Buying Guide

The Best RX 7800 XT Graphics Cards

Six RX 7800 XT cards compared on length, thickness, power guidance and price, from 260mm to 320mm.

By , PC Hardware Editor

12 min read6 products evaluated

PC components laid out on a workbench ready for a build
Illustrative image

The RX 7800 XT has 16GB of GDDR6 and is one of AMD's most popular 1440p cards. Partner models differ a lot in size, from 260mm to 320mm.

We compared listed specifications from the card makers and retailer listings; we did not benchmark these cards.

Quick Picks

Which of the 6 picks to look at first. Tap a name for the full analysis.

  1. Lowest Price at Writing

    ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC

    The least expensive RX 7800 XT here at the time of writing.

    Best for: Budget 1440p builds.

    Check price for ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
  2. Best Triple-Fan Pick

    Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

    A 3-slot Nitro+ cooler with a 2565MHz boost.

    Best for: Roomy cases.

    Check price for Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Our Picks

Lowest Price at Writing1 of 6

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

Budget 1440p builds.

Skip if

Pass on it if needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables rules it out for your setup.
ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Steel Legend 16GB OC

Why we like it

It matches the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC on recommended power supply (700W). You get a 2520MHz boost clock here, which sets it apart from the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT and its a 2430MHz 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 undercut the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger and every other pick on price at the time of writing. The maker doesn't give its card length; if that figure matters, the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan comes in at 260mm.

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
  • Recommended power supply of 700W, ahead of the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger

Cons

  • Needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables
  • No published card length
  • No published cooler thickness

Best Compact Value2 of 6

ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Challenger 16GB OC

ASRock's Challenger is a 267mm, 2.5-slot dual-fan RX 7800 XT with two 8-pin connectors and a 750W recommended power supply.

Best for

Mid-size and Micro-ATX cases.

Skip if

Pass on it if needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables rules it out for your setup.
ASRock Radeon RX 7800 XT Challenger 16GB OC

Why we like it

On card length it sits mid-pack at 267mm: the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan comes in at 260mm, and the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT comes in at 320mm. It matches the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT on cooler thickness (2.5-slot). It is the only pick here with a 2475MHz boost clock; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend has a 2520MHz boost clock instead.

Power for the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger comes through 2 x 8-pin, with 750W the maker's minimum PSU. When we checked, only the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend cost less, and the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT cost more.

Key specs

GPU
RX 7800 XT
VRAM
16GB
Memory
GDDR6
Length
267mm
Thickness
2.5-slot
Recommended PSU
750W
Power connector
2 x 8-pin
Boost clock
2475MHz

Pros

  • 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
  • 267mm length
  • Dual-fan Challenger cooler
  • Card length of 267mm, ahead of the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT

Cons

  • Needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables
  • Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing

Shortest 7800 XT3 of 6

PowerColor Twin Fan AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

PowerColor's Twin Fan is 260mm long, the shortest RX 7800 XT here, with two 8-pin connectors.

Best for

Tight cases.

Skip if

Worth skipping when needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables is a problem.
PowerColor Twin Fan AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

Why we like it

The card is 260mm long, needs two 8-pin power connectors and lists a 750W minimum system power rating. Outputs are one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 2.1, and the card measures 260 x 109 x 50mm. Nothing else here matches its 260mm card length; the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger comes closest at 267mm.

On recommended power supply it ties with the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger at 750W. You also get a dual-fan cooler. Power for the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan comes through 2 x 8-pin, with 750W the maker's minimum PSU.

It was priced above the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT and below the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT at the time of writing. There is no published cooler thickness figure, whereas the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger comes in at 2.5-slot.

Key specs

GPU
RX 7800 XT
VRAM
16GB
Memory
GDDR6
Length
260mm
Recommended PSU
750W
Power connector
2 x 8-pin

Pros

  • 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
  • Short 260mm length suits compact cases
  • 260mm length, the shortest 7800 XT here
  • Dual-fan cooler

Cons

  • Needs two 8-pin PCIe power cables
  • No published cooler thickness
  • Recommended power supply trails the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend (700W)

Best Triple-Fan Pick4 of 6

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

Roomy cases.

