PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT Review

Introduction

AMD isn't quite done with the RDNA 3 line-up, with January bringing us the new Radeon RX 7600 XT with 16GB of VRAM, in addition to some exciting new features for all Radeon owners in the form of HYPR-RX and FSR 3 finally getting some real traction. Usually, the 'XT' version of a card boosts overall specs to deliver notably faster performance in all titles - but that's not the case here. The Radeon RX 7600 XT's big feature separating it from the Radeon RX 7600 is it doubling its VRAM capacity from 8GB to 16GB - a move that is somewhat unprecedented for a mainstream GPU from AMD, or NVIDIA for that matter.

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Sure, it's 16GB on the same 128-bit bus, so the memory configuration is not comparable to the $499 USD Radeon RX 7800 XT, but it's enough to expand the capabilities of the GPU. Outside of the bump in memory capacity, the Radeon RX 7600 XT's specs are identical to the Radeon RX 7600's - outside of a small boost to clock speeds. So, for most gaming, the performance improvements are minimal. There is a notable improvement for titles that use 8GB or more VRAM, and having 16GB is great for content creation and VRAM-heavy AI workloads.

At TweakTown, our GPU focuses on PC gaming and the surrounding technologies, which this review of the new PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT will focus on. Seeing 16GB at this performance level, as games begin to demand more VRAM, is very welcome - even if it does mean a price increase from $269 USD for the baseline Radeon RX 7600 to $329 USD for the Radeon RX 7600 XT. Memory isn't cheap, and the markup here isn't too far off percentage-wise of what NVIDIA did with the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB compared to the 8GB.

The good news is that the Radeon RX 7600 XT feels better equipped for the future than 8GB cards in its price range, and the overall decent 1080p performance still makes it worth considering. And as far as Radeon RX 7600 XT models go, the PowerColor HELLHOUND is an excellent choice.

PowerColor Hellhound AMD Radeon RX 7600

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The RDNA 3 Generation

"The world's first chiplet gaming GPU" is how AMD described its new RDNA 3-based GPUs when it lifted the lid on the new Radeon RX 7000 Series. In layperson's terms, the GPU chip isn't just one big square or die anymore, with billions of transistors all arranged in a single layout. Like with its Ryzen CPU range, which embraced chiplet design to great effect (look at how Ryzen has grown in popularity over the years), bringing this design philosophy into the GPU space felt like the natural evolution for AMD's Radeon brand.

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For RDNA 3, what was once a single Graphics Compute Die (GCD) has now split into a GCD plus a Memory Cache Die (MCD). The GCD still makes up most of the hardware grunt and uses the newer 5nm process technology - a step up from RDNA 2's 7nm process. Interestingly, the MCD uses 6nm process technology, which allows AMD to keep costs down as the complexity and cost of manufacturing high-end tech continue to rise.

And to mitigate any performance impact that could arise from going the chiplet route, AMD has also managed to include the "fastest chiplet interconnect in the world," with speeds of 5.3 TB/s. The Radeon RX 7600 and Radeon RX 7600 XT 16GB entry-level models use the 'Navi 33' GPU - a more traditional single-chip setup using 6nm process technology to help keep costs down. But with the same RDNA 3 architecture as the Radeon RX 7700 XT, 7800 XT, and 7900 XT.

AMD's RDNA 3 architecture features second-generation AMD Infinity Cache, another CPU-like feature designed to boost performance in 1440p and 4K gaming - a "bandwidth amplifier" that sits alongside the GDDR6 memory interface. It helps alleviate the need for more expensive and power-hungry memory buses and is one of those forward-thinking designs we love seeing.

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RDNA 3 also represents a significant leap forward for AMD regarding ray-tracing and AI accelerators. RDNA 3 GPUs feature the second generation of dedicated RT hardware and new hardware-based AI acceleration. Real-time ray tracing is hardware intensive; this is one area many were looking for AMD to improve compared to RDNA 2. Which, admittedly, was the company's first attempt at hardware-based ray tracing.

