Yeston Radeon RX 7700 XT: making Navi 32 beautiful
While PCB, colorful design and perfumed packaging is what sets Sakura GPU apart from remaining Navi 32 cards.
Earlier this month, AMD unveiled its latest Navi 32 GPUs, utilizing the RDNA 3 microarchitecture. Among the new releases are two products: the RX 7700 XT and the 7800 XT. This launch marked a significant addition to AMD’s product lineup, filling a gap that had persisted for nearly 10 months since the introduction of the initial Navi 3X silicon for the RX 7900 series. Now, the question arises: was the anticipation justified? Let’s delve into the details.
The RX 7700 XT, the focus of our analysis today, is a slightly scaled-down variant of the fully unlocked Radeon 7800 XT, equipped with 54 out of the 60 available RDNA3 Compute Units. This card boasts 3456 stream processors, 216 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Notably, this SKU incorporates 3 out of 4 MCDs (Memory Cache Dies), resulting in a total of 48MB of Infinity Cache.
This GPU utilizes a Multi Chip Module (MCM) design rather than a monolithic package, combining the CGD (Graphics Complex Die) fabricated using a 5nm process with the MCD (Memory Cache Die) fabricated using a 6nm process. When examining the GPU-Z software, it displays the 5nm designation because it specifically refers to the graphics component of the processor. The Navi 32 GPU is reported to house a staggering 26 billion transistors within a compact 346 mm² footprint.
Our test sample was running at clock speeds of 2250 MHz for gaming and 2544 MHz for the boost clock, reflecting the settings of the ‘Silent’ BIOS configuration. Unfortunately, it seems that either the dual BIOS switch on this particular card was non-functional or the card was shipped with two identical BIOS versions. According to the official specifications, this card should come equipped with a boost clock of 2599 MHz when using the ‘OC’ BIOS setting.
Additional specifications include an official Total Board Power (TBP) rating of 245 watts for the RX 7700 XT, along with 12GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 18 gigabits per second (Gbps), connected via a 192-bit memory bus interface, yielding a substantial 432GB/s of memory bandwidth. It’s worth noting that the memory speed on the RX 7700 XT is slightly lower compared to the RX 7800 XT, which boasts a 19.5 Gbps memory speed.
As there is no reference model provided by AMD for the RX 7700 XT, various AIB (Add-In-Board) partners have introduced their own unique cooler designs. Today, we are examining the Yeston Sakura offering, showcasing their take on cooling for this new GPU.
| AMD Radeon RX 7000 Specifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | RX 7900 XTX | RX 7900 XT | RX 7800 XT | YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA |
| Picture |  |  |  |  |
| Architecture | RDNA3 (TSMC N6) | RDNA3 (TSMC N6) | RDNA3 (TSMC N6) | RDNA3 (TSMC N6) |
| GPU | Navi 31 XTX | Navi 31 XT | Navi 32 XT | Navi 32 XL |
| GPU Clusters | ||||
| Stream Processors | ||||
| Boost Clock | ||||
| Memory | ||||
| Memory Bus | ||||
| Memory Speed | ||||
| Bandwidth | ||||
| Board Power | ||||
| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
| PCIe Interface | Gen4 x16 | Gen4 x16 | Gen4 x16 | Gen4 x16 |
| MSRP | $999 | $899 | $499 | 4199 RMB |
| Launch Date | December 13, 2022 | December 13, 2022 | September 6, 2023 | September 6, 2023 |
The card’s shroud design draws inspiration from anime aesthetics, a characteristic that Yeston has consistently integrated into their products. This eye-catching visual style sets it apart from competitors in the market, making it instantly recognizable. The paintwork is of high quality, and the card features a robust metal backplate equipped with thermal pads to enhance heat dissipation. The card has a weight of approximately 1.7 kilograms, showcasing its substantial build and materials.
The PCB is designed in an all-white color scheme, giving it a clean and distinctive appearance. The thermal paste application is precise, ensuring efficient heat transfer. Each of the thermal pads measures 2mm in height, which may be useful information for anyone considering future replacements. The card boasts an cooling solution with six heatpipes integrated into the heatsink, promising effective heat dissipation, a crucial factor we will assess in our temperature testing.
Power-wise, the card demands dual 8-pin connections to the PSU, which is entirely expected for a high-performance card of this caliber, and a necessity given the official TBP. Additionally, the PCB features a handy switch to control the LEDs, allowing users to easily turn them on or off to suit their preferences.
