How the AMD RX 480 is going to change the gaming landscape

The GTX 1080 has now been released. However, the AMD RX 480 is set to be a real game changer to the gaming landscape.

[kevnb]

I think the 480 is going to be awesome at playing ashes of the singularity.

[freshslicepizza]

for $200 it's going to be awesome playing most games compared to anything else out there for $200.

[UltimateMaster]

Microsoft basically f*$#ed up any who purchased an NVIDIA graphics card with the arrival of DX12.

They boosted substantially AMD by almost 20 frame/rate while NVIDIA has a few 2 frame/rate sometimes, it averages a minus 10fps less than it's DX11 counterpart.

Obviously, since AMD makes the graphics card for the Xbox One, it's easy to see who they're going to promote.
NVIDIA are still a overall better experience.

[dcbronco]

And for any game using the modern APIs. Since it was AMD that guided the APIs towards their type of architecture. They were smart enough to show the industry with Mantle what their architecture wad capable of. Now NVIDIA has to play catch up.

[ShadowKnight]

I wanna see how it performs without a Crossfire configuration. How about just one card

[freshslicepizza]

early reports it's better than the gtx 970 and about the same as the gtx 980, both of which cost a lot more than this card. you can also get the 8gb variation for only $30 more ($229)

[kevnb]

based on what? The benchmark that amd uses over and over again thats clearly optimized 100% for amd? @moldybread

[Dabigsiebowski]

Sounds like a typical Nvidia fanboy thing to say. AMD standardizing technology and is actually open source is not a bad thing no matter how you try to spin it. I will be getting two of these 480's in my rig right now then I'll be getting 2x vega with my new zen build later this year.

[DarkZane]

A 4GB card isn't gonna change the landscape ... it might have 5 years ago, but today it's nothing, a GTX970 is pretty much better than this.

As for 2x 480 beating a GTX1080, it's a bad comparaison because you have to compare 2x 480 to 2x GTX1080 and the SLI GTX 1080 piss all over the 2x480. Of course 2 cards would beat 1 in performance.

Crossfire doesn't work with most games anyway and these days, Nvidia has extra features in games like the witcher 3 with nvidia hairwork.

[solvemymaze]

It's not an apples to apples comparison in terms of RAM though. There is also the speculation that its performance is in line with the GTX 980.

The reason for the comparison of 2 x RX480s to the GTX 1080 is that you're getting better performance and still saving money. I doubt that many will be buying two GTX 1080s based on their cost.

[ShadowKnight]

I rather have one card since Crossfire doesn't support that many games.

[lelo2play]

"2 x RX480s to the GTX 1080 is that you're getting better performance"

That was for one game... better wait for impartial reviews with testing on several games on card's release, before making that claim.
One other thing people are forgetting... how Nvidia 1060gtx is going to compare with the Radeon RX480?

[Cueil]

multiple cards will be supported at the API level with DX12... in fact several test show that having both type of cards... AMD and NVidia performs better then having both of the same in DX12

[CantHealz]

Id rather spend the extra money knowing that my drivers arent complete shit. AMD has a track record of terrible drivers. and they compared these cards against one game. Where Nvidia shows it across multiple titles. Yes you may save money but at the cost of headaches with drivers. Ill tak e my 2 1080s over their cards any day.

[Nathan_Hale53]

@ShadowKnight The games that usually do, are typically more demanding/AAA titles.

[Hedstrom]

Why would you campare 2x 480 to 2x Gtx1080? The whole argument is around price versus performance.

You could however argue that what we have seen so far is just one test from one game.

[livininsin]

I agree, AMD will have something like 470/470x/480/480x/490/490x/Fur y up against something like 1050/1050ti/1060/1070/1080/108 0ti/Titan. AMD haven't released their performance cards that go head to head with nVidia's 1070 (and up) and nVidia haven't released their mainstream cards that go head to head with AMD's 480 (and down).

We don't know how nVidia's direct 480 competitor will be priced and perform and vice versa we don't know how AMD's direct competitors to the 1070/1080 will be priced and perform.

Sure, two 480s beat a single 1080 in ashes of the singularity but that is one game at one resolution and settings. I think that if the pair of 480s stomped the 1080 across most games, AMD would be shouting it from the rooftops right now. And maybe they do, maybe they don't, I honestly have no idea and am looking forward to seeing how they perform. We won't know for sure until the cards are in the hands of the likes of Tom's Hardware, HardOCP, Anandtech, etc, etc.

[dcbronco]

Crossfire doesn't work for most games made with older APIs. But there is a reason it will be important moving forward, both AMD and NVIDIA are pushing it for vr. NVIDIA has VRLink and VRWorks. AMD has LiquidVR. Dual GPUs will be a thing. Let the past go. The 480 fits well for the majority of gamers.

And $229 gets you 8gbs of RAM.

[solvemymaze]

It really does. The RX 480 in my opinion is going to be the card that launches AMD back to its glory days.