RDNA 3 GPUs are the first graphics cards supporting the new DisplayPort 2.1 spec. The latest DisplayPort interface supports up to 4K 480Hz and even 8K 165Hz, which makes it more of a future-proofing measure than something applicable today. But the real benefit comes with 12-bit HDR support and full Rec2020 coverage for improved color accuracy and detail.

RDNA 3 also introduces hardware-based AV1 encoding to step up its video game for content creators, which means better quality video using the same bitrate. Very cool. For gamers, the introduction of AMD FSR 2 and FSR 3 rendering is fully supported and helps improve performance in intensive games.

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FSR 2 support might not be as widespread as NVIDIA DLSS, but its addition to games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a great sign. Plus, as the tech is supported on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 (with both consoles using AMD graphics hardware), in-game FSR support should grow as time passes. In late 2023, AMD introduced its DLSS 3-like FSR 3 frame generation technology, which uses generated frames and low-latency tech to boost perceived performance.

With FSR 3's launch limited to a handful of games, AMD's journey into frame generation is leveling up in 2024. With FSR 3 support now being added to several games, AMD has also debuted its full driver-based HYPR-RX suite for Radeon RX 7000 and RX 6000 owners that allows players to enable Radeon Boost upscaling, AMD Fluid Motion Frames frame generation, and AMD Anti-Lag at the global level - instantly boosting performance in countless titles.

RDNA 3 is a leap forward for AMD on several fronts: performance, software, and even AI, bringing massive changes to the underlying hardware while delivering new and exciting features to PC gamers everywhere.

Specs and Test System

Specifications

Here, we can see how the specs and hardware stack up for the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT compared to the AMD Radeon RX 7600 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT.

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As you can see in the chart above, and as mentioned in the introduction, the Radeon RX 7600 XT shares a lot of the same specs as the Radeon RX 7600 - the same number of Stream Processors, Compute Units, Ray Accelerators, and AI Accelerators. Yep, regarding the 'XT' side of this new RDNA 3 GPU, it's all about the 16GB VRAM. As for why there's no bump to other specs outside of increased clock speeds, that comes down to the Radeon RX 7600 already using a fully unlocked 'Navi 33' chip, AMD's single 6nm mainstream RDNA 3 die.

And with that, you've still got a sizeable gap, both in terms of specs and performance, between the Radeon RX 7600 XT and the Radeon RX 7700 XT - which is a little disappointing. If AMD called this the Radeon RX 7600 16GB, it might have been less confusing. Again, the Radeon RX 7600's 1080p performance for the price made it a decent but not all that exciting release. By that same token, the 16GB of VRAM for the Radeon RX 7600 XT makes it notable but ultimately not as exciting as it should be - on account of performance mostly being on par with the baseline Radeon RX 7600. Single-digit percentage gains are... adequate. And nothing more.

Even though the 16GB is on a slower 128-bit bus, AMD's Infinity Cache does help with 1% low performance. It increases the overall effective memory bandwidth - which can be seen and felt in our benchmark results. The one downside, outside of maintaining the same specs as the Radeon RX 7600, is that the 7600 XT increases the power rating by 15% to 190W, so it's a GPU that requires two 8-pin power connectors.

AMD's entire Radeon RX 7000 line-up is a step or two behind the latest GeForce RTX 40 Series when it comes to efficiency; the GeForce RTX 4070 - a far more powerful and more costly GPU - only requires a single 8-pin power connector and, on average uses less energy to deliver more performance than what you'll find here.

• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT
• Model: PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT
• Interface: PCI Express 4.0
• Stream Processors: 2048
• Clock Speeds: Up to 2755 MHz (Boost Clock)/Up to 2470 MHz (Game Clock)
• Memory: 16GB GDDR6
• Memory Speed: 18 Gbps
• Memory Interface: 128-bit
• Display Connections: 2 x HDMI, 2 x DisplayPort
• Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
• Total Board Power: 190W
• What's in the Box: PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT

Kosta's Test System

• Motherboard: MSI MPG X670E Carbon Wi-Fi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
• Cooler: Corsair iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler
• RAM: 64GB (2x32GB) Corsair DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB DDR5 DRAM 5200MHz
• SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 850W
• Case: Thermaltake Core P3 Tempered Glass Snow
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

Physical Design and Cooling

PowerColor's HELLHOUND design is an iconic one. It's the GPU where the fans light up in a cool blue - and the Radeon RX 7600 XT version features compact dimensions of 220 x 133 x 45mm with dual 100mm fans helping to keep components cool. In addition to the 'ice blue' lighting, a switch transforms the lighting to 'amethyst purple,' which also looks great. Sticking to two distinct colors for the lighting adds personality, and when you add in the all-black shroud with a black PCIe bracket, the PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is a looker.

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It has the build quality to match, with a metal back-plate, four nickel-plated heat pipes, a copper base, and high-quality power delivery with high polymer solid capacitors. Ports include 1 x HDMI 2.1 and 3 x DisplayPort 2.1 connections, and in terms of other notable visual touches, you've got the HELLHOUND logo, which reminds me of a sports team. The look of a GPU is always subjective, but there's no denying that the HELLHOUND is easy to spot and pick if it is presented in a sea of GPUs.

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That said, looks don't count for much if the thermal design and cooling performance aren't up to the task, which it most certainly is here. Even when stressed, the fan speeds are quiet at around 35% capacity, with overall GPU temperatures sitting comfortably in the 65-degree region - which is the ideal target for a GPU like the Radeon RX 7600 XT. And when temperatures drop below 50 degrees, the fans turn off and don't kick in until the temperature rises above 60 degrees.

Benchmarks - 15 Game Averages

The Games and Tests

PC gaming is a complicated and varied space, from indie games to major blockbuster releases and titles that push hardware and technology to their limit with the adoption of effects like real-time ray-tracing.

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This is all a way of saying that the 15 in-game benchmarks we've chosen (and run at 1080p and 1440p) represent a wide range of styles, not only in terms of genres, like first-person shooters and racing games but also in the API technology (DirectX 11, 12) and cutting-edge features like ray tracing and upscaling technology.

Results include DLSS and FSR 2, where possible, as both technologies are the sorts of things, especially in 1440p and 4K, which you'd turn on. Six of the 15 game benchmarks also feature ray tracing. Also, each title is set to ultra-equivalent quality settings to push GPU hardware and minimize CPU bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

Also, it's just fun to max out a game's visual settings and see the results. Here's the breakdown of games, graphics settings, and what's being tested.

• Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Ultra High-quality settings, with the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Borderlands 3: Ultra quality settings, with the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II: Ultra quality setting, in-game multiplayer benchmark tool used.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Cyberpunk 2077 (RT): Ray tracing Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• DOOM Eternal (RT): Ultra Nightmare quality setting with ray-tracing enabled, the opening of Mars Core campaign level used to benchmark.
• F1 22 (RT): Ultra High-quality setting with ray tracing, one lap of the Bahrain track benchmarked. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Forza Horizon 5 (RT): Extreme quality setting with ray tracing enabled, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Hitman (RT): Ultra-quality settings with ray-tracing, Dubai scene benchmarked. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Horizon Zero Dawn: Ultimate quality setting, in-game benchmark used.
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (RT): Ultra quality setting with ray tracing enabled, the in-game benchmark tool used.
• Rainbow Six Extraction: Ultra quality settings and in-game benchmark tool used.
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Maximum quality settings, with in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• The Division 2: Ultra quality settings with in-game benchmark tool used.
• Total War: Warhammer III: Ultra-quality settings with the in-game Battle Benchmark tool used.

