Here are the first benchmarks of the air cooled RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56 courtesy of Tech of Tomorrow. RX Vega represents AMD’s return to the high end in graphics and it is also the largest change in AMD’s architecture from GCN. Of course, we want to see its performance compared with GTX 1080 and the GTX 1070 as AMD is finally bringing competitors to the high end. We are going to give you the performance results of the RX Vega 64 and 56 versus the GTX 1080 Ti, the GTX 1080, and the GTX 1070, plus supporting frame rates of the RX 580 and the RX 570 using ten modern PC games. The testbed uses a stock Ryzen 1800X with 16GB of vRAM.
Pricing for the RX Vega are shown in our image below that we took at AMD’s Capsaicin Event as press at SIGGRAPH.
AMD introduced Radeon Packs which include a $200 discount on the 34” Samsung CF791 curved ultrawide FreeSync monitor, and a $100 discount on select Ryzen 7 1800X processor and 370X motherboard combos for a total of $300 in combined hardware savings. Each Radeon Pack also includes as part of this bundle, in select regions, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and Prey for free. There are Red, Black, and Aqua Radeon Packs to choose from:
- Radeon Red Pack features the Radeon RX Vega 56, an air-cooled card for $499.
- Radeon Black Pack features the Radeon RX Vega 64, an air-cooled card for $599.
- Radeon Aqua Pack features the Radeon RX Vega 64 Liquid Cooled Edition, the apex Radeon RX Vega graphics card, for $699.
However, if you are planning to buy a RX Vega 64, be prepared for sticker shock as Newegg is charging $599 for the Air-cooled edition that is being tested today and the GTX 1080 Ti which is in a higher class is only $50 more, or $100 more for an aftermarket version. Of course, all high end cards are priced high now because crypto-currency miners are again buying mass quantities of GPUs to mine alternate currency. The official MRSP for GTX 1080 is $499 and GTX 1070 is $379.
Images of the RX Vega 64
Let’s take a look at the RX Vega 64 air-cooled edition as a visual overview.
Here is the other side:
It uses a standard blower which is great for small cases or if you are thinking of CrossFiring multiple cards.
A beefy power supply is a good idea if you are overclocking a RX 64 as it can draw a lot of power when pushed.
There are 3 DisplayPorts and 1 HDMI port.
The RX Vega 64 is a basic blower reference model from AMD. There is also the Limited Edition and the Liquid Cooled Edition available for $100 more.
Performance
Let’s take a look at performance. The test system is ToT’s custom Producer system using a stock Ryzen 1800X and 16GB of vRAM
FireStrike
First up here are the Fire Strike scores – the top comparison is the Ultra test, the middle test is Extreme, and the bottom results are Standard:
Synthetic tests are meaningless but popular. Let’s look at the first game of ten, Metro Last Light.
Metro Last Light Redux – 4K
Metro Last Light Redux is a 2014 game that is still very stressful on a GPU while producing beautiful visuals. The settings are all Very High and On, but with PhysX off. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are 4K results.
The GTX 1080 is faster than the RX Vega 64 while the RX Vega 56 is faster than the GTX 1070.
GTA V
Grand Theft Auto V is still a very popular game DX11 from 2015. The settings are all Maximum, Ultra and On, but with 2xAA reflections, minimum Motion Blur and Softest Shadows. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results:
2560×1440
Now here are 4K results. It looks like the Vega 56 and 64 results are mislabeled and should be reversed.
The Vegas beat the GTXes in GTA V, but the GTX 1080 Ti maintains a commanding lead over all the cards tested. The Witcher 3 is next.
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 is a beautiful open world DX11 game from 2015. The settings are all Ultra and On, but with Hair Works disabled. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results:
Here are the 4K results.
At 1440P, the GTXes are faster but at 4K, the Vega 64 is faster than the GTX 1080. Let’s look at Crysis 3.
Crysis 3
Crysis 3 is the oldest game tested from 2013. It still has amazing visuals and is an excellent test for GPUs. The settings are all Very High and with 4xMSAA The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results:
Now let’s look at 4K.
The GeForces are faster but we can see how close in performance the RX Vega 64 is to the 56 edition. Let’s look at Star Wars: Battlefront next.
Star Wars: Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefront is tested at Ultra Settings in DX11 with FXAA high and with motion blur at 50% and FoV set to 110%. This 2015 game is still visually stunning but optimized well for GPUs. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results:
Now let’s look at 4K.
The GTX 1080 is stronger than the RX Vega 64, but the RX Vega 56 is faster than the GTX 1070. On to Titanfall 2.
Titanfall 2
Titanfall 2 is a 2016 game that uses a very highly modified version of the Source engine to produce good visuals without being particularly demanding. All settings are at maximum Very High with 16xAF at a 110 degree FoV. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results.
Here are the 1440P results. It appears that the Vega 64 and the Vega 56 results are switched on the chart.
Now at 4K.
Titanfall 2 runs faster generally on AMD hardware and there are no exceptions here with the Vega 64 matching the GTX 1080 Ti at 1440P! Let’s look at Mass Effect Andromeda next.
Mass Effect Andromeda Origins
Mass Effect Andromeda was released last year to lukewarm reviews although it has been patched into a decent game. It has excellent visuals that are all tested at Ultra settings with Motion Blur on and with HBAO+. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results:
Now at 4K.
We see the GTXes are generally faster although the RX Vega 56 matches the GTX 1070. Now we look at Overwatch.
Overwatch
Overwatch is a very popular new multiplayer DX11 game. The Settings are Epic and the FoV is set to 103 degrees. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results.
Let’s look at 4K.
We see some interesting results with the RX 580 edging out the Vegas. However, the RX Vega 56 is faster than the GTX 1070. Next up, Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a beautiful 2015 game that was tested with all settings on and completely maxed out including Pure Hair in DX11. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results.
Next are 4K results;
We see a pattern emerging with the GTX 1080 beating the RX Vega 64 while the GTX 1070 is slower than the RX Vega 56. Let’s move to our tenth game, Hitman.
Hitman
Hitman is a 2016 game that is here tested in DX11 with every setting completely maxed out. The top bar in each comparison represents the Average FPS, while the middle bar represents the minimums derived from the 1% frametime results, and the bottom bar represents the .1% frametime results. Here are the 1440P results.
Here is 4K.
Hitman has always favored AMD hardware and we see that the GTX 1080 Ti is barely faster than the RX Vega 64 at 1440P. Let’s have a look at temps before we head to our conclusion.
The RX Vega 64’s temperatures are capped at 85C and it uses more power than either the GTX 1080 or GTX Ti.
The Video
Here is ToT’s video with a lot more details.
Let’s head for our conclusion.
Conclusion
From our brief look at the RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56 courtesy of Tech of Tomorrow, we see that the RX Vega 56 is a good deal at $399 compared with the GTX 1070 at $379 (if you can find one at MSRP). However, the air-cooled RX Vega 64 falls short of the $499 GTX 1080 and it would be very difficult to recommend it at its launch pricing of $599 from what we have seen so far.
We are planning to get our own RX Vega 64 Liquid Edition and run it through our 27-game PC benchmark suite versus the GTX 1080 and GTX 1080 Ti before we give a final conclusion. And we will also compare performance with our brand new 10 game VR benching suite.
Stay tuned!
Happy Gaming!