Table of Contents
Lower-performance graphics card series are always at the end of the queue of each new graphics card generation. It’s also the case with the Radeon RX 7600, released about a half year after the flagship RX 7900 XT/XTX. The lower performance and much more wallet-friendly RX 7600 is designed for less demanding gamers, for whom 1080p display resolution is just right. AMD directly describes the RX 7600 as a perfect GPU for 1080p and advertises it as such. I’m sure our review will answer whether the RX 7600, and more specifically the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8G, is ideal for lower display resolutions and is worth its price.
Gigabyte is well-known for successful graphics cards, so we don’t worry about the quality of the product but rather about how much it offers to the largest group of gamers who still use lower display resolutions.
Breakthrough Performance
Break through new levels of performance with up to 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and blazing fast clock speeds for an incredible gaming experience. Radeon™ RX 7600 graphics cards feature advanced AMD RDNA™ 3 compute units, with second-generation raytracing accelerators and new AI accelerators to deliver remarkable performance while maximizing graphical fidelity.
AMD Radeon RX 7600 GAME | STREAM | ADVANCE, Source: AMD, YouTube
Specifications
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8G vs AMD Radeon RX 7600
| Reference AMD Radeon RX 7600 | Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8G | |
| GPU Engine Specs: | ||
| Graphics Processor | Radeon RX 7600 | Radeon RX 7600 |
| Boost Clock (GHz) | 2.655 | 2.755 |
| Game Clock (GHz) | 2.250 | 2.355 |
| Stream Processors | 2048 | 2048 |
| Memory Specs: | ||
| Standard Memory Config | 8 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| Memory Clock | 18Gbps | 18Gbps |
| Memory Bandwidth | 288 GB/s (effective 476.9GB/s) | 288 GB/s (effective 476.9GB/s) |
| AMD Infinity Cache Technology | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Technology Support: | ||
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution AMD Link AMD Noise Suppression AMD Radeon™ FRTC AMD Radeon™ Super Resolution AMD Smart Access Memory AMD Smart Access Video AMD Privacy View AMD Radeon™ Boost AMD Radeon™ Anti-Lag AMD Radeon™ Image Sharpening AMD Enhanced Sync Technology AMD FreeSync™ Technology AMD Radeon™ Chill AMD Virtual Super Resolution | ||
| Display Support: | ||
| Maximum Display Resolution | 7680×4320 | 7680×4320 |
| Standard Display Connectors | DisplayPort up to 2.1 HDMI 2.1 | DisplayPort 1.4a x2 HDMI 2.1a x2 |
| Multi Monitor | up to 4 | up to 4 |
| HDCP | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Card Dimensions: | ||
| Length | 204 mm | 282 mm |
| Slots | 2-Slot | 2-Slot (50 mm) |
| Thermal and Power Specs: | ||
| Maximum GPU Temperature (in C) | 90 | 90 |
| Total Graphics Power (W) | 115 | 115 |
| Required System Power (W) (8) | 550 | 550 |
| Supplementary Power Connectors | 1x PCIe 8-pin cable | 1x PCIe 8-pin cable |
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC runs at higher GPU frequencies than the reference version. It also has a significantly longer cooler, 282mm vs 204mm. These are two main differences between the reference AMD card and the overclocked Gigabyte. The list of Gigabyte-specific features is longer, but most are well-known and common to most Gigabyte graphics cards, so we can even say that they became a standard.
Some more details about our graphics card we can see in diagnostic software like GPU-Z. Let’s look at the screenshot and results in the default settings.
The card boosts up to 2914MHz with a maximum reported board power draw of 215W. In reality, these are only spikes, as the typical maximum wattage will be around 170W. It’s still significantly more than the TDP of the competitive RTX 4060, which has 115W and stays at not much more under a high GPU load.
The tested Gigabyte RX 7600 has as high a memory frequency as the reference version, so 2250MHz. We can’t count on improving it much by overclocking, as the driver’s limit is only 2400MHz.
