Buying Guide
The Best GPUs for VRChat
Five graphics cards compared, from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend to the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210, with the trade-offs of each named.
By Alex Morgan, PC Hardware Editor
12 min read5 products evaluated
Busy VRChat instances fill video memory with avatars and worlds. Every pick has 16GB of VRAM and cost $800 or less.
We sorted these picks by GPU, VRAM and memory, working from the makers' own data; if a maker skips boost clock, the guide says so, and no figure here comes from our own testing.
Quick Picks
Which of the 5 picks to look at first. Tap a name for the full analysis.
Lowest Price Here
ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OCThe lowest price of the group at our last check.
Best for: Getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money.
Check price for ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Also Consider
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC 16GThree WINDFORCE fans.
Best for: Buyers who want three WINDFORCE fans.
Check price for Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC 16G on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Strong Alternative
Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7800 XTA 2565MHz boost clock.
Best for: Buyers who want 2565MHz boost clock.
Check price for Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Worth a Look
XFX Swift Radeon RX 9070 OC Triple Fan Gaming EditionAn XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler.
Best for: Buyers who want XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler.
Check price for XFX Swift Radeon RX 9070 OC Triple Fan Gaming Edition on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Premium Pick
XFX Speedster SWFT210 Radeon RX 7600 XT CoreThe highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a 2755MHz boost clock.
Best for: Buyers who want a 2755MHz boost clock and can spend more than the XFX Swift RX 9070 costs.
Check price for XFX Speedster SWFT210 Radeon RX 7600 XT Core on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Our Picks
Lowest Price Here1 of 5
ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC
The Steel Legend adds a white-and-silver finish and a 2520MHz boost, and it has a 700W recommended power supply.
Best for
- Getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money.
Skip if
- Pass on it if needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables rules it out for your setup.
Why we like it
It shares an RX 7800 XT gpu with the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT; the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 goes with an RX 7600 XT gpu. No other pick in this guide offers a 2520MHz boost clock; compare the XFX Swift RX 9070, which has a 2700MHz boost clock. No dimensions are published for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend; get length and thickness from the maker's page first.
Power for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend comes through 2 x 8-pin, with 700W the maker's minimum PSU. It cost the least of the 5 picks at the time of writing, with the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC the next step up.
Key specs
- GPU
- RX 7800 XT
- VRAM
- 16GB
- Memory
- GDDR6
- Recommended PSU
- 700W
- Power connector
- 2 x 8-pin
- Boost clock
- 2520MHz
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- White-and-silver Steel Legend finish
- 700W recommended PSU
- 2520MHz boost clock, the only one here
Cons
- Needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables
Also Consider2 of 5
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7600 XT Gaming OC 16G
The Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC stands out for three WINDFORCE fans, and it adds a 128-bit memory interface.
Best for
- Buyers who want three WINDFORCE fans.
Skip if
- Skip it if price comes first: the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend cost less when we checked.
Why we like it
It also offers a 16GB video memory. Like the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210, it has an RX 7600 XT gpu, while the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT uses an RX 7800 XT gpu. No dimensions are published for the Gigabyte 7600 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 7600 XT Gaming OC with the maker. You also get this: 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures. Its price falls between the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT, based on our last check.
Key specs
- GPU
- RX 7600 XT
- VRAM
- 16GB
- Memory
- GDDR6
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- Three WINDFORCE fans
- 128-bit memory interface
Cons
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
Strong Alternative3 of 5
Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
Sapphire's Nitro+ is a 320mm, 3-slot triple-fan RX 7800 XT with a 2565MHz boost.
Best for
- Buyers who want 2565MHz boost clock.
Skip if
- Skip it if this is a deal-breaker for you: its 3-slot cooler covers the slots below.
Why we like it
It shares an RX 7800 XT gpu with the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend; the XFX Swift RX 9070 goes with an RX 9070 gpu. No other pick in this guide offers a 2565MHz boost clock; compare the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, which has a 2520MHz boost clock. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT with the maker.