Yeston recognized the increased power demands of the new GPUs and took it upon themselves to enhance the Sakura project from the previous generation. They achieved this by incorporating a larger heatsink and upgrading the fan size from 83mm to 91mm, ensuring it can effectively handle the heightened power requirements.
| PHYSICAL DETAILS | ||
|---|---|---|
| CARD DIMENSIONS | COOLING SOLUTION | DISPLAY CONNECTORS |
| WIDTH: 12.6 cm LENGTH: 33.0 cm HEIGHT: 2.5-slot (60 mm) WEIGHT: 1.7 kg | “Sugar” cooling system Triple-fan (91 mm) | 3x DisplayPort 2.1 1x HDMI 2.1 |
| PCB DESIGN | INTERFACE | MEMORY |
| 16 Phase power design 2x 8-Pin power connector | PCI-Express 4.0 x16 | SK hynix (GDDR6) 18 Gbps |
Bundle
The packaging is straightforward, as depicted, and comprises the graphics card, a selection of anime stickers, and an ARGB adapter for connecting to the motherboard to control LED effects. Interestingly, the entire package emits a floral scent, which may be related to the floral design motif featured on the Sakura cooler itself. This unexpected touch adds a unique sensory experience to the unboxing process.
Testing platform
| REVIEW HARDWARE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Component | Notes |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700X | PBO enabled |
| Motherboard | Asus TUF B550 | ReBAR ON |
| Memory | 32GB DDR4 | CL16 @ 3200MHz |
| Monitor | Samsung 27” 1440P | 4K Resolution enabled through AMD Virtual Super Resolution (VSR) on RX 7700XT and Nvidia’s Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR) with 3060 Ti |
| Power Supply | RM750W Corsair GOLD PSU | – |
| Storage | 1TB NVME SSD Kingston NV2 | – |
| GPU | YESTON Radeon RX 7700 XT SAKURA MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GAMING Z TRIO | GeForce 537.34 WHQL Adrenalin 23.9.1 WHQL |
Thermals, Power & Noise
During idle operation, our observations indicate that the fans remain inactive. It’s noteworthy that when the hotspot sensor temperature reaches approximately 60-65ºC, the fans initiate spinning, even if the GPU core temperature remains considerably lower. The idle temperatures are excellent, with the core temperature at 31ºC and the hotspot temperature at 38ºC. Furthermore, the power draw during idle operation remains quite low, at just 12 watts.
| THERMALS | |
|---|---|
| IDLE | LOAD |
| GPU CLOCK: 8 MHz FAN SPEED: 0 RPM (fan stop feature) GPU TEMPERATURE: 31°C GPU HOTSPOT: 38°C BOARD POWER: 12W | GPU CLOCK: 2605 MHz (MAX) FAN SPEED: 1705 RPM (MAX) GPU TEMPERATURE: 54°C GPU HOTSPOT: 91°C BOARD POWER: 278W |
| Ambient Temperature: 24°C | |
Under load, specifically during a 3D Mark 20-minute Speed Way Stress Test, the GPU clocks reached a maximum of 2605 MHz. The core temperature of the Navi 32 chip reached 54ºC when the fans were set to Auto, while the Hotspot temperature registered a notably higher value of 91ºC, although still comfortably below the threshold of 110ºC that would trigger clock throttling.
The fan speed ramped up to almost 1800 rpm, which represents 49% of its maximum rotation according to the software. The peak power draw hits 278 watts, but it typically hovers between 230-240 watts during gaming and other demanding applications.
In terms of noise levels, it’s perceptibly louder when compared to the MSI 3060 Ti Trio, even without precise noise measuring equipment. However, the Yeston Sakura impressively maintains lower core temperatures, registering 54ºC as opposed to the MSI card’s 64ºC under the same conditions.
Performance
So, let’s move on to the results:
YESTON RX 7700 XT vs. RTX 3060 Ti:
- Speed Way: 3158 (+5%)
- Port Royal: 8990 (+26%)
- TimeSpy Extreme: 7844 (+33%)
Comparing the results across all tests, the clear winner is no doubt the AMD Radeon RX 7700XT.
| 3DMark Speed Way | |
|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | (4K, DX12) Graphics Score |
| AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT | |
| YESTON Radeon RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | |
| AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT | |
| 3DMark Port Royal | |
|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | (1440p, DX12) Score |
| AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT | |
| YESTON Radeon RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | |
| AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Extreme | |
|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | (4K, DX12) Graphics Score |
| AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT | |
| YESTON Radeon RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB | |
| AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT | |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti | |
Games
We conducted performance tests on the RX 7700 XT against the popular last-generation mid-range GPU, the RTX 3060 Ti. Although the RX 4060 Ti would have been an ideal competitor, we currently do not have access to that model.