15 Game Average FPS - 1080p Results

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Okay, so across our 15-game benchmark suite, the PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT's average frame rate of 101 FPS makes it around 7.4% faster than the Radeon RX 7600 - a result that isn't all that exciting. It's not surprising either, as the 16GB of VRAM is only useful in a handful of games outside of the increased clock speeds and power limit. This is partly why cards like the GeForce RTX 4060 and Radeon RX 7600 launched with 8GB - as of writing, it's enough for 1080p.

But what about the future? Games like The Last of Us, Hogwarts Legacy, and other 2023 titles can run faster with more than 8GB of VRAM. In our tests, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II showed a 12.4% improvement in performance, enough to make it faster than the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB. This is a great result, but also an exception instead of the norm. On the plus side, it does mean that, on average, the Radeon RX 7600 XT is now on par with the GeForce RTX 4060 when you factor in games with and without ray-tracing.

It's also worth remembering that most PC gamers are using cards no more powerful than the GeForce RTX 2060, so as an upgrade option with the future-proofing that comes with having 16Gb of VRAM, you're looking at 1080p performance that is 17.4% than the current most popular GPU in the world (according to Steam data), the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB.

14 Game Average FPS - 1440p Results

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Increasing the resolution to 1440p and the 69 FPS average for the PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT with its 16GB of VRAM make it an entry-level offering for this fast-growing resolution. Here, the performance lead over the baseline Radeon RX 7600 increases to 9.5% (so close to double digits!), with the lead over the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB decreasing to 13.1%. On average, the result is again on par with the GeForce RTX 4060, though individual game benchmarks tell a more nuanced story.

You can find those results below, but the main takeaway is that non-RT (ray-tracing) performance on the Radeon RX 7600 XT - even with 16GB of memory - is generally slower in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hitman. This is balanced with notably faster performance in games like Call of Duty.

What about the 16GB of VRAM in 1440p? Yes, it makes a difference in a few games in our 15-game benchmark suite. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II sees a 16.2% uplift, Forza Horizon 5 sees a 16.4% uplift, DOOM Eternal sees a sizeable 35% uplift, and Cyberpunk 2077 with RT set to Ultra sees a massive 50% increase in performance. For Cyberpunk, it's not enough to make it playable, but the performance gains seen in these other examples are noticeable. The downside is that performance is either slightly faster or basically the same for games where VRAM isn't an issue.

Benchmarks - 3DMark FireStrike

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3DMark FireStrike is a synthetic DirectX 11 benchmark that reviewers have been using for years, and in 2024, it's still surprisingly relevant. The three tests cover the resolutions - 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. The 1080p and 1440p tests show that the PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT performs the same as the Radeon RX 7600. This tells us that the 3DMark FireStrike benchmarks don't factor in or use the additional 8GB VRAM.

As we found with the Radeon RX 7600 and other RDNA 3 GPUs, the FireStrike scores compared to equivalent GeForce RTX cards paint a different picture than real-world gaming results - in favor of Radeon GPUs.

Benchmarks - 3DMark TimeSpy and Port Royal

3DMark TimeSpy is DirectX 12-based and a more relevant synthetic benchmark for modern games. As we saw with the FireStrike results, the Radeon RX 7600 XT is close to the Radeon RX 7600 - with only a small percentage gain. The score also places the PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT slightly higher than the GeForce RTX 4060, which matches our in-game results.

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Finally, we've got 3DMark Port Royal, a synthetic ray-tracing benchmark known as the Achilles heel for mainstream Radeon GPUs. Once again, the Radeon RX 7600 XT's score is on par with the Radeon RX 7600 and below the GeForce RTX 4060 - which isn't a surprise. However, we were hoping that the additional 8GB of VRAM might somehow push ray-tracing performance up a level - as RT generally uses more memory to generate its hardware-intensive lighting effects. So yeah, this means that, like the Radeon RX 7600, the Radeon RX 7600 XT is not a card you'd use for ray-tracing.

