AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary: A Legendary Anniversary in the World of GPUs
Review of Capabilities, Performance, and Relevance in 2025
Introduction
Released in 2019 to celebrate AMD's 50th anniversary, the Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary became a symbol of the company's resurgence in the discrete graphics market. Six years later, this model retains its iconic status, especially among enthusiasts who appreciate the balance of price and performance. In 2025, it remains an interesting option for entry-level and mid-range PC builds, despite the emergence of newer architectures. Let’s explore who and why should pay attention to it today.
Architecture and Key Features
RDNA 1.0: The First Step Towards Revolution
The graphics card is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture – the first generation that replaced the outdated GCN. Key improvements included:
- 7nm TSMC process technology (for comparison, rivals from NVIDIA used 12nm in 2019);
- 40 compute units (CUs) with 2560 stream processors;
- Support for PCIe 4.0 (though backward compatibility with PCIe 3.0 is maintained).
Unique Features
- FidelityFX: A suite of technologies for image enhancement, including Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (CAS) for sharpness without performance loss.
- Radeon Anti-Lag: Reduces input lag in games.
- FreeSync 2 HDR: Support for adaptive sync and HDR displays.
Important: Hardware ray tracing (as seen in NVIDIA's RTX 3000/4000) and DLSS equivalents are absent here. Software emulation of ray tracing through DirectX 12 is possible, but with significant FPS drops.
Memory: Fast, but Not Limitless
- Type and Capacity: 8 GB of GDDR6.
- Bus and Bandwidth: 256-bit width, 448 GB/s (14 Gbps effective speed).
For 2025, 8 GB is the minimum comfortable capacity for gaming at 1440p, but some AAA titles with ultra settings may hit limitations. For example, in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2024), VRAM usage at 4K reaches 10-12 GB. However, for 1080p and 1440p with moderate settings, the memory is sufficient.
Gaming Performance
Real Numbers (Tests in 2025)
The data presented is relevant for Adrenalin drivers 24.4.1 and medium/high settings:
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (1440p, Ultra, no ray tracing): 48-55 FPS;
- Helldivers 2 (1440p, Ultra): 75-80 FPS;
- Horizon Forbidden West (1080p, Ultra): 60-65 FPS;
- Counter-Strike 2 (1440p, High): 180-200 FPS.
4K Gaming: Possible in less demanding titles (e.g., Fortnite on medium settings—60 FPS), but for modern AAA games, 4K resolution requires reduced detail settings.
Professional Tasks
Editing and Rendering
- Video Editing: In DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro, the card shows good rendering speed due to optimization for OpenCL. For example, exporting a 10-minute 4K video takes about 12-15 minutes.
- 3D Modeling: In Blender (using Radeon ProRender), the RX 5700 XT falls behind NVIDIA cards with CUDA but remains a viable option for beginners.
Scientific Calculations
Support for OpenCL 2.1 allows the GPU to be used for machine learning and physics simulations, but the lack of specialized cores (like Tensor Cores) limits speed.
Power Consumption and Heat Generation
- TDP: 225 W.
- Power Supply Recommendations: A power supply of at least 650 W with an 80+ Bronze certification (e.g., Corsair CX650M).
- Cooling: The reference cooler with a radial fan is effective but noisy under load (up to 42 dB). For comfort, it's better to choose a model with custom liquid cooling (e.g., Sapphire Nitro+) or place the card in a case with good ventilation (Lian Li Lancool 216, be quiet! Pure Base 500DX).
Comparison with Competitors
Historical Competitors (2019-2020):
- NVIDIA RTX 2070 Super: Roughly equal performance in rasterization, but the RTX 2070 Super offered ray tracing and DLSS 1.0. By 2025, DLSS 3.5/FSR 3.0 make NVIDIA cards more relevant.
- AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT: A lower-end model from 2021, it lags in memory bandwidth but wins on energy efficiency.
Modern Analogues (2025):
- NVIDIA RTX 3050 8GB: Lower performance, but supports DLSS 3.5 and ray tracing;
- AMD Radeon RX 7600: 15-20% faster in DX12 games but costs more ($250-300).
Practical Tips
Power Supply and Compatibility
- Minimum Power Supply: 650 W with two 8-pin connectors.
- Platform: Compatible with motherboards PCIe 3.0/4.0. No limitations for Ryzen 5000/7000 processors and Intel 12th-14th generation.
Drivers
- Adrenalin 24.x: Stable support continues, but new features (like FSR 3.0) are not available.
- Advice: Disable automatic driver updates via Radeon Software—sometimes new versions can conflict with older hardware.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent price on the second-hand market ($150-200 for used);
- High performance at 1440p;
- Support for FreeSync 2 HDR.
Cons:
- No hardware ray tracing;
- Noisy reference cooling system;
- Limited VRAM for 4K.
Final Conclusion
The RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary in 2025 is suitable for:
1. Gamers with 1080p/1440p monitors willing to play without ray tracing.
2. Enthusiasts building PCs on a budget.
3. Users working with OpenCL applications, where price/performance is vital.
If you find a new card for $250-300, it’s a reasonable choice. However, with a budget of $400 or more, it's better to consider the RX 7600 or RTX 4060, which offer modern features and better energy efficiency.
Conclusion
The RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary remains a symbol of the era when AMD began to challenge NVIDIA on equal footing. Today, it may not be a top contender, but it is a worthy option for those who appreciate history and do not chase ultra settings.