Skip if

Skip it if this is a deal-breaker for you: its 3-slot cooler covers the slots below.
Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

Why we like it

Its 320mm card length is the longest in this group; the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan leads at 260mm. On cooler thickness it trails the group at 3-slot, while the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger comes in at 2.5-slot. It shares a 2565MHz boost clock with the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC; the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT goes with a 2430MHz boost clock.

Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT with the maker. On price it sat third of 6, between the cheaper ASRock 7800 XT Challenger and the pricier PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan, 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
  • Card length trails the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan (260mm)
  • Cooler thickness trails the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger (2.5-slot)

Best Output Layout5 of 6

Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC 16G

Gigabyte's Gaming OC offers a 2565MHz boost and two HDMI plus two DisplayPort outputs under a triple-fan Windforce cooler.

Best for

TV and monitor setups.

Skip if

Pass if a published card length matters; this one has none.
Gigabyte Radeon RX 7800 XT Gaming OC 16G

Why we like it

On recommended power supply it ties with the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at 700W. Like the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT, it has a 2565MHz boost clock, while the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger uses a 2475MHz boost clock. No dimensions are published for the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC; get length and thickness from the maker's page first.

Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC: the maker suggests a PSU of 700W or more. Only the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT came close to it on price at the time of writing; it cost the most of the 6 picks. There is no published card length figure, whereas the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan comes in at 260mm.

Key specs

GPU
RX 7800 XT
VRAM
16GB
Memory
GDDR6
Recommended PSU
700W
Boost clock
2565MHz
Outputs
2 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI

Pros

  • 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
  • Two HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs
  • WINDFORCE triple-fan cooler
  • Recommended power supply of 700W, ahead of the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger

Cons

  • No published card length
  • No published cooler thickness
  • Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing

Best Sapphire Dual-Fan6 of 6

Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

Sapphire's Pulse 7800 XT is 280mm long with a 2.5-slot dual-fan cooler and a 2430MHz boost.

Best for

Mid-size cases.

Skip if

Skip it if you need to know its recommended power supply before buying; the maker doesn't publish one.
Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

Why we like it

On card length it sits mid-pack at 280mm: the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan comes in at 260mm, and the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT comes in at 320mm. It matches the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger on cooler thickness (2.5-slot). It is the only pick here with a 2430MHz boost clock; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend has a 2520MHz boost clock instead.

Its power connector and recommended PSU are not published, so confirm both for the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT with the maker. When we checked, only the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan and cheaper picks cost less, and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC cost more. Video memory is its weakest area, and the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend covers it better at 16GB.

Key specs

GPU
RX 7800 XT
VRAM
16GB
Memory
GDDR6
Length
280mm
Thickness
2.5-slot
Boost clock
2430MHz

Pros

  • 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures
  • 280mm length
  • 2.5-slot dual-fan cooler
  • Card length of 280mm, ahead of the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT

Cons

  • No published recommended power supply
  • Costs more than the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend at the time of writing

How We Chose These RX 7800 XT Cards

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 circuit board on the back of a graphics card
The circuit board on the back of a graphics card
How these picks were ranked
We set side by side six cards on GPU, video memory, memory and card length, using each maker's published specs. We did not test them in-house, and card length and cooler thickness are missing for at least one pick.
What every pick has in common
All 6, from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend to the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT, state GPU, video memory and memory and share RX 7800 XT GPU and GDDR6 memory.
Where the specs have gaps
The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC give no card length; the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC give no cooler thickness.
Price range
At our last check the picks ran from the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend ($250 to $500) to the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC ($500 to $1000).

What to Look for in an RX 7800 XT Card

Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.

  1. Card length

    Across these 4 picks card length spans 320mm (the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT) to 260mm (the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan). The ASRock 7800 XT Challenger comes second at 267mm, in the same price tier as the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan. The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC give no card length figure, so 4 of 6 picks are compared here.

  2. Recommended power supply across these picks

    The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend tops recommended power supply at 700W and the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan sits lowest at 750W; 2 picks share the top figure. If recommended power supply is your first filter, the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend sets the ceiling at 700W. The Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT and the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT give no recommended power supply figure, so 4 of 6 picks are compared here.

