Buying Guide
The Best GPUs for Mullet MadJack
Five graphics cards compared, from the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D to the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC, with the trade-offs of each named.
By The PC Journal editorial team
12 min read5 products evaluated
For Mullet MadJack, the card matters less than the monitor, memory and storage around it, so compare price and memory first. Every pick is a Radeon RX or Intel Arc card that cost $700 or less, ordered from the highest price.
We sorted these picks by GPU, VRAM and memory, working from the makers' own data; if a maker skips thickness, the guide says so, and no figure here comes from our own testing.
Quick Picks
Our 5 recommendations at a glance. Tap a pick for the full verdict.
Premium Pick
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 Gaming OC 16G
The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans.
Best for: Buyers who want a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans and can spend more than the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC costs.
Our take Check price for GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 Gaming OC 16G (opens in a new tab)
Also Consider
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC 12G
Three WINDFORCE fans.
Best for: Buyers who want three WINDFORCE fans.
Our take Check price for Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC 12G (opens in a new tab)
Strong Alternative
ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB OC Edition
A 2.5-slot design.
Best for: Buyers who want 2.5-slot design.
Our take Check price for ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB OC Edition (opens in a new tab)
Worth a Look
ASUS Dual Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
A dual BIOS switch with Quiet and Performance profiles.
Best for: Buyers who want dual BIOS switch with Quiet and Performance profiles.
Our take Check price for ASUS Dual Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB (opens in a new tab)
Lowest Price Here
ASRock Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8GB
The lowest price among these graphics cards at the time of writing.
Best for: Getting 0dB silent cooling at light load for the least money.
Our take Check price for ASRock Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8GB (opens in a new tab)
Our Picks
Premium Pick1 of 5
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 9070 Gaming OC 16G on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Gigabyte's RX 9070 Gaming OC is the lowest-cost card here, with 16GB of GDDR6 and a WINDFORCE cooler.
Best for
- Buyers who want a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans and can spend more than the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC costs.
Skip if
- If budget leads, the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D was cheaper at our last price check.
Why we like it
It leaves more of the budget for the CPU, board and memory. It matches the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB on video memory (16GB). No other pick in this guide offers an RX 9070 gpu; compare the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB, which has an RX 9060 XT gpu.
You also get server-grade thermal conductive gel and RGB lighting. No dimensions are published for the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC with the maker.
It was the highest-priced of the 5 picks at the time of writing, so the case for it rests on what it adds over the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC and the rest. The maker doesn't give its cooler thickness; if that figure matters, the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB comes in at 2.5-slot.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 9070
- VRAM: 16GB
- Memory: GDDR6
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans
- Server-grade thermal conductive gel
- RGB lighting
Cons
- Costs more than the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D at the time of writing
Also Consider2 of 5
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming OC 12G on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
What the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC brings to the table is three WINDFORCE fans, plus RGB Fusion lighting and a metal backplate.
Best for
- Buyers who want three WINDFORCE fans.
Skip if
- Skip it if price comes first: the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D cost less when we checked.
Why we like it
It also offers a 12GB video memory. Its 12GB video memory ranks third of 5 here, behind the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC (16GB) and ahead of the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D (8GB). No other pick in this guide offers an RX 7700 XT gpu; compare the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB, which has an RX 9060 XT gpu.
No dimensions are published for the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC with the maker. On price it sat fourth of 5, between the cheaper ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB and the pricier Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC, at the time of writing. The maker doesn't give its cooler thickness; if that figure matters, the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB comes in at 2.5-slot.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 7700 XT
- VRAM: 12GB
- Memory: GDDR6
Pros
- 12GB of VRAM, more than 8GB cards
- Three WINDFORCE fans
- RGB Fusion lighting and a metal backplate
- RX 7700 XT gpu, the only one here
Cons
- Costs more than the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D at the time of writing
Strong Alternative3 of 5
ASUS Prime Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB OC Edition on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
What the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB brings to the table is a 2.5-slot design, plus 0dB fan stop at light loads.