Temperatures during tests were low due to the improved Gigabyte cooler. The cooler seems to be even too large for the RX 7600, but we at least can be sure that the card won’t throttle and run quietly. I will describe other specifications during our tests, while right now, we already know that the Gigabyte RX 7600 will perform better than the AMD reference version.
Features
WINDFORCE COOLING SYSTEMThe WINDFORCE cooling system features three 80mm unique blade fans, alternate spinning, 5 composite copper heat pipes that directly touch the GPU, a 3D active fan, and Screen cooling, which together provide high-efficiency heat dissipation.
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RGB FUSIONWith 16.7M customizable color options and numerous lighting effects, you can choose any lighting effect or synchronize with other devices in GIGABYTE CONTROL CENTER. |
DESIGN CONCEPT |
EXCELLENT IN ESSENTIAL
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BUILT STRONG
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GIGABYTE CONTROL CENTERGIGABYTE CONTROL CENTER (GCC) is a unified software for all GIGABYTE supported products. It provides an intuitive interface that allows users to adjust clock speed, voltage, fan mode and power target in real-time. |
Retail Packaging and Accessories
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8G arrived in a retail package, which is typical for graphics cards, quite a large box. The package clearly says what we can expect inside, so the Gigabyte graphics card from the latest AMD generation. The package’s exterior says almost everything we need to know, including general specifications and product features.
Besides the graphics card, we won’t find anything else in the box. The card uses a typical 8-pin PCIe power connector, and since all modern power supplies are equipped with at least one of those connectors, there is no need for adapters. As with most hardware brands nowadays, Gigabyte also reduces the amount of printed paper, and we won’t get large manuals like in old product series. Every guide and multiple tips are available on the Gigabyte product website.
A Closer Look at the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8G
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8G design
The tested card is the only RX 7600 in Gigabyte’s offer. It clearly asks for at least one more smaller option that fits SFF computers. The card is 282mm long, so it fits most PC cases but may cause some problems in small ITX cases, which are often designed for up to 260mm long graphics cards.
The card is kept in silver and black. The design is similar to what we can see for a few years, with some improvements. We can like it or not, but Gigabyte cards are very popular, so most of the gaming community has to like them.
The front is made primarily of plastic, and the back has a nicely finished aluminum backplate with a large hole that improves the cooling and air transfer to the back of the card. It’s a simple but functional idea that is also popular in competitive graphics cards. Because of that, the card is significantly extended and is much longer than the PCB.
The long card has enough space to install three 80mm fans. The center fan spins in a different direction than the side fans to give the best air pressure at the lowest noise and reduce turbulence. Fans are also semi-passive, so they will turn off when the card is not heavily loaded. Simple, but this is exactly what we expect from a gaming graphics card.
The new Nvidia cards brought to us new power connectors that give mixed feelings. AMD cards still use regular 8-pin power plugs, which seems advantageous. The connector is placed in a typical spot on the top of the card.
We can’t forget about RGB illumination. Since the card is based on a lower GPU series, we can’t expect it to have a full RGB surface or any other fancy additions. However, on the top of the card is a GIGABYTE sign with an RGB backlight. It’s fully manageable from Gigabyte Center software. As you can see in the photos below, the card looks pretty good and should match most gaming computers.
The I/O includes two DisplayPort 1.4a ports and two HDMI 2.1a ports. We can be sure that every display resolution, up to 8K, will be supported. Playing popular games at 8K won’t be possible, but we can use it for office work on multiple large displays.
The RX 7600 is designed to use eight PCIe lanes. It’s a clear disadvantage for all those who wish to upgrade older computers as installed on a PCIe 2.0 motherboard will significantly reduce the performance. It won’t be so visible on PCIe 3.0 motherboards, but the performance will still be lower than expected. It’s not Gigabyte’s idea to design the RX 7600 this way, but it opens a second-hand market to all those who are thinking about a faster graphics card for their older computer.
What’s under the hood?
As with probably every RX 7600 graphics card, the Gigabyte Gaming OC version also has a small PCB. The RX 7600 GPU isn’t very demanding, but Gigabyte still uses the eight-power phase design. Next to the GPU, we will find four Hynix memory chips totaling 8GB. There is one power phase for the memory. The card is asking for more VRAM, as 8GB is clearly not enough for some titles. I will tell you some more about it during the performance tests.