    A graphics card's bare circuit board around the GPU die
    A graphics card's bare circuit board around the GPU die
  3. Cooler thickness across these picks

    Here cooler thickness runs from 3-slot on the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT to 2.5-slot on the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger, a 17% spread. If cooler thickness is your first filter, the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger sets the ceiling at 2.5-slot. The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC give no cooler thickness figure, so 3 of 6 picks are compared here.

  4. Setup checks

    No dimensions are published for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend; get length and thickness from the maker's page first. Measure for 267mm and 2.5 slots before ordering the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger. The PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan is 260mm long; compare that with your case's GPU limit.

  5. Extras that separate them

    The Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT: a 3-slot triple-fan Nitro+ cooler. The Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC: a WINDFORCE triple-fan cooler. The Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT: a 2.5-slot dual-fan cooler.

How to Choose an RX 7800 XT Card

By priority

PriorityConsiderWhy
Budget 1440p buildsASRock 7800 XT Steel LegendThe least expensive RX 7800 XT here at the time of writing
Mid-size and Micro-ATX casesASRock 7800 XT ChallengerA 267mm, 2.5-slot design
Tight casesPowerColor 7800 XT Twin FanA 260mm length
Roomy casesSapphire Nitro+ 7800 XTA 3-slot Nitro+ cooler with a 2565MHz boost
TV and monitor setupsGigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OCTwo HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs
Mid-size casesSapphire Pulse 7800 XTA 280mm, 2.5-slot Pulse cooler

Scroll sideways to see every column.

Key specs side by side

The PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan leads on card length at 260mm, ahead of the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger at 267mm. "Not listed" marks card length where the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC leave the figure out.

CardGPUVRAMMemoryLength
ASRock 7800 XT Steel LegendRX 7800 XT16GBGDDR6Not listed
ASRock 7800 XT ChallengerRX 7800 XT16GBGDDR6267mm
PowerColor 7800 XT Twin FanRX 7800 XT16GBGDDR6260mm
Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XTRX 7800 XT16GBGDDR6320mm
Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OCRX 7800 XT16GBGDDR6Not listed
Sapphire Pulse 7800 XTRX 7800 XT16GBGDDR6280mm

Scroll sideways to see every column.

By price at the time of writing

The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend was the lowest-priced pick ($250 to $500) and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC the highest ($500 to $1000) when we checked; tiers move with Amazon pricing.

Price tierCards
About $250 to $500ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend
About $500 to $1000ASRock 7800 XT Challenger, Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT, PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan, Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT, Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger compare with the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan on card length?

The PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan comes out best at 260mm, with the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger at 267mm. The Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT closes the ranking at 320mm. No card length figure is published for the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC, which leaves 4 of 6 picks ranked here.

Why is the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT our Best Sapphire Dual-Fan pick?

The label rests on a 280mm, 2.5-slot Pulse cooler. The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend, 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 mid-size cases.

Do the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger differ on boost clock?

The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend uses 2520MHz; the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger uses 2475MHz; the Sapphire Nitro+ 7800 XT and the Gigabyte 7800 XT Gaming OC use 2565MHz; the Sapphire Pulse 7800 XT uses 2430MHz. The PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan has no boost clock listed, so 5 of 6 picks are covered here.

Will the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan work with my setup?

The PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan is 260mm long; compare that with your case's GPU limit. Power for the PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan comes through 2 x 8-pin, with 750W the maker's minimum PSU. In this guide it ranks third of 6, as our Shortest 7800 XT pick, and first of 4 on card length (260mm).

What extras do the ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend and the ASRock 7800 XT Challenger include?

The ASRock 7800 XT Steel Legend: a white-and-silver Steel Legend finish. The ASRock 7800 XT Challenger: a 267mm length. The PowerColor 7800 XT Twin Fan: a 260mm length, the shortest 7800 XT here.

Bottom Line

ASRock's Steel Legend was the best-priced RX 7800 XT here at the time of writing, and its Challenger sibling is the compact option. PowerColor's Twin Fan is the shortest card.

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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