ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend Review - RDNA 3's Best (2024)

Introduction

We're heading into the tail end of the current GPU generation. Although nothing has been officially unveiled, it's looking like we're on the cusp of getting to see brand-new GPUs from AMD, NVIDIA, and potentially Intel later in the year. The confusingly titled Radeon RX 7900 GRE, the third GPU from Team Red to sport the 7900 branding, represents a compelling mid-range option priced to compete with the likes of the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER - it's more powerful than AMD's Radeon RX 7800 XT while offering one of the most efficient RDNA 3 options for gamers.

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Its origins are a little strange in that it was initially designed for the Chinese market (GRE stands for Golden Rabbit Edition) before it was given a global launch around the same time NVIDIA launched its SUPER refresh for the GeForce RTX 40 Series. Although rumors of RDNA 4 targeting the mid-range or entry-level enthusiast market currently occupied by the Radeon RX 7900 GRE make buying a new GPU right now sound like a wait-and-see situation, there are still plenty of reasons to pick a card like this up in 2024.

As we've found in reviewing a few different Radeon RX 7900 GRE models, it offers exceptional 1440p performance with enough power to drive 4K gaming - backed up with 16GB of VRAM. It uses the same Navi 31 multi-chip GPU found in the Radeon RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX, albeit cut down. Compared to the Navi 32 GPU in the Radeon RX 7800 XT, the configuration delivers better per-watt performance. In many ways, the 7900 GRE is the superior product and could age well over the next few years as an excellent option for 1440p gaming.

In ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend form, you've got a stylish white version of the GPU with transparent fans, impressive cooling, and versatile add-on features that include the company's easy-to-use ASRock Tweak 2.0 tuning software for easy overclocking. Thankfully, it also has an LED On/Off Switch to disable the default 'rainbow crystal light show' look.

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 latest 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 significant 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.

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. That said, the Radeon RX 7600 entry-level models using the 'Navi 33' GPU follow a more traditional single-chip setup using 6nm process technology to help keep costs down. But with the same RDNA 3 architecture.

AMD's groundbreaking chiplet design can be found in the 'Navi 32' and 'Navi 31' GPUs - Radeon RX 7700 XT, 7800 XT, 7900 GRE, 7900 XT, and 7900 XTX. AMD's RDNA 3 architecture also 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.

RDNA 3 also represents a 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. However, 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 (with frame generation) is fully supported here and helps improve performance in intensive games. FSR 2 and FSR 3 support might not be as widespread as NVIDIA DLSS, but its addition to more games in 2024, like Starfield, is an excellent sign. In-game FSR support should grow as time passes.

AMD's frame generation technology extends beyond FSR 3 to the driver-based AMD Fluid Motion Frames, which can be enabled in thousands of games via AMD's Adrenaline Software control panel - as part of the new HYPR-RX suite. Although image quality and overall stability aren't quite up to the level of FSR 3 or DLSS 3 (which, as integrated solutions, benefit from raw game data), by opening the door to frame generation in all titles - it's an exciting and notable inclusion to the Radeon line-up. And one that will continue to grow and evolve.

Ultimately, RDNA 3 is a leap forward for AMD and Radeon. It brings massive changes to the underlying hardware while delivering a sizable performance leap over the previous RDNA 2 generation.

Specs and Test System

Specifications

Here, we can see how the specs and hardware of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE compare to those of the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT and 7900 XT.

The Radeon RX 7900 GRE is a strange RDNA 3 entry because when you look at the specs, you wouldn't be remiss in thinking that performance would be right up there with the Radeon RX 7900 XT. Compared to the current mid-range $499 USD Radeon RX 7800 XT - the 7900 GRE features 33% more Stream Processors, Compute Units, and Ray Accelerators. However, the overall in-game performance (with default GPU or OC settings) sits roughly between the 7800 XT and 7900 XT. Naming this the Radeon RX 7900 (like the Radeon RX 7600 versus RX 7600 XT) would have made much more sense.

So, what's going on? Well, take a closer look, and you'll note that clock speeds are the lowest for the entire RDNA 3 line-up with memory bandwidth that's on par with the Radeon RX 7800 XT. It's a configuration that sees the Radeon 7900 GRE deliver a double-digit performance increase over the Radeon RX 7800 XT while using roughly the same power. Yeah, it's a strange result for a GPU within the same architectural family and one that points to Navi 31 scaling very well when cut down like this.

