Testing Methodology
GPU Comparisons |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GPU |
Memory |
Miscellaneous |
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Cores |
Base (MHz) |
Boost (MHz) |
Size (MB) |
Clock (MHz) |
Bus (bits) |
Power Config |
Driver |
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| Asus Radeon RX 460 Strix OC | 896/1,024 | - | 1,256 | 4,096 | 7,000 | 128 | 6 | 17.1 | |
| Gigabyte Radeon RX 460 OC | 896 | - | 1,212 | 2,048 4.096 |
7,000 | 128 | - | 17.1 | |
| Sapphire Radeon RX 460 Nitro OC | 896 | - | 1,250 | 4,096 | 7,000 | 128 | 6 | 17.1 | |
| XFX Radeon RX 460 Core DD | 896 | - | 1,220 | 4,096 | 7,000 | 128 | 6 | 17.1 | EVGA GTX 1050 SC Gaming | 640 | - | 1,250 | 2,048 | 7,000 | 128 | 6 | 372.90 |
HEXUS Mainstream Test Bench |
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|---|---|---|
| Hardware Components | ||
| Processor | Intel Core i3-6100 | |
| CPU Cooler | Intel Reference | |
| Motherboard | MSI H110M | |
| Memory | Corsair Vengeance Select 8GB (2x4GB) | |
| Power Supply | Antec Earthwatts 380W | |
| Primary Storage | 250GB SK hynix SL308 | |
| Chassis | Antec NSK3180 | |
| Operating system | Windows 10 Home (64-bit) | |
Benchmark Suite |
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|---|---|---|
| Synthetic Benchmarks | ||
| 3DMark | Time Spy | |
| VRMark | Orange Room | |
| Gaming Benchmarks and Settings | ||
| Doom | Vulkan, TSSAA (8TX), Ultra Quality - 1080p | |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider | DX12, SMAA, High Quality - 1080p | |
| Total War: Warhammer | DX12, FXAA, High Quality - 1080p | |
| General Benchmarks | ||
| Power Consumption | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record system-wide mains power draw both when idle and while playing Tomb Raider | |
| Temperature | To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record GPU core temperature both when idle and while playing Tomb Raider | |
| Noise | A PCE-318 meter is used to record noise levels when idle and while playing Tomb Raider | |
| Overclocking | Maintaining out-the-box voltage, we increase the card's power target and aim for an optimal balance of core and memory overclock. | |
Notes
We actually have seven cards in the line-up, not the five shown above. The sixth is the Asus Radeon RX 460 Strix OC flashed from the standard, shipping 896 cores to a full complement of 1,024 while keeping the core speeds the same. The purpose of doing so is to show how much extra performance can be achieved on the RX 460 GPU. The Gigabyte is presented in both 2GB and 4GB flavours.
Given that flashing avails more performance through unlocking of an extra 128 cores, all cards, except the Gigabyte duo, have 1,024-core BIOSes available for download and flashing. We confirmed that it works with the Asus, Sapphire and XFX cards, though only the Asus' numbers are graphed, for brevity. The reasons that it may not currently work with Gigabyte are down to a lack of board power: these GPUs don't use a six-pin power connector.
The benchmarks take place on a sub-£600 base-unit build specifically used for a previous article, and it makes sense to use this kind of base PC rather than, say, an overclocked Core i7 that is the usual mainstay of our testing. We've also included a GeForce GTX 1050 from EVGA, priced at the same £125 levels as most Radeon RX 460 4GB cards.
Warranty-wise, Sapphire, Gigabyte and Asus offer three years, while XFX goes for two-year cover. All cards have a hybrid-fan mode that turns the spinners off when the temperature is below 55-60°C.