Our testing methodology involved recording various performance metrics, including Average FPS and 1% Low FPS, using MSI Afterburner across several carefully selected games. To ensure a fair comparison and simulate the user experience as closely as possible, we made an effort to run the same in-game map and route in each game tested.
In evaluating AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) upscaling technologies, we opted to enable DLSS when available for the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, rather than using FSR. This approach aligns with typical user decisions, as Nvidia users are more likely to choose DLSS if it is an option, while AMD users are more inclined to opt for FSR when available.
 | PUBG Max Settings; Scale 100%; DX11 Advanced (Training map); (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | Starfield Ultra (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSR2 OFF | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
| FSR2 ON (Resolution Scale 75%) | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | Call of Duty: Warzone Extreme Preset (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSR2 ON (Balanced) | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
| FSR2 OFF | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | Enlisted Ultra Preset; Training Map; TAA (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSR1 OFF | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
| FSR1 ON (Ultra) | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | Halo Infinite Ultra Preset; Bazaar Map (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing HIGH | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
| Ray Tracing OFF | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | Warhammer 40K: Darktide High Preset (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSR 2 (Quality), Ray Tracing HIGH | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
| FSR OFF, Ray Tracing HIGH | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | <10 FPS | ||
| <10 FPS | |||
| FSR OFF, Ray Tracing OFF | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | A Plague Tale: Requiem Ultra Preset (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing OFF | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
| Ray Tracing ON | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | <20 FPS | ||
| <20 FPS | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | <20 FPS | ||
| <20 FPS | |||
 | Company of Heroes 3 Max Settings; Built-in Benchmark (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | Call to Arms: Gates of Hell Ostfront Ultra Preset; Map: Vitebsk (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Tracing HIGH | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
 | Forza Horizon 5 Extreme Preset (FPS) | ||
| VideoCardz.com | 1920×1080 ↓ | 2560×1440 | 3840×2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSR2 ON (Quality) | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
| FSR2 OFF; MSAA 8X | |||
| YESTON RX 7700 XT SAKURA | |||
| MSI RTX 3060 TI GAMING TRIO Z | |||
Overclocking
Overclocking modern graphics cards, including those based on RDNA3 architecture, often doesn’t yield substantial rewards. This can be due to locked BIOSes that prevent voltage increases, low power limits, or the fact that the performance increase doesn’t justify the increase in power consumption, noise levels, and the time spent to achieve stable clock speeds.
However, despite these limitations, we conducted some overclocking tests and obtained the following results:
- Original Score: 7844
- Overclocked (OC) Score: 8213 (+5%)
By increasing the boost clock from the stock 2544MHz to 2815MHz and the memory clock from 18Gbps to 19.1Gbps, you achieved an average 5% performance boost in a specific synthetic benchmark. However, this overclock came at the cost of increased power consumption, which rose from 230-235W to 260W on average, resulting in a 30W increase.
Fortunately, the temperatures were not significantly affected due to the cooler’s capacity to handle higher thermal design power (TDP) levels. The primary change was the increase in fan speed, which exceeded 1850RPM to help maintain the GPU’s operating temperature within acceptable limits during the overclocked state.
CONCLUSION
The RX 7700XT delivers exceptional performance and is tailored for 1440p gaming, with the potential for 4K gaming when coupled with FSR1/2 to enhance frame rates. Even with Ray-Tracing enabled, AMD’s RDNA3 architecture represents a significant leap from the previous generation, and gamers eagerly anticipate the future release of FSR 3, which is expected to further enhance overall performance.
Yeston has departed from the more conventional military-style cooler designs found in other brands and has instead opted for a visually distinctive, customized approach. Their graphics cards strike a balance between a gaming aesthetic and anime culture, which can certainly appeal to gamers seeking to create or upgrade a unique and eye-catching gaming rig.
One area that could use improvement is the fan noise on auto mode. Given that the card rarely exceeds 55ºC under load, there is room to reduce fan speed for a quieter environment, although this adjustment might lead to higher Hotspot temperatures, which can reach 91ºC during heavy load operations.
Overall, this solution has many commendable features. The white painted PCB adds a touch of elegance, and the ARGB customization via motherboard software is a welcome addition. The cooler’s thermal performance is highly effective, thanks to its triple fans and substantial heatsink. Additionally, the 0dB technology ensures a silent operation when the card is idle, enhancing the overall user experience.