The cooler uses four heat pipes directly touching the GPU. Every heating-up component has a thermal pad, including memory chips and a power section. The cooler’s base cools the GPU and memory chips, spreading the heat with heat pipes onto a very large heatsink surface. The backplate is made of aluminum and helps cool the memory chips and the GPU. There are three thick thermal pads, as you can see in the photo. The large cooler seems even too good for the RX 7600 but guarantees good temperatures and low noise.
Stability at the Default Frequency
We had no problems with the stability of the RX 7600 Gaming OC graphics card. Everything passed without issues, including an extended 3DMark stability test. Below is a screenshot that was taken after the 3DMark Stability Test. Even the best cards barely ever pass 99%, so our result is pretty much the best we can get on any graphics card. I haven’t seen any higher scores on this test.
Test System and Testing Procedure
| Test System Components | |
| Motherboard | MSI Z690 Unify-X |
| CPU | Intel i9-12900K (stock) |
| CPU Cooler | ASUS Ryujin II 360 AIO |
| Memory | V-Color Manta RGB 32GB (16GBx2) DDR5-6600 CL34 |
| SSD | Silicon Power XS70 1TB NVMe (OS + Applications) |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX 1200W 80+ Platinum |
| Video Card | Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC |
Our test system is based on the mainstream Intel z690 platform and uses the i9-12900K 8P,8E/24t CPU, and 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, which already seems like a standard option for modern gaming computers. More details can be found in the GPU Testing Procedure article, which we have updated with our latest benchmarks. Below is a quick summary for easy reference.
- UL 3DMark Time Spy – Default settings
- UL 3DMark Fire Strike (Extreme) – Default settings
- UL 3DMark Port Royal – Default Settings (Ray Tracing capable cards only)
- UL 3DMark Speedway – Default settings
- Unigine Superposition – 1080p High
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider – DX12, “Highest” preset
- The Division 2 – DX12, Ultra preset, VSync Off
- Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey – Ultra High preset, VSync Off
- Far Cry 6 – Ultra defaults, HD Textures enabled
- F1 2022 – DX12, Very High defaults, Bahrain track
- Metro: Exodus – DX12, Ultra defaults
Synthetic Benchmarks
Our first set of benchmarks hails from Underwriters Laboratories, which acquired Futuremark in 2014. Earlier in 2018, a rebrand occurred, and since that time, Futuremark is now UL. The benchmarks have not changed, just the name. We chose to stick with 3DMark Fire Strike (Extreme), 3DMark Time Spy, 3DMark Speedway, and 3DMarkPort Royal, as these tests give users a good idea of performance on modern titles.
3DMark Fire Strike (Extreme) is a DX11-based test that runs at 1080p resolution. UL says the graphics are rendered with detail and complexity far beyond other DX11 benchmarks and games. 3DMark Time Spy is a DX12 benchmark designed for Windows 10 PCs. It supports new API features such as asynchronous computing, explicit multi-adapter, and multi-threading and runs at 2560 x 1440. 3DMark Port Royal is the first Ray Tracing benchmark designed for Windows PCs and graphics cards with Microsoft DirectX Raytracing capabilities.
In all synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7600 Gaming OC performs slightly better than the RX 6600XT, but in most tests, it is slower than the direct competitor from Nvidia – RTX 4060. Even though it’s understandable that the RX 7600 is a lower-series graphics card, we wish to see more spectacular results.
Gaming Benchmarks
We have updated our testing suite for gaming benchmarks to bring more modern titles into the mix. Gone are Battlefield V, F1 2021, Far Cry 5, AOTS:e, and World of Tanks, which have been replaced with Metro Exodus, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, F1 2022, and Far Cry 6. We kept The Division 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The games should provide a good view of the card’s overall performance with many DX12-based. One thing worth noting with these high-end cards is that they aren’t made for 1080p gaming, so the gaps between cards tend to get minimized.