[2pacalypsenow]

AMD never had glory days on GPU's, that was ATI

[ProjectVulcan]

Dual cards don't work properly with a tonne of new games that I have personally tested. It's a false economy, for sure. Until multi GPU systems scale superbly and work EVERY TIME, then they will (and should) remain the preserve of ultra high end systems with expensive cards.

This is hype and used to try and shoot down Nvidia's GTX1080 launch by AMD. Pretty clear tactic used when AMD don't have the single card on offer to compete with Nvidia's top offerings yet. Quick, we have no offering at the top end any time soon, shove out loads of stories about two cheaper cards paired together!

It's been done before, it'll be done again.

The 480 looks like it could be a very fine midrange card. Of course Nvidia will compete in this space and price- the GTX1060 will be along very shortly, you can count on it.

Two GTX1060s will probably beat a GTX1080 sometimes as well. Doesn't mean that is what you should really buy though.

[TheHostileBanana]

This guy's either a complete idiot or a troll. He just made the 3 most stupid arguments I've ever seen.

Vram doesn't impact performance a lot. Having the same amount of ram as a 970 doesn't mean it'll perform the same at all. A 390 has the same amount of vram than a 1070 but it's half as fast. You can upgrade the ram to 8 gigs for 30 bucks anyway.

2 1080's in sli are obviously faster, BUT COST 1200$. The whole purpose of that benchmark was to show that 480's in sli are cheaper and perform the same as a single 1080.

As for the witcher 3 hairworks, it's available on amd too. The only problem is that it takes away a big chunk of performance since it was made for nvidia hardware, but that can be fixed easily with some tweeking.

[ShadowKnight]

So what about 2 GTX 1060 cards? If the price is right that would be a better comparison to the RX 480 right?

[Grap]

480's in sli won't get same performance as 1080, cause nearly all games perform better if you have 1 card "keep in mind i am talking if the 2 gpu have same power as 1 gpu".

[solvemymaze]

He might be an idiot troll to be honest!
In terms of the hairworks, it's something I could take or leave to be honest. It wouldn't stop me from enjoying a game. I suspect that he's a hurt Nvidia fan boy. I'm on a GTX 970m just now, and it's an amazing card, but the 480 from AMD is going to be a real game changer.

[freshslicepizza]

the gtx 970 is also a 4gb card, cost more and the rx 480 card outperforms it. it is actually close to the even more expensive gtx 980 which is also a 4gb card. for only $229 you can get an 8gb rx 480.

http://www.wackytechtips.co...

the rx 940 is also a better option for 1440p gaming than the other two cards.

[s45gr32]

I need the ram for my gaming PC because my PC is hooked to the 📺. I may end up buying a RX 480. It does lack the features of NVIDiA Gameworks and physix 😫

[JackBNimble]

I would argue the it will change the landscape and for the simple reason that this may force Nvidias hand to lower their prices . Nvidia has cornered the pc market far to long and it would be nice to have reasonably priced options.

If Nvidia doesn't do anything to off set their over priced gpu's , then I wish amd has great success .

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Not sure that you know what's being said here, if that's the logic you're using.

[Maxor]

The biggest threat to RX 480 will be the used Nvidia cards like the GTX 970 and 980 that will plunge in price. While it's great entry level card that will bring killer 1080p gaming to the masses the competition in this space is intense. As for Xfire performance, it's useless due to the none-existence level of support. To even suggest Xfire performance as a comparison is sort of a scam.

[jessionpc]

You on drugs buddy? A 4gb VRAM is your low point?... My gawd! Your acting like 4k is an industry standard, "which BTW a 4gb card would play PERFECTLY. ATM higher than 4gb vram is a gimmick."

It's a bad comparison?... How? This card was litterally DESIGNED for people who wanted the best price/performance.

2 of these in CF beating out a 1080 which is several hundred dollars more expensive IS the best bang for your buck. And btw?... 2 1080's in SLI is a COLOSSAL waste of money. Have fun spending that much, just to have them be obsolete in comparison to new models in a year, "that'll likely be cheaper." Your obviously arguing from an enthusiast level where you need to throw money at a company in order to get 144hz 1440p or 4k. This card isn't for you, it's for MOST people.

And come on... CF doesn't work with most games? Holy shit man... Holy shiiiiit.

Where do you GET this crap?... Linus Nvidia Tips?

BTW, my last 2 card setup was with 2x 680's, and I wasn't able to enjoy BF3 singleplayer due to it's horrible SLI issues.

Smert kid you are.

[Nathan_Hale53]

Man, your points are really bad.

[DeadManMMX]

....and how much would 2 GTX1080's cost?

[Epitaph6664]

Nope, BS. The 480 utterly destroys the 970 by almost 20% better performance. Also the price is much better.

[mechlord]

YOU KNOW NOTHING DarkZane. You know nothing.

