with 1080p in mind, the 4GB will likely be great at 1080p too. We are unsure if we will see any benefit to a 8GB RX 480 at 1080p, but we will be testing that. If you have a 1440p screen or higher, we suggest you look at other GPU options. We only hope AMD can maintain a competitive edge on the hardware front moving forward this year. We have lots more planned for the Radeon RX 480, so stay tuned.

By HardOCP on
90

In the end, we get performance somewhere between a Radeon R9 290 and 390 at dramatically lower power and a $240 price tag. Compare that to GeForce GTX 970 with half as much memory for ~$280 and Radeon R9 390 8GB in the same neighborhood. It’s hardly what we’d call the cusp of a revolution, particularly since you still have to pay $600 for a Rift or $800 for the Vive. But we certainly appreciate the combination of smaller, faster, cooler and quieter, all for less money. Moreover, AMD says the 4GB version’s performance isn’t far off, and that card should start at $200. Expect the cost-conscious crowd to veer in that direction instead.

By TomsHardware on
90

The RX480 is very fast (particularly in DX12), reasonably efficient and extremely well priced given the framerates it can achieve. AMD is assuring it will be broadly available from day one as well. It is in many ways a perfect budget-focused card for both current and future games.

By HardwareCanucks on
90

The Radeon RX 480 is the card to buy for Full HD gaming right now.

By TrustedReviews on
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