1920 x 1080 (1080p) Results
All games at 1080p are just right for the Gigabyte RX 7600 Gaming OC. We can expect anything between 70 and 140 FPS average in popular titles. The only exception in our tests is Metro: Exodus, which has clear issues with the RX 7600 and is underperforming. Tests were repeated multiple times with similar results.
Overclocking helps, but it’s nothing significant and isn’t required. All games run at high graphics details, so the experience should be pretty good. Of course, it is assumed that 1080p is enough for us.
2560 x 1440 and 4K UHD Results
Below are the higher resolution results, starting with 2560 x 1440 and the gaining-in-popularity 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) resolution.
Most 1440p results are still acceptable on the Gigabyte RX 7600, but 4K is clearly too much for this card. In most cases, we can count on around 30FPS, which is way too low to enjoy any game. Even at lower display details, performance drops randomly, and we can often see “hiccups” with FPS below 15 in most listed games. Even though the direct competitor, the RTX 4060, is slightly faster, we can expect a similar experience on both graphics cards.
Ray Tracing and FSR Testing
Below, we tested Shadow of the Tomb Raider with ray tracing at 1440p and 4K. With some exceptions, RX 7600 is too slow for any game at 1440p or higher with enabled ray tracing. More demanding settings and higher display resolutions again ask for more VRAM. We have to accept the fact that the RX 7600 is designed for 1080p gaming, and for that, it’s a pretty good option. If we wish for higher display resolutions in new games, then we have to spend some more money.
Overclocking and Power Consumption of the Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 Gaming OC 8G
The Gigabyte RX 7600 Gaming OC is already an overclocked version, but it’s not stopping us from pushing it even higher. The card reaches limits in software, and it doesn’t matter what we use. Gigabyte offers us its own software for overclocking and RGB management, and we can also overclock this card with the popular MSI Afterburner. The limit in software is 2950MHz for the core and 2400MHz for memory. In tests, the card boosts up to 3035MHz on the core, and memory works at 2388MHz, as seen in GPU-Z monitoring.
In games, the reported temperature was below 60°C. After overclocking, we could see slightly above the 60°C and still far from the throttling point. The card clearly has an efficient and quiet cooler, and I’m sure it could overclock even higher, if not the limits in the software.
I already mentioned at the beginning of the review that the peak power draw is significantly higher than the average power draw while gaming. We should expect about 170W while playing games, while the spikes can go even up to 215W. Since it’s a lower-series GPU, then we could expect even lower power consumption. The RTX 4060 looks much better with up to 120W and is slightly faster in most games.
Conclusion
The Gigabyte RX 7600 Gaming OC is definitely a good option for less demanding gamers who can live with 1080p display resolution. Some new games will also perform well at 1440p, but we can’t count on anything more. The card has limited performance, and an 8GB VRAM isn’t helping.
The same is true with the Nvidia option at about the same price – RTX 4060; we can’t count the RX 7600 as a good upgrade option for an older PC. The PCIe x8 bus limits the performance, which means second-hand options from older generations may give us better results. It’s one of the main disadvantages repeated by the gaming community.
The Gigabyte version of the RX 7600 is well-designed. It feels like Gigabyte made as much as possible with this GPU, but it couldn’t make miracles. The power consumption is not much higher than that of the reference card, while the Gigabyte card has a high overclocking potential. It still lacks performance, and the average power draw is high for today’s standards.
One of the few advantages can be the card’s price. Gigabyte RX 7600 Gaming OC costs about $260 in online stores like Newegg. It’s cheaper than the RTX 4060 and is also one of the least expensive RX 7600. If we really want a new graphics card with the RX 7600 GPU, the Gaming OC version can be recommended without hesitation.
The Gigabyte RX 7600 Gaming OC is a well-designed graphics card with various gaming features, full stability, quiet fans, and a robust power design that lets it overclock well. However, all these advantages won’t help the pretty limited RX 7600 GPU to perform significantly better. Our advice is to save more money and get a higher series graphics card that delivers a much better experience.
Click here to learn what this means.
Bartosz Waluk – Woomack
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