Outside of a general increase to most stats, the big difference between the 7900 GRE and the 7900 XT comes down to the memory configuration, where the XT model offers 20% more capacity and bandwidth. It's the stuff that makes a difference when gaming in 4K, enabling ray-tracing effects or running advanced AI models. Although the price of the Radeon RX 7900 XT has dropped to around the $700 USD mark, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE's $549 USD price presents a more attractive option for those who don't want to spend enthusiastic amounts of money for a GPU.

As an OC variant, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend features a faster out-of-the-box Boost clock speed of 2333 MHz compared to the 2245 MHz reference spec, which can be pushed even higher with software. Thanks to a post-launch update to the GPU that fixed a bug, you can now overclock the memory to get a meaningful boost to performance - something worth considering when looking at the individual and average benchmark results because an additional 5% or so is possible in many games.

• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE
• Model: ASRock AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend 16GB OC
• Interface: PCI Express 4.0
• Stream Processors: 5120
• Compute Units/Ray Accelerators/AI Accelerators: 80/80/160
• Clock Speeds: Boost Clock: Up to 2333 MHz, Game Clock: 1971 MHz
• Memory: 16GB GDDR6
• Memory Speed: 18 Gbps
• Memory Interface: 256-bit
• Display Connections: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort 2.1
• Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin
• Total Board Power: 260W
• What's in the Box: ASRock AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend 16GB OC, Installation Guide

Kosta's Test System

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
• Display: MSI MAG 321UPX QD-OLED 4K 240 Hz
• Cooler: ASUS ROG RYUO III 360 ARGB
• RAM: 64GB (4x16GB) Corsair DOMINATOR TITANIUM RGB DDR5 DRAM 6000MT/s
• SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 4TB, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Plus M.2 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 8TB
• Power Supply: ASUS TUF Gaming 1000W Gold
• Case: Corsair 5000D AIRFLOW Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX PC Case
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit

Physical Design and Cooling

With the default (and bright) RGB enabled, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend's white aesthetic and transparent Striped Axial Fans present quite the light show - like you're looking at a multi-colored crystal display. It's very distracting, so we love the addition of the dedicated physical RGB switch on the GPU, which gives the card a more minimal look, befitting the camo-inspired metal backplate and angular shape. The Man of Steel inspired the Steel Legend logo can be seen on the fans and the backplate, and even without lighting, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is one of the most visually striking options from the company, a GPU that stands out in all of the best ways.

Although this is subjective, switching the RGB from the default 'Rainbow' mode to a more subtle cool blue or warm white gives the best results, which you can easily do with ASRock Polychrome SYNC. The ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is a little larger than the ASRock Radeon RX 7600 XT GRE Steel Legend we reviewed earlier in the year - but not dramatically. The 2.8-slot thickness is wider than the 2.6-slots of the 7600 XT, as is the 1242-gram weight, but for a triple-fan GPU in the mid-range or entry-level enthusiast category, the 7900 GRE Steel Legend is surprisingly compact. Translation: it's not a monster of a GPU and should fit comfortably in most PC cases.

As a premium model from ASRock (currently being sold at MSRP), it has the aforementioned metal backplate with a reinforced metal frame to eliminate sag and prevent the copper PCB from bending. With ventilation, a nickel-plated total copper base, and an optimized heatsink, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend offers excellent thermal performance with plenty of headroom for tweaking. Throw in excellent power delivery, and you have all the quality you'd expect from a high-end graphics card. Of the various Radeon RX 7900 GRE models we've tested, ASRock's Steel Legend variant runs the quietest and the coolest - impressive stuff.

Benchmarks - 15 Game Averages

The Games and Tests

PC gaming is a varied field, encompassing indie games, major blockbuster releases, and titles that push hardware and technology to the limit by adopting effects like real-time ray-tracing.

This is all a way of saying that the 15 in-game benchmarks we've chosen (run at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K) 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. AMD FSR 2 and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR 2 and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Cyberpunk 2077 (RT): Ray tracing Ultra quality setting, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR 2 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. NVIDIA DLSS results included.
• F1 22 (RT): Ultra High-quality setting with ray tracing, one lap of the Bahrain track benchmarked. AMD FSR 2 and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Forza Horizon 5 (RT): Extreme quality setting with ray tracing enabled, in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR 2 and NVIDIA DLSS results are included.
• Hitman (RT): Ultra-quality settings with ray-tracing, Dubai scene benchmarked. AMD FSR 2 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. NVIDIA DLSS results included.
• Rainbow Six Extraction: Ultra quality settings and in-game benchmark tool used. NVIDIA DLSS results included.
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Maximum quality settings, with in-game benchmark tool used. AMD FSR 2 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

The Radeon RX 7900 GRE is a GPU option tailored for 1440p or high-resolution gaming, the resolution sweet spot and fastest-growing segment among PC gamers (according to Steam data from Valve). 1080p performance is still relevant, especially for competitive titles where the more FPS you can get, the better. Here, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend's average 1080p gaming performance across our 15-game benchmark suite delivers an average frame rate of 173 FPS with a 1% low figure in the triple-digits.