Best for
- Buyers who want 2.5-slot design.
Skip if
- Skip it if this is a deal-breaker for you: 8GB of VRAM may force lower texture settings in some recent games.
Why we like it
It also offers an 8GB video memory and offers a 2.5-slot cooler thickness. It matches the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D on video memory (8GB). Like the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB, it has an RX 9060 XT gpu, while the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC uses an RX 9070 gpu.
The ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB occupies 2.5 slots, but no length is published, so check the maker's spec page against your case. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB with the maker. Its price falls between the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB and the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC, based on our last check.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 9060 XT
- VRAM: 8GB
- Memory: GDDR6
- Thickness: 2.5-slot
Pros
- 2.5-slot design
- 0dB fan stop at light loads
- RX 9060 XT gpu
- 8GB video memory
Cons
- 8GB of VRAM may force lower texture settings in some recent games
- Costs more than the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D at the time of writing
Worth a Look4 of 5
ASUS Dual Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The ASUS Dual RX 9060 XT 16GB offers a 3250MHz boost in OC mode with Quiet and Performance BIOS profiles and 0dB fan stop.
Best for
- Buyers who want dual BIOS switch with Quiet and Performance profiles.
Skip if
- Skip it if price comes first: the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D cost less when we checked.
Why we like it
It matches the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC on video memory (16GB). Like the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB, it has an RX 9060 XT gpu, while the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC uses an RX 9070 gpu. The ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB occupies 2.5 slots, but no length is published, so check the maker's spec page against your case.
Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB with the maker. Its price falls between the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D and the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB, based on our last check.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 9060 XT
- VRAM: 16GB
- Memory: GDDR6
- Thickness: 2.5-slot
- Boost clock: 3250MHz (OC mode)
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- Dual BIOS switch with Quiet and Performance profiles
- 0dB fan stop at light load
Cons
- Costs more than the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D at the time of writing
Lowest Price Here5 of 5
ASRock Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8GB on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
ASRock's RX 6600 Challenger D is 269mm long, uses one 8-pin connector and stops its fans at light load.
Best for
- Getting 0dB silent cooling at light load for the least money.
Skip if
- Choose another pick if you can't accept this: 8GB of VRAM may force lower texture settings in some recent games.
Why we like it
It is a previous-generation 8GB card still sold new. It supports AMD FSR upscaling for higher frame rates in supported games. Its single 8-pin connector suits older power supplies.
On video memory it ties with the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB at 8GB. An RX 6600 gpu is unique to it among these picks, while the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC uses an RX 7700 XT gpu. It also offers a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface and a dual-fan cooler.
The ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D is 269mm long; compare that with your case's GPU limit. It cost the least of the 5 picks at the time of writing, with the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB the next step up. It gives ground on video memory, where the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC offers 16GB.
Key dimensions & specs
- GPU: RX 6600
- VRAM: 8GB
- Memory: GDDR6
- Length: 269mm
- Power connector: 1 x 8-pin
- Outputs: 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.1
Pros
- A single 8-pin power connector
- 0dB silent cooling at light load
- PCIe 4.0 x8 interface
- Dual-fan cooler
Cons
- 8GB of VRAM may force lower texture settings in some recent games
- Video memory trails the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC (16GB)
How We Chose
Each pick was assessed across 4 criteria weighted for real-world use.
- What we compared
- We compared five cards on GPU, video memory, memory and cooler thickness, using each maker's published specs. These are research figures, not bench results: 3 of 5 picks leave out cooler thickness.
- The shared baseline
- All 5, from the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC to the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D, state GPU, video memory and memory and share GDDR6 memory.
- Where the specs have gaps
- The Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC, the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC and the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D give no cooler thickness.
- Price range
- At our last check the picks ran from the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D ($250 to $500) to the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC ($500 to $1000).
