INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    As most people reading these lines are aware there's never been a better point in time for someone to be a gamer, at least when it comes to available graphics cards models. AMD, NVIDIA and Intel are releasing new models in higher frequency than ever before and so regardless of what segment of the market you are there's a graphics card out there for you. AMD recently announced their Radeon RX 9060 XT series graphics cards both with 8GB and 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM and today I'm testing the PULSE AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB Gaming model by SAPPHIRE.

    SAPPHIRE Technology continues to be a world leading manufacturer and global supplier of innovative graphics and mainboard products, delivering its AMD Radeon based products to the PC market addressing gaming and performance graphics hardware enthusiasts, as well as delivering an array of embedded technology solutions and commercial graphics products.

    The latest Radeon RX 9060 XT cards are based on the brand new Navi 44 GPU by AMD (RDNA 4 / 4nm lithography) which just like its higher-end brother (Navi 48) supports their latest FSR 4 AI super resolution technology (neural rendering ready according to AMD), Hyper-RX (1-click solution enabling Radeon anti-lag, boost and super resolution), Fluid Motion Frames 2.1 (improved picture quality, reduced ghosting and improved temporal tracking), Image Sharpening 2 (improved picture detail) and Radeon anti-lag 2. In terms of specifications the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT packs 32 RDNA 4 compute units, 2048 stream processors, 64 raster units (or render output units), 32 ray accelerators (or ray tracing cores), 128 texture mapping units, 32MB of Infinity Cache and a total of 64 AI accelerators. VRAM amount for the Radeon RX 9060 XT series is set at 8/16GB 20Gbps GDDR6 (the PULSE model sports Samsung modules) based on a 128-bit wide bus interface and thanks to AMD's latest memory management system called Out-of-Order Memory Queuing RT performance gets a boost by eliminating memory request stream misses. Once again, the PULSE model by Sapphire also features Dual-X Cooling equipped with Dual-Ball bearing fans featuring the newest AeroCurve blades, Honeywell PTM7950 Thermal Interface Material (TIM) for superior thermal conductivity, Digital Power for increased stability, fuse protection, accurate power control and power efficiency, 10-layer High TG Copper PCB for excellent reliability, Optimized Composite Heatpipes, Integrated Cooling Module and a metal backplate for additional rigidity. The PULSE AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB Gaming features game clocks up to 2700MHz, boost clocks up to 3290MHz, VRAM set at 2518MHz and as for power draw SAPPHIRE reports 170W. Finally in terms of connectivity the PULSE AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB card by Sapphire features a single DisplayPort v2.1a output and two HDMI v2.1b outputs.

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAPPHIRE ships the card inside a black and orange box that has their logo at the front along with the model name and available VRAM.

 

 

Moving at the rear we find key features and system requirements.

 

 

Typically, the card is wrapped inside a static-free bag.

 

 

Along with the Pulse AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming 16GB inside the box you’ll also find the card’s quick installation guide.

 

 

 

THE PULSE AMD RADEON RX 9060 XT 16GB GAMING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The PULSE AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming by SAPPHIRE is a dual-slot card (2.3) that measures 240mm in length, 124mm in height and 46.1mm in thickness.

 

 

Compared to the NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT (and the PULSE) the PULSE AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT is almost half in size.

 

 

SAPPHIRE has equipped this model with 2 Dual-Ball bearing fans that feature their latest AeroCurve blades.

 

 

For cooling this model features two large heatsinks with 3 optimized composite heatpipes passing through them.

 

 

Both the Sapphire and Radeon names are printed on top of the card (not illuminated).

 

 

For power the SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB uses a single 8pin PCIe connector.

 

 

Roughly 70% of the cards rear is covered by a metal plate (again, no illumination here).

 

 

At the front of the card, we find a single DP v2.1a and two HDMI v2.1b video outputs.

 

 

Just like with past models the PULSE variant of the Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming by Sapphire doesn’t feature any RGB zones (as usual quick video showcasing the card is available both on YouTube and TikTok).

 

TRIXX V9.81

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The TriXX software is Sapphire's graphics card control software.

Information on the card and your system is what you'll see on the very first tab.

 

 

Second tab is a somewhat detailed system monitor.

 

 

You can get a boost in performance for a slight decrease in image quality by using the features in the third tab.

 

TEST BED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TESTING METHODOLOGY

    Since I changed my graphics card test rig i decided to tweak things a bit and so the entire testing methodology has changed. So, for the foreseeable future for tests, I’ll be using the EV3285 monitor by EIZO (later on I may also add tri-monitor results since I do have 2 cockpits here in the lab) for 2160p UHD (3840x2160p), 1440p (2560x1440p) and 1080p Full HD (1920x1080p) tests. Needless to say, since most of you voted for it, I’ll also be using the Intel Core I9-13900K (5.8GHz P/4.7GHz E/4.9GHz RING), EVGA Z790 DARK test rig which I’ve completed with the Kingston FURY RENEGADE 32GB DDR5 7200MHz CL38 dual-channel kit.

