From August, manufacturers want to deliver the first custom models for AMD’s new Radeon RX 5700 XT. It’s worth waiting for the custom models for gamers, as they solve the biggest problem of the reference design.
AMD’s new Radeon RX 5700 XT is considered a good graphics card for the WQHD range. However, one problem affects the overall picture: the reference model gets very hot and is terribly loud while gaming. High heat reduces the performance of the graphics card. Now, custom models promise a better solution.
Why are so many excited about the custom design:
High noise and heat: AMD is again relying on an axial fan for its reference design of the Radeon RX 5700 XT. The problem here is that an axial fan needs proper airflow in the case: if the airflow is lacking, heat buildup occurs much faster than with a radial fan.
Furthermore, for instance, Computerbase complains that the reference model of the Radeon RX 5700 XT is way too loud under load.
Many gamers are now hoping for the manufacturers: The custom designs usually offer a different cooler that cools the GPU significantly better and is usually quieter as well. The high-quality custom designs also offer higher clock rates than the reference model.
Should I wait or opt for the reference design? How well the RX 5700 XT performs and why waiting for the custom designs for the RX 5700 XT might be worth it for you has also been summarized in this article:
Who has announced custom designs for the RX 5700 XT so far?
Next, we’ll look at which custom models are already known. Currently, Asrock and MSI have announced custom cards.
Which custom model has Asrock announced for the RX 5700 XT?
These are the first models from Asrock: Asrock has been active in the graphics card market since 2018 and has now announced in a Reddit post that they will deliver the first models of the Challenger starting from the second week of August. There should also be the Phantom Gaming and Taichi series. At least with the Phantom Gaming series, Asrock has so far managed to impress with a powerful and quiet cooler design.
Slight increase of GPU clock by Asrock: Asrock only slightly raises the base clock in the custom design. If you are mainly interested in even more performance, then the Asrock model might not be suitable for you, as it only offers minimal additional performance. The main reason to buy the Asrock Challenger is the improved cooling system. All other technical specifications remain at the level of the reference model of the RX 5700 XT.
RX 5700 XT Reference vs. Custom Design from Asrock
| GPU | Reference model | Asrock Challenger |
| Manufacturing | 7 nm | 7 nm |
| Transistors | 10.3 billion | 10.3 billion |
| GPU clock (base) | 1,605 MHz | 1,650 MHz |
| GPU clock (boost) | 1,905 MHz | 1,905 MHz |
| Memory clock | 1,750 MHz | 1,750 MHz |
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory size | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Memory interface | 256 bit | 256 bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 448 GB/s | 448 GB/s |
| Shader units | 2,560 | 2,560 |
| Texture units | 160 | 160 |
| ROPs | 64 | 64 |
MSI announces seven custom models for RX 5700 XT
Seven announced models from MSI: We know seven custom models from MSI for the RX 5700 XT. Below, we will look at the most important models:
Evoke series for professionals: For enthusiasts and professionals, there is the Evoke series, where MSI places the Mech-OC series with gaming models. Here, a lot of performance is offered, but you should also expect a higher price.
Mech-OC series for gamers: The gaming models of the Mech-OC series primarily rely on TORX Fan 2.0 fans and come with a backplate. The TORX fan coolers are also used in the MSI RTX 2060 Super Ventus OC and perform well here.
Air-Boost series for beginners: The Air-Boost series is the more affordable series from MSI, here you must be ready for some compromises. Here, MSI might follow the example of the reference model by using a radial fan, which has been very loud so far.
Leak about the first custom design from XFX
First custom design from XFX: An image of the first custom design for the RX 5700 XT has surfaced via Techpowerup. So far, the very large cooling system with two 100 mm fans and the cooling body behind it can be seen. There are currently no technical details about XFX’s custom design yet.
PowerColor: Our custom design will appear very soon
Via Facebook, a hint about PowerColor’s first custom design has appeared. According to the image, the cheapest card from PowerColor will soon be available for $399.
Custom design from Sapphire: Sapphire Pulse announced
First model from Sapphire: The first custom design from Sapphire has appeared in the online shop of Overclockers.co.uk. The price is £368.99, which is around €400. Unfortunately, there are no further details about the performance of the custom card at this time. The Pulse series is considered an entry-level model from Sapphire.
What speaks for the fact that an answer to the Super 2080 is coming soon
In recent weeks, AMD has secured all model names related to its own model names from RX 5500 XT to RX 5950 XT. PCBuildersClub suspects that AMD is already planning a Navi 12 chip that offers significantly better performance and can compete with the RTX 2080 Super.
How good is the RTX 2080 Super actually: How does the RTX 2080 Super perform in tests? This and much more about the RTX 2080 Super can be found in our summary:
