AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Release Date, Specs, Price News: First Reviews Reveal Power-Hungry GPU
The review embargo on the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has been now been lifted which means gamers can finally know how the graphics processing unit (GPU) performs. Among the first reviews to be released shows how the Vega 64 compares to NVIDIA's GTX 1080 and the GTX 1080 Ti.
The biggest takeaway from the review is that the RX Vega 64 is certainly power-hungry. This is probably the reason that the Radeon Wattman utility tool has four different presets for the AMD Vega GPUs.
Gamers can choose from Power Saving (-25 percent power limit), Balanced (0 percent power limit), Turbo (+15 percent Vega 64 / +25 percent Vega 56 power limit) and Uber Mode (+50 percent power limit).
At Uber Mode, power consumption peaks at 500 watts and 300 watts for the Vega 64 Liquid and Vega 64 Air, respectively.
The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Liquid-cooled edition's large power consumption compared to the Air-cooled edition is certainly overwhelming. The disparity seems unwarranted especially given that there's not much difference between their specs.
So how do the two AMD GPUs compare to their bitter rivals, NVIDIA's GTX 1080 and the GTX 1080 Ti?
Tested using "Ghost Recon Wildlands," the Vega 64 puts up a good fight but is still no match for their NVIDIA rivals. Coupled with the higher power consumption, it certainly makes potential buyers rethink if it is worth buying.
This makes pricing key if AMD wants to make any sales. For the moment, however, the cost of the RX Vega 64 is still unclear. Although it is very likely that it will surpass the minimum suggested retail price.
But AMD seems to have a backup plan in mind and already hinted with the lifting of the embargo the lower-priced and entry-level RX Vega 56. The GPU is faster than NVIDIA's GTX 1070 making it a prime choice for budget-conscious consumers.