What to Look for in a GPUs for Mullet MadJack
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
Video memory across these picks
Across these 5 picks video memory spans 8GB (the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D) to 16GB (the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC). For less, the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB is the runner-up at 16GB ($500 to $1000 tier).
Fit and compatibility
No dimensions are published for the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. The ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB occupies 2.5 slots, but no length is published, so check the maker's spec page against your case. The ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D is 269mm long; compare that with your case's GPU limit.
Features beyond the spec table
The ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB: 0dB fan stop at light loads. The ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB: 0dB fan stop at light load. The ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D: a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface.
How much to spend
$250 to $500 buys the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D; $500 to $1000 buys the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB, the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB, the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC and the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC at our last check.
Match the pick to your priority
Buyers who want a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans and can spend more than the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC costs: the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC. Getting 0dB silent cooling at light load for the least money: the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D.
How to Choose a GPUs for Mullet MadJack
By priority
| Priority | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Buyers who want a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans and can spend more than the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC costs | Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC | The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans |
| Buyers who want three WINDFORCE fans | Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC | Three WINDFORCE fans |
| Buyers who want 2.5-slot design | ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB | A 2.5-slot design |
| Buyers who want dual BIOS switch with Quiet and Performance profiles | ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB | A dual BIOS switch with Quiet and Performance profiles |
| Getting 0dB silent cooling at light load for the least money | ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D | The lowest price among these graphics cards at the time of writing |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Key specs side by side
The Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC leads on video memory at 16GB, ahead of the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB at 16GB. "Not listed" marks cooler thickness where the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC, the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC and the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D leave the figure out.
| Card | GPU | VRAM | Memory | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC | RX 9070 | 16GB | GDDR6 | Not listed |
| Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC | RX 7700 XT | 12GB | GDDR6 | Not listed |
| ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB | RX 9060 XT | 8GB | GDDR6 | 2.5-slot |
| ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB | RX 9060 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | 2.5-slot |
| ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D | RX 6600 | 8GB | GDDR6 | Not listed |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
By price at the time of writing
At our last check the cheapest pick, the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D, sat in the $250 to $500 tier, 2 tiers in all up to the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC at $500 to $1000; Amazon prices move, so recheck before buying.
| Price tier | Cards |
|---|---|
| About $250 to $500 | ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D |
| About $500 to $1000 | ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB, ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB, Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC, Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC worth paying more than the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D?
The spec sheets show video memory (16GB against 8GB) in its favour. The ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D sat in the $250 to $500 tier and the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC in the $500 to $1000 tier when we checked, with 3 other picks between them; pay the difference only if video memory decides your purchase.
What makes the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC the Premium Pick?
It earns the label for the highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans. The ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D, the cheapest pick, sat in the $250 to $500 tier against $500 to $1000 here, without out-ranking it on any listed spec. It makes sense for anyone who wants a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans and can spend more than the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC costs.
Do the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC and the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC differ on GPU?
The Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC uses RX 9070; the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC uses RX 7700 XT; the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB and the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB use RX 9060 XT; the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D uses RX 6600.
What should I check before buying the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D?
The ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D is 269mm long; compare that with your case's GPU limit. Power for the ASRock RX 6600 Challenger D comes through 1 x 8-pin. In this guide it ranks fifth of 5, as our Lowest Price Here pick, and fifth of 5 on video memory (8GB).
Beyond the specs, what sets the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC and the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC apart?
The Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC: a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans. The Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC: three WINDFORCE fans. The ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB: a 2.5-slot design.
Bottom Line
Our first pick is the Gigabyte RX 9070 Gaming OC, chosen for the highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a WINDFORCE cooler with Hawk fans. Look at the Gigabyte 7700 XT Gaming OC for three WINDFORCE fans, the ASUS Prime 9060 XT 8GB for a 2.5-slot design and the ASUS Dual 9060 XT 16GB for a dual BIOS switch with Quiet and Performance profiles if those matter more to you.
Match the card's video outputs to your monitor's HDMI or DisplayPort inputs.