Asus TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT, XTX GPU Frequencies Revealed

Asus TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT/X graphics cards
(Image credit: Asus)

With little over a week until the official release of the first crop of AMD Radeon RX 7000 graphics cards based on the RDNA 3 architecture, teases, leaks and spills are starting to flow free and fast. Earlier today Asus announced the default and OC mode clocks of its upcoming TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT OC and RX 7900 XTX OC edition graphics cards.

Details on the vital specs is welcome, but at the same time perhaps disappointing that these 3.6 slot behemoths with triple 8-pin power inputs only achieve an approximate 9% faster GPU clock speed, at best, compared to the relatively slim twin-8-pin power AMD reference models.

(Image credit: Asus)

In early November Asus published the product pages for the TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XT/X graphics cards, but omitted information regarding GPU clock speeds. It's not likely this is a slip by Asus, so other Radeon RX 7000 series graphics card makers like PowerColor and Sapphire might follow suit with spec reveals shortly.

So, what about these third-party custom design Asus TUF GPU clocks? The best way to check and compare the specs is via a table, which we've put together below:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Asus TUF RX 7900 XTX OC

AMD Reference RX 7900 XTX

Asus TUF RX 7900 XT OC

AMD Reference RX 7900 XT

Default Game / Boost (MHz)

2,395 / 2,565

2,300 / 2,500

2,130 / 2,500

2,000 / 2,400

OC Game / Boost (MHz)

2,455 / 2,615

NA

2,175 / 2,535

NA

The overclocked (OC) game and boost clocks for the Asus TUF cards aren’t terribly exciting. The best Asus TUF OC speeds are at best approximately 9% faster than stock, with the improvements more like 4 or 5% in many cases.

When rumors of the RDNA 3 flagships first started to swirl, some were expecting GPU clocks approaching 3 GHz. Hope for RDNA 3 reaching up to this magic GPU clock milestone was rekindled three weeks ago, when AMD provided a deep dive into its latest GPU architecture. However, such lofty GPU clocks may be confined to the labs of overclockers using extreme and exotic cooling, if we base expectations on these powerfully air-cooled Asus TUF design specifications.

(Image credit: Asus)

It is a little over a week until the Radeon RX 7900 XT/X GPUs are released by AMD. We aren’t sure when partners will push out their custom designs, and there remains a question mark regarding custom design pricing. The Asus TUF Gaming cards are ‘OC’ specimens, so will likely command a premium over the reference spec prices of $899 and $999 for the RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX, respectively. Hopefully, there will be plenty of supply for the initial wave of enthusiasm, so we can avoid scalpers souring the market, again.

Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

  • Makaveli
    With those numbers for a 3rd 8 pin not impressed think I will stay with the reference models when its time to upgrade.
    Reply
  • Elusive Ruse
    I wonder if that's an architecture limitation cause AMD went pretty conservative with power draw (I know I know, 300+ is still high). Regardless, if other AICs fail to deliver as well, then this gen might cost us more than EVGA unless AMD intentionally limit production to give their partners a leg up. Nvidia apparently have other plans and see the AICs as expendable.
    Reply
  • PEnns
    "These 3.6 slot behemoths ..."
    It seems Asus will not rest till they take away ALL our slots!!

    And all that for 9% faster clock than reference...
    Reply
  • Polaris983
    MSRP cost for this AIB vs the Nvidia GPU with the same cooler will be the "make or break" moment for Asus and their excuses for charging 500 dollars more here for and AMD flagship GPU with the exact same AIB found on the 4080 and 4090 here for the strix model. Charging 300 to $500 more for an AIB cooler is usually about water cooling not some chunky air cooler here.
    Reply
  • btmedic04
    I bet asus will charge $1299 for this while their marketing department tells you that you're buying a cooler and quieter card. No thanks. I want the thinner and smaller reference model that doesn't come with the asus tax.
    Reply
  • hannibal
    Elusive Ruse said:
    I wonder if that's an architecture limitation cause AMD went pretty conservative with power draw (I know I know, 300+ is still high). Regardless, if other AICs fail to deliver as well, then this gen might cost us more than EVGA unless AMD intentionally limit production to give their partners a leg up. Nvidia apparently have other plans and see the AICs as expendable.

    Well, I would not call 300W sensible. I would call 450W insane ;)

    So yeah, 300W is better, 200W would be sensible. IMHO
    But that also tells that gaming GPUs are pushed really far and competition in high end is going to be expensive. So the high end is not anymore everybodys busines. We have now Ferrari, Lamborghini level GPUs that are not sensible any more, unless you want to use as much power as possible and want to pay as much money as possible. Nvidia 4070 and AMD 7700 or 7800 are the real high-end, with everyman's power usage and everyman's high-end prices. (not counting the least gen GPUs in this list than are or should be the bang for the buck option...)

    That $1299 sound very plausible to Asus TUF 7900XTX, most likely even more than that. How much is Asus 4080 TUF OC? $1500?
    Reply
  • Elusive Ruse
    hannibal said:
    Well, I would not call 300W sensible. I would call 450W insane ;)

    So yeah, 300W is better, 200W would be sensible. IMHO
    But that also tells that gaming GPUs are pushed really far and competition in high end is going to be expensive. So the high end is not anymore everybodys busines. We have now Ferrari, Lamborghini level GPUs that are not sensible any more, unless you want to use as much power as possible and want to pay as much money as possible. Nvidia 4070 and AMD 7700 or 7800 are the real high-end, with everyman's power usage and everyman's high-end prices. (not counting the least gen GPUs in this list than are or should be the bang for the buck option...)

    That $1299 sound very plausible to Asus TUF 7900XTX, most likely even more than that. How much is Asus 4080 TUF OC? $1500?
    You are right, the GPUs are pushed to such limits that a GPU like 4090 is now being used by professionals who probably don't even have time to play games. And to a lot of them, they are probably getting a sweet deal when you compare the price performance of a 4090 with lower end Quadro/A RTX or whatever Nvidia is calling them nowadays.

    As for higher-end everyman's cards, for me the $800 mark (adjusting for today's highly inflated prices) is the ceiling. If I'm paying $1000 or more after taxes, that card better be making me money.
    Reply