[conanlifts]

One thing about the rx 480 and the low cost is i wonder what other cards they will have. What can they do for $400 for example.

[dcbronco]

I believe some of the other companies will release some cards with higher clocks and more power. The card has room for a higher clock speed.

[KingPin]

Looking forward to this and building myself another AMD machine.

[solvemymaze]

It's the perfect card to build with! And very cheap too.

[JoeDG]

Better wait for vega & zen

[Cueil]

Vega is over the top and is going to be going head to head with 1080s and better... HBM2 is crazy fast

[KingPin]

im waiting for the 7th gen FX processors. i know its a bit of a wait but i have the patience.

[antikbaka]

it isn't

[solvemymaze]

How come?

[ccgr]

Hopefully AMD will reclaim significant market share with this move. Great for gamers and VR.

[hiredhelp]

I love that to be true but Nvidia does have bigger install base with more capital and can afford to keep putting out bigger better cards to AMD..
Its called showing off there money screw whoever doesnt like it.
But AMD has made good move here mid range card at good performance with oc head room...two cards costing big chunk less than the first top tier Consumer card 1080 not bad at all.
I bat for both team tbh and doesnt make you any differnt to support green or red team go with whats right for you.

[dillhole]

Wow. There is seriously fanboyism over companies which put together computer components? You have to take a look at your life if competition between manufacturers of circuits is bringing you to anger.

[Maxor]

N4G without fanboys? As if.

[WheatBread]

quote of the year

[Tumaras]

I think casual techies get very confused between the 980 and 980ti performance wise. The 980 was kind of a dud and barely faster than the 970. The 980ti on the other hand was quite a bit faster than the 970/980. Leaked benches have the 480 only between the R9 390 and 390x performance-wise. And 390s are based on the quite aged Hawaii, and should have probably been in the low $200s already. So at $229 for the 8GB in a "new-gen" card (no idea why anyone would want the 4GB), it's not nearly as groundbreaking as people would have you think.

The other smart thing that was smart by AMD but misleading for consumers, was bringing it out around the 1070 and 1080 releases, which gave casual techies the false impression that the 480 and 1070/1080 are competitors going head-to-head. Or giving people that the idea that the 480 is "almost as fast". It's not, it's 25%+ slower than even the 1070. It's $150 cheaper sure, but 25% slower in PC terms isn't close or almost as fast. 25% is a generation apart in PC performance. But it's definitely been a win for AMD in consumer-response and marketing, even if they had to be very creative to get there.

[Xristo]

Although I prefer nVidia cards, I'm happy to see that AMD is trying to support/appeal to the casual PC gamer (and elitist if AMD is your high end preference). The more options, the better the market. Hopefully this card is true to its performance, which would be good for all us gamers.

[solvemymaze]

I hope it'll be true to its performance, too. It can really be the thing that brings VR to the mainstream.

[JustGamin85]

Planning on building my first comp in a few months and i always enjoyed console since as far as i can remember smashing that dam mario power pad, Ive read that RX 480 is better when hooked up crossfire, but since im a noob to this wouldnt i just want 1 card to keep things simple even if its goind with the 1070? I saw that the RX is better than gtx 970 but how much better is it? Also will i still be happy with 1 RX 480 4 years from now compared to a 1070. I plan on using my pc mainly for gaming (possible vr gaming) and creating videos and content. Would love some feed back thanks guys.

[solvemymaze]

We won't know for sure until the card is released at the end of June. However, it will be on par at least with the 980 which wasn't a poor card at all. It should be more than suitable for your needs.

[JustGamin85]

Thanks SolveMyMaze

[noksucow73]

Wanting to build another pc here real soon, since my wife confiscated mine to work from home (manages servers), and this card seems very appealing, especially for the $. I'm waiting for AMDs lineup of cpus first. Hope the company can turn around their desktop division and get back to their glory days.

[brich233]

I can afford the GTX 1080 but I rather spend my money on PIZZA!!!

[DJ]

I know AMD is in a tough spot, but hopefully this card gets them out of their rut. Their last card beat nVidia's cards in DX12 by a wide margin. We'll have to see real world comparisons between RX 480 and a GTX 1080.

[solvemymaze]

Yep, the real world comparisons will be the make or break of it for many. I don't think the card will fail to deliver, but there might be some obstacles to get it across to the nvidia fan boys that this is an excellent GPU.

[s45gr32]

It lacks Nvidia gameworks and physix which makes games more alive.

[s45gr32]

Despite that, I must admit is pretty cheap for a 4gb (the ideal ram for tv play and overkill for monitor) GPU. It may force NVIDIA to lower the prices for its GPUs 😄

[solvemymaze]

I think you'd need to weigh up how much the physx add on really ads to the game experience. Cost is going to be a big factor on this and if developers are able to get their game looking amazing on hardware like this, it'll bring people in in droves.

[Inzo]

Unfortunately the only ones who can change the gaming landscape are the developers, the tech is just a tool.