Another plus: 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures. It was priced above the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC and below the XFX Swift RX 9070 at the time of writing.
Key specs
- GPU
- RX 7800 XT
- VRAM
- 16GB
- Memory
- GDDR6
- Length
- 320mm
- Thickness
- 3-slot
- Boost clock
- 2565MHz
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- 2565MHz boost clock
- 3-slot triple-fan Nitro+ cooler
Cons
- Its 3-slot cooler covers the slots below
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
Worth a Look4 of 5
XFX Swift Radeon RX 9070 OC Triple Fan Gaming Edition
The RX 9070 keeps 16GB of memory but costs less than the XT.
Best for
- Buyers who want XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler.
Skip if
- Skip it if price comes first: the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend cost less when we checked.
Why we like it
XFX's Swift version uses a triple-fan cooler with a 2700MHz boost and three DisplayPort outputs. It is the RX-97SWFB3B9 model with one HDMI port and three DisplayPort outputs, and it carries 16GB of GDDR6 under a triple-fan cooling solution. No other pick in this guide offers an RX 9070 gpu; compare the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT, which has an RX 7800 XT gpu.
You get a 2700MHz boost clock here, which sets it apart from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and its a 2520MHz boost clock. No dimensions are published for the XFX Swift RX 9070; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the XFX Swift RX 9070 with the maker. On price it sat fourth of 5, between the cheaper Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT and the pricier XFX 7600 XT SWFT210, at the time of writing.
Key specs
- GPU
- RX 9070
- VRAM
- 16GB
- Memory
- GDDR6
- Boost clock
- 2700MHz
- Outputs
- 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler
- RX 9070 gpu, the only one here
- 2700MHz boost clock, the only one here
Cons
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
Premium Pick5 of 5
XFX Speedster SWFT210 Radeon RX 7600 XT Core
XFX's SWFT210 RX 7600 XT offers a 2755MHz boost and 16GB of memory on a dual-fan cooler.
Best for
- Buyers who want a 2755MHz boost clock and can spend more than the XFX Swift RX 9070 costs.
Skip if
- Skip it if price comes first: the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend cost less when we checked.
Why we like it
It is built on AMD's RDNA 3 architecture with 16GB of GDDR6, and outputs are one HDMI and three DisplayPort. It shares an RX 7600 XT gpu with the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend goes with an RX 7800 XT gpu. No other pick in this guide offers a 2755MHz boost clock; compare the XFX Swift RX 9070, which has a 2700MHz boost clock.
No dimensions are published for the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 with the maker. Only the XFX Swift RX 9070 came close to it on price at the time of writing; it cost the most of the 5 picks.
Key specs
- GPU
- RX 7600 XT
- VRAM
- 16GB
- Memory
- GDDR6
- Boost clock
- 2755MHz
- Outputs
- 1 x HDMI, 3 x DisplayPort
Pros
- 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
- 2755MHz boost clock
- Dual-fan SWFT210 cooler
- The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a 2755MHz boost clock
Cons
- Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing
The catch
It gives ground on video memory, where the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend offers 16GB.
How We Chose
Alex Morgan compared the manufacturer specifications, connectivity, warranty terms and compatibility of every pick. Figures come from the makers unless a third-party source is named; we did not test these products ourselves.
- The figures behind the order
- We set side by side five cards on GPU, video memory, memory and boost clock from manufacturer specifications. We did not test them in-house, and boost clock and outputs are missing for at least one pick.
- The shared baseline
- All 5, from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend to the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210, state GPU, video memory and memory and share GDDR6 memory.
- Where the specs have gaps
- The Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC gives no boost clock; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC and the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT give no outputs.
- Price range
- At our last check the picks ran from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend ($250 to $500) to the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 ($500 to $1000).
What to Look for in a GPUs for VRChat
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
Boost clock
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend lists 2520MHz; the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT lists 2565MHz; the XFX Swift RX 9070 lists 2700MHz; the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 lists 2755MHz. Sort out boost clock before price: it splits 4 stated picks into groups of 1, 1, 1 and 1.
What to check at home
No dimensions are published for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Measure for 320mm and 3 slots before ordering the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT.
The circuit board on the back of a graphics card Features beyond the spec table
The Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT: a 3-slot triple-fan Nitro+ cooler. The XFX Swift RX 9070: an XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler. The XFX 7600 XT SWFT210: a dual-fan SWFT210 cooler.
Where your budget lands
$250 to $500 buys the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC; $500 to $1000 buys the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT, the XFX Swift RX 9070 and the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 at our last check.
Match the pick to your priority
Getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money: the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend. Buyers who want a 2755MHz boost clock and can spend more than the XFX Swift RX 9070 costs: the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210.
How to Choose a GPUs for VRChat
By priority
| Priority | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money | ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend | The lowest price of the group at our last check |
| Buyers who want three WINDFORCE fans | Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC | Three WINDFORCE fans |
| Buyers who want 2565MHz boost clock | Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT | A 2565MHz boost clock |
| Buyers who want XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler | XFX Swift RX 9070 | An XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler |
| Buyers who want a 2755MHz boost clock and can spend more than the XFX Swift RX 9070 costs | XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 | The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a 2755MHz boost clock |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Key specs side by side
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC and the rest, as their makers list them.
| Card | GPU | VRAM | Memory | Boost clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend | RX 7800 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | 2520MHz |
| Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC | RX 7600 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | Not listed |
| Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT | RX 7800 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | 2565MHz |
| XFX Swift RX 9070 | RX 9070 | 16GB | GDDR6 | 2700MHz |
| XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 | RX 7600 XT | 16GB | GDDR6 | 2755MHz |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
By price at the time of writing
At our last check the cheapest pick, the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, sat in the $250 to $500 tier, 2 tiers in all up to the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 at $500 to $1000; Amazon prices move, so recheck before buying.
| Price tier | Cards |
|---|---|
| About $250 to $500 | ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC |
| About $500 to $1000 | Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT, XFX Swift RX 9070, XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend the Lowest Price Here?
The label rests on the lowest price of the group at our last check. It is aimed at getting white-and-silver Steel Legend finish for the least money.
Do the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC differ on GPU?
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT use RX 7800 XT; the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC and the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 use RX 7600 XT; the XFX Swift RX 9070 uses RX 9070.
What should I check before buying the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT?
Measure for 320mm and 3 slots before ordering the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT. Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT with the maker. In this guide it ranks third of 5.
Beyond the specs, what sets the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC apart?
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend: a white-and-silver Steel Legend finish. The Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC: three WINDFORCE fans. The Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT: a 2565MHz boost clock.
Who should choose the XFX 7600 XT SWFT210?
The XFX 7600 XT SWFT210 carries our Premium Pick label for the highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a 2755MHz boost clock. It ranks fifth of 5 here and sat in the $500 to $1000 tier at our last price check; it suits anyone who wants a 2755MHz boost clock and can spend more than the XFX Swift RX 9070 costs.
Bottom Line
Our first pick is the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, chosen for the lowest price of the group at our last check. Look at the Gigabyte 7600 XT Gaming OC for three WINDFORCE fans, the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT for a 2565MHz boost clock and the XFX Swift RX 9070 for an XFX SWFT triple-fan cooler if those matter more to you.
Limit shown avatars in crowded instances; it helps more than any GPU upgrade.
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About the author
PC Hardware Editor
Alex covers PC hardware, monitors, components, upgrades and peripherals for The PC Journal, with a focus on helping readers understand specifications, compatibility and meaningful product trade-offs.
Covers: Monitors, Graphics cards, Processors, PC components, Peripherals, Upgrades and compatibility
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