Benchmarks - 1080p Gaming

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Benchmarks - 1440p Gaming

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Benchmarks Summary, FSR 3, and HYPR-RX Fluid Motion Frames

With a small bump to overall performance and 16GB making a difference in some games, there's much to like about the Radeon RX 7600 XT - especially as a mainstream GPU that feels better equipped for the future than similarly priced offerings. As an upgrade option from a card from the GeForce RTX 20 Series or older, you're looking at decent 1080p performance with in-game settings set to High or Ultra, with the option to push the resolution to 1440p depending on the title and whether or not you're okay with 60 FPS.

The downside is that doubling the VRAM capacity increases the price from $269 to $329, and performance in many games is mostly the same as what you'd find with the Radeon RX 7600. There's more to 16Gb of VRAM than just gaming; at this price point, the Radeon RX 7600 XT becomes an excellent choice for video editors, affordable AI, and other memory-intensive non-gaming uses. There's also more to gaming performance than VRAM and raw compute power - so let's look at some FSR 3 results.

Although FSR 3, which includes the latest version of AMD's FSR upscaling in addition to frame generation (which can be enabled on all Radeon GPUs and even GeForce RTX GPUs), launched late last year - it's finally starting to show real promise and progress. The implementation in Ubisoft's Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is a definite improvement and something worth enabling to boost performance.

At 1080p and 1440p, with FSR Super Resolution set to 'Quality,' you're looking at a massive 2.6X increase in perceived performance - and image quality is... fine. Unfortunately, at 1080p and 1440p, you sacrifice fidelity for performance when it comes to FSR, with overall image fidelity not being at the level of what NVIDIA's DLSS delivers. FSR looks even better at 4K, but the Radeon RX 7600 XT is not a 4K card.

AMD's frame generation push doesn't stop there as the Radeon RX 7600 XT also sees the arrival of AFMF or AMD Fluid Motion Frames, the driver-level frame generation you can enable with any DirectX 11 or 12 game as a part of HYPR-RX. Yeah, it's exciting stuff.

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Without a game's temporal data, pairing it with HYPR-RX's Radeon Boost does lead to noticeably worse image quality, but the good news is that AFMF can be applied without upscaling as long as your performance is at least 60 FPS. The quality of the generated frames is a step behind DLSS 3 and even FSR 3, but as a technology that works with every game, it can become something truly special. Enabling AFMF is a one-click deal with Radeon software, opening the door to frame generation for all Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 GPU owners.

Temperature and Power Efficiency

In our stress test under full load, the PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT drew about 178W of power, more than the GeForce RTX 4060 uses - around 110W or so when gaming. Power efficiency is not the Radeon RX 7600 XT's strong suit, as hitting close to 200W for a mainstream GPU is not something you want to see in the age of compact gaming builds.

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The good news is that the PowerColor HELLHOUND's cooling is excellent, and the GPU stays relatively quiet when under load - so there's room for additional overclocking.

Final Thoughts

The most notable aspect of the new Radeon RX 7600 XT is, of course, the 16GB of VRAM, which is exciting for the price range and a mainstream Radeon GPU. Hopefully, it means the next generation of mainstream Radeon cards offer 16GB, too, as it's the sort of feature that does make a difference in select games. It also helps future-proof the GPU while making it a great option for content creators looking for an affordable solution. And with performance roughly on par with the GeForce RTX 4060, it's a decent card for 1080p gaming in 2024 and a worthy upgrade for those looking to breathe some new life into an older rig.

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With only a single-digit average performance increase over the Radeon RX 7600 and many games performing roughly the same, the $60 price hike is disappointing. The good news is that the Radeon RX 7600 XT arrives alongside AMD, improving its software and providing additional feature support. From Radeon-powered video upscaling and improved AV1 encoding to the driver-based HYPR-RX bringing frame generation to every game - the company is embracing the idea that raw performance isn't everything, and that's great to see. Oh, and as far as Radeon RX 7600 XTs go, the iconic design and impressive performance of the PowerColor HELLHOUND AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT make it a great choice.