    Most games have also been changed so instead of manually testing every single one (and always allowing a small percentage of error) i chose all the latest ones to feature a built-in benchmark. In certain cases, built-in benchmarks may perform better than in-game, but my purpose is comparison and not what one can expect in terms of in-game performance. So, this list includes Chernobylite, Cyberpunk 2077, F1 2022, Far Cry 6, Forza Horizon 5, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Horizon Zero Dawn CE, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Returnal. Also, since some of you have asked for Synthetic benchmarks in the past, I’ll also be using Speed Way and Port Royal from 3D Mark.

    As with the past options like power saving, sharpness, overlays and even zero fan mode are all disabled in the cards we’re testing (to achieve the purest and maximum performance) and all tests are repeated a total of 3 times in a fresh Windows 10 Pro installation with all updates installed until the day of our review (same as all the games used). Room temperature is as usual controlled and steady at 23 degrees Celsius for all tests and to record the temperatures of the cards we used AIDA64, and GPU-Z. Recording noise levels is done with an ExTech HD600 dBA meter from a distance of just 15cm away while power consumption is measured again using GPU-Z.

 

TEST RESULTS – SPEED WAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3DMark Speed Way’s engine is assembled to demonstrate what the latest DirectX API (12 Ultimate) brings to ray traced gaming, using DirectX Raytracing tier 1.1 for real-time global illumination and real-time raytraced reflections, coupled with new performance optimizations like Mesh Shaders.

 

 

TEST RESULTS – PORT ROYAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3DMark Port Royal is the world’s first real-time ray tracing benchmark for gamers. It shows you how well your PC handles ray tracing effects in real-time.

 

 

TEST RESULTS – CHERNOBYLITE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chernobylite is a 1st person RPG set in the hyper-realistic, 3D-scanned wasteland of Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone. It's based on Unreal Engine 4 and will be used at Ultra graphics (RT Ultra/Off).

 

 

TEST RESULTS – CYBERPUNK 2077

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest game by CD Project and is based on their REDEngine 4. Graphics are set at Ultra/Psycho (RT Psycho/Off).

 

 

TEST RESULTS – F1 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F1 2022 is built on Codemasters' in-house engine, EGO, which has been upgraded to include DX12 and Raytracing. Graphics are set to Ultra High (RT is enabled in all tests).

 

 

TEST RESULTS – FAR CRY 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Far Cry 6 is based on the Dunia engine. Graphics are set to Ultra with DXR enabled.

 

 

TEST RESULTS – FORZA HORIZON 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forza Horizon 5 uses ForzaTech, a proprietary engine built by Turn 10. Graphics are set to Extreme (RT is always enabled at high).

 

 

TEST RESULTS - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guardians Of The Galaxy is based on the Dawn Engine by EIDOS. Graphics are set to maximum (RT Ultra/Off).

 

 

TEST RESULTS - HORIZON ZERO DAWN CE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horizon Zero Dawn CE (Complete Edition) is based on Guerrilla Games' Decima engine. Graphics are set to Ultimate Quality.

 

 

 

TEST RESULTS - METRO EXODUS ENHANCED EDITION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is based on the 4A Engine and contains huge graphical upgrades compared to the normal version, including Ray Traced Emissive Lighting. Graphics are set at Extreme quality.

 

 

TEST RESULTS – RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Red Dead Redemption 2 Rockstar has used their RAGE engine (Rockstar Advanced Game Engine). Graphics preset level slider is set to favor quality.

 

 

TEST RESULTS – RETURNAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Returnal is also based on Unreal Engine 4. Graphics are set to EPIC (RT EPIC/Off).

 

 

TEST RESULTS - OVERCLOCKING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using 190MHz extra on the core, 304MHz on the VRAM (fast timings enabled) and reducing voltages by 95mV resulted in a good boost in performance (could go even higher but had to increase voltage). I also recommend tweaking fan curves and disabling zero RPM (at least during the summer period).

 

 

TEST RESULTS - POWER CONSUMPTION / TEMPERATURES / NOISE LEVELS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The Radeon RX 9060 XT series by AMD is aimed towards gamers playing at 1080/1440p resolutions and well, it’s good enough for that (depends on how many FPS you’d like to play with however). If I had to categorize the PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB I’d simply call it half as good as the PULSE Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB model and well, it makes sense since it costs roughly half as much (and is half the size). Temperatures and noise levels are at good levels as is power consumption although I have to admit I was expecting less (I also saw power consumption spikes surpassing 210W but those were instant and only like 5 times so as usual I didn’t record them in the charts).

    At the time of my review the PULSE AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB Gaming by SAPPHIRE retails for USD379.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 405.60Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) so price/performance ratio is good. At the end of the day the SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB Gaming is aimed towards gamers on a budget and since it does well it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Materials / Backplate)
- Good Overall Performance
- Overclocking Headroom
- Noise Levels & Temperatures
- Supported Technologies
- Size
- TRIXX Software
- Price (USA)

CONS

- Price (EU)
- RT Performance
- Power Consumption