It's enough to make the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend around 10-11% faster than both the GeForce RTX 4070 and Radeon RX 7800 XT, with average performance on par with the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER - one of the best value GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs currently available. The average 1080p gaming performance is only 8.9% slower than the more expensive Radeon RX 7900 XT, too, solidifying the excellent results.

Of course, results vary from title to title, and there are RT-heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman, and DOOM Eternal, in which the GeForce RTX 4070 non-SUPER pulls ahead. Ray-tracing performance at this level of Radeon hardware is decent but still a step behind Team Green. However, there are non-RT games like Call of Duty where the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is faster than even the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER.

14 Game Average FPS - 1440p Results

1440p gaming is the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend's bread-and-butter-and-jam, with the performance drop off when jumping to this higher resolution being a respectable 25%. This means you're still looking at triple-digit performance, with an average frame rate of 129 FPS and a 1% low of around 87 FPS. In our review of the Radeon RX 7800 XT, we called it an excellent option for 1440p gamers, and to put that into context, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend's 1440p result is pretty much identical to the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, barring game-to-game variations. So, at this resolution, it's a beast.

Across our 15-game benchmark suite, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend was 12.9% faster than the Radeon RX 7800 XT on average and 13.2% faster than the GeForce RTX 4070. This result is only 9.8% slower than the more expensive Radeon RX 7900 XT, which makes the $549 versus $700 price tag all the more impressive. For straight-up 1440p gaming across competitive titles and cinematic AAA spectacles, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE is probably the best-value RDNA 3 GPU.

A stand-out result for the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is once again Call of Duty, where even the 1440p performance outclasses the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER - a truly impressive result. This is the exception, and not the rule, with several individual game results showing the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend performing on par with the more expensive GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER or falling behind in titles with ray-tracing. One of the worst titles for RDNA 3 continues to be Cyberpunk 2077 with RT enabled, and here, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend falls behind the GeForce RTX 4070 by double digits.

15 Game Average FPS - 4K Results

Thanks to upscaling technology like AMD's FSR 3 (with frame generation), 4K gaming is much more viable than it would be otherwise. When jumping from 1080p or 1440p to 4K, the raw pixel count is why this resolution is relegated to high-end GPUs and cards. In that sense, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is an entry-level 4K gaming GPU - it can manage 60 FPS in many games with detail settings dialed up and FSR upscaling enabled where available.

For raw 4K gaming, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is close to 10% faster than the Radeon RX 7800 XT and around 11% faster than the GeForce RTX 4070. Here, the GPU falls behind the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER by around 4% on average - with the Radeon RX 7900 XT justifying its existence and higher price tag by being 15.7% faster at this demanding resolution. Still, for $549, the GRE is a great option for pairing with a higher-resolution display.

The Team Red versus Team Green story remains the same at this resolution, with ray-tracing being better on GeForce hardware thanks to improved performance and image clarity with DLSS. The good news is that AMD has recently updated FSR to version 3.1, bringing image quality improvements to the technology with frame generation that works on all modern GPUs.

Benchmarks - 3DMark FireStrike

3DMark synthetic gaming benchmarks are a great way to get a baseline look at what sort of performance you can expect when gaming - and the first test we run is FireStrike. Although it's a little dated now and is designed to test 1080p, 1440p, and 4K DirectX capabilities, it's still relevant in 2024, even though the scores we see are substantially higher than what we saw almost a decade ago. Looking at the 1440p results, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend scores 6.7% higher than the Radeon RX 7800 XT and a massive 28% higher than the GeForce RTX 4070. The latter result is not the norm when gaming, as this 3DMark test favors Radeon GPUs.

Benchmarks - 3DMark TimeSpy and Port Royal

The next synthetic benchmark on the list is Time Spy. Even though its successor is out this year (we'll add it to our benchmark suite in the coming months), 3DMark Time Spy is relevant for modern PC gaming because it uses the DirectX 12 API well. For the default 1440p Time Spy test, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend score is on par with the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, a result that matches in-game performance in many titles.

The ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend's Time Spy score is 6.9% higher than the Radeon RX 7800 XT and 17.3% higher than the GeForce RTX 4070 non-SUPER, the GeForce RTX card from the 40 Series that shares the same MSRP as the Radeon RX 7900 GRE. The result here matches what we found during individual game benchmarks, a performance that sits in between the Radeon RX 7800 XT and 7900 XT.

The third and final synthetic benchmark test covers real-time ray-tracing performance with 3DMark Port Royal, a flashy test that includes lots of ray-traced reflections and other effects. As a more capable RDNA 3 offering, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend's Port Royal score is 12.2% higher than the Radeon RX 7800 XT and 9% higher than the baseline GeForce RTX 4070. RT is still an area where Radeon suffers a bit, which is reflected here, with the score being 9% lower than the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER and 10.9% lower than the Radeon RX 7900 XT.

In games with light RT implementations, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE is more than up to the task; however, when you're talking about the Cyberpunk 2077's and Alan Wake 2's of the world, GeForce RTX with DLSS 3.5 and Frame Generation delivers where RDNA 3 and Radeon falters. Still, FSR 3 delivers decent results for 4K gaming, and AMD continues improving its hardware-accelerated ray-tracing performance with each hardware generation.

Benchmarks - 1080p Gaming

Benchmarks - 1440p Gaming

Benchmarks - 4K Gaming

Benchmarks Summary - RT, FSR 2, and FSR 3

With our in-game benchmarks highlighting raw performance, it's clear that the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is not only a card that excels when it comes to 1440p gaming, but it's a decent performer when you bump up the resolution to 4K. At this resolution, FSR can be a game changer where the 'Quality' setting delivers great image quality. It's still not at the level of NVIDIA and DLSS, but we're now at the point where if a game includes FSR, it's worth enabling using the 'Quality' setting for a nice little boost to performance.

With FSR 3.1 on the horizon and FSR 3 frame generation starting to make its way to consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, we should begin to see more and more games add native support for AMD's upscaling tech in the years to come. FSR differs from the new HYPR-RX tech AFMF or AMD Fluid Motion Frames, a driver-based solution for frame generation. On the plus side, you can enable AFMF in thousands of games, which makes it an exciting piece of technology. However, image quality and stability aren't at the same level as FSR 3 - so it's a trade-off.

The above benchmark results are for games with FSR 3 support, that is, upscaling with FSR 2's super-resolution technology with frame generation enabled to boost performance. The quality of AMD's generated frames is surprisingly good, especially in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, where FSR 3 can offer a perceived performance uplift of 3.1X in 4K compared to native rendering. That's perceived performance because adding generated frames doesn't reduce latency. Hopefully, the arrival of the new AMD Anti-Lag 2 will improve FSR 3's smoothness, which doesn't feel as seamless as NVIDIA's DLSS 3 with Reflex latency reduction.

Temperature and Power Efficiency

With its overall power rating of 260W, similar to the Radeon RX 7800 XT, the "new" Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the most efficient GPU in the RDNA 3 line-up, making it the better option of the two. We can only speculate as to why this is the case, with the only answer that we can come up with being that AMD never really intended to give a heavy cutdown version of Navi 31 (a more expensive chip to produce) a global release. But, thanks to the SUPER refresh from NVIDIA, we've now got a Radeon option worth considering over something like the GeForce RTX 4070.

The ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend's thermal performance is excellent. It is whisper quiet and keeps hot spot temperatures under 80 degrees Celsius, with an overall fan speed hovering at around 20% capacity - or 1000 RPM. With room to overclock, the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is one of the best options currently available, as it has no issue keeping all components cool and quiet when stressed.

Final Thoughts

The Radeon RX 7900 GRE is a hidden gem in the RDNA 3 line-up, a GPU that was never meant for a comprehensive global release but an excellent and affordable 1440p and 4K gaming option with room to overclock and push things even further. Performance, for the most part, is on par with the more expensive GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. Although RDNA 3 efficiency is nowhere near the level you'll find on a GeForce RTX 40 Series Ada Lovelace card, the Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the most efficient option in the current Radeon lineup.

As for the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend, once you tinker with the overbearing default RGB profile, you're left with a stylish white and camo-inspired GPU that is quiet, cool, and ready to tackle the latest and greatest games. Competitively priced, with excellent overall performance (including decent ray-tracing), the ASRock Radeon RX 7900 GRE Steel Legend is worth checking out.