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AMD Radeon VII

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Meet the AMD Radeon VII

The Radeon VII is AMD's new flagship video card for consumers. It's made for gamers and pro content creators.

Give a Foot, Take an Inch

AMD's reference version of the Radeon VII, under review here, is a true two-slot card. You still need plenty of clearance to fit in your case, though, as it's 11 inches long.

Fans Three

This top view of the card shows its triple-fan cooling solution, and an aluminum heatsink that spans its entire length.

See the Heatsink

Most of the cooling exhaust is channeled through the heatsink fins around the backlit RADEON logo, which means directly into your case.

The Four Ports

The back panel has three DisplayPort outputs and a single HDMI.

Twin Eights

You'll need twin eight-pin power connectors from your power supply to run the Radeon VII.

"R" You Ready?

The aft corner of the card has a cube-like "R" that illuminates in red, a nifty detail that was also on the Radeon RX Vega 64 reference design.

A Giant Frame Buffer

The card has a whopping 16GB of HBM2 onboard memory, more video memory than any of Nvidia's consumer GeForce RTX cards.

A Great Backing Plate

The underside of the card is covered with an aluminum backplate that adds both strength and passive cooling. This one has nifty etching.

The Flip Side of the GPU

The four-prong heatsink mounting bracket for the GPU die is clearly visible on the underside.

On the Whole, an Okay Alternative to RTX 2080

The AMD Radeon VII is a worthwhile alternative to the GeForce RTX 2080 for 4K gaming; its 16GB of video memory adds a measure of future-proofing.

About Our Expert

Charles Jefferies

Charles Jefferies

My Experience

Computers are my lifelong obsession. I wrote my first laptop review in 2005 for NotebookReview.com, continued with a consistent PC-reviewing gig at Computer Shopper in 2014, and moved to PCMag in 2018. Here, I test and review the latest high-performance laptops and desktops, and sometimes a key core PC component or two. I also review enterprise computing solutions for StorageReview.

I work full-time as a technical analyst for a business software and services company. My hobbies are digital photography, fitness, two-stroke engines, and reading. I’m a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Technology I Use

Lots of cool high-end tech comes through my hands on a weekly basis, reviewing muscular machines for PCMag. But for getting actual reviews done, I keep it simple. A 14-inch HP EliteBook laptop, an Apple iPhone, and Microsoft 365 are my three key work essentials. I use Panasonic Lumix cameras for photography, an Apple Watch for the gym, and an Amazon Kindle for downtime.

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