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On July 27, 2024
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ASRock Launches Passive RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT GPUs With Vapor Chamber & 12V-2x6 Connectors
ASRock adds Radeon RX 7900 XTX & 7900 XT GPUs with a completely passive cooling solution and vapor chambers for system integrators. ASRock First To Introduce Passive-Cooled Radeon RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT GPUs ASRock, today launched two new editions of the AMD RDNA 3-based graphics cards in the Radeon RX 7900 lineup. The newly launched graphics cards are the Radeon RX 7900 XTX Passive 24GB and the Radeon RX 7900 XT Passive 20GB. Both GPUs offer a fully passive cooling solution, featuring a Vapor-Chamber heatsink, properly grooved for high airflow. These designs are similar to the ones showcased by ASRock at Computex which are meant to meet the demands of AI customers. The heatsink features a V-shape cutting on the end for improved cooling efficiency and covers crucial components(GPU die, VRM, and VRAM section) for passive heat dissipation. The cards feature a single 12V-2x6 power connector at the right edge of the PCB, simplifying the cable connection for easier cable management. Furthermore, the cards are provided with a metal backplate to provide more durability to the GPUs. The passive Radeon RX 7900 XT/XTX cards support multi-GPU collaborative computing for higher performance. Since the cards are dual-slot and measure just 261mm in length, these are ideal for system integrators where everything needs to be packed inside a small area. Being fully passive in cooling, the cards won't produce any noise whatsoever but will still offer competitive performance by bringing the clock speeds of the reference design. Both Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT cards are identical in design and dimensions. They are based on the Navi 31 GPU die but feature different specifications, including VRAM config, clock speeds, TDP, Stream Processors, etc. As per the information provided, these models won't necessarily be in the DIY segment and are likely to be seen as OEM-exclusive in system integrators. Apart from graphics cards, ASRock also produces desktop motherboards, mini PCs, and gaming monitors, offering competitive features for enthusiast users. Its latest additions are the two new 180Hz IPS gaming monitors and the first thin Mini-ITX motherboard which offers support to Ryzen 9000 65W CPUs.
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ASRock Launches Passively Cooled Radeon RX 7900 XTX & XT Cards for Servers
As sales of GPU-based AI accelerators remain as strong as ever, the immense demand for these cards has led to some server builders going off the beaten path in order to get the hardware they want at a lower price. While both NVIDIA and AMD offer official card configurations for servers, the correspondingly high price of these cards makes them a significant financial outlay that some customers either can't afford, or don't want to pay. Instead, these groups have been turning to buying up consumer graphics cards, which although they come with additional limitations, are also a fraction of the cost of a "proper" server card. And this week, ASRock has removed another one of those limitations for would-be AMD Radeon users, with the introduction of a set of compact, passively-cooled Radeon RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT video cards that are designed to go in servers. Without any doubts, ASRock's AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Passive 24GB and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT Passive 20GB AIBs are indeed graphics cards with four display outputs and based on the Navi 31 graphics processor (with 6144 and 5376 stream processors, respectively), so they can output graphics and work both with games and professional applications. And with TGPs of 355W and 315W respectively, these cards aren't underclocked in any way compared to traditional desktop cards. However, unlike a typical desktop card, the cooler on these cards is a dual-slot heatsink without any kind of fan attached, which is meant to be used with high-airflow forced-air cooling. All-told, ASRock's passive cooler is pretty capable, as well; it's not just a simple aluminum heatsink. Beneath the fins, ASRock has gone with a vapor chamber and multiple heat pipes to distribute heat to the rest of the sink. Even with forced-air cooling in racked servers, the heatsink itself still needs to be efficient to keep a 300W+ card cool with only a dual-slot cooler - and especially so when upwards of four of these cards are installed side-by-side with each other. To make the boards even more server friendly, these cards are equipped with a 12V-2×6 power connector, a first for the Radeon RX 7900 series, simplifying installation by reducing cable clutter. Driving the demand for these cards in particular is their memory configuration. With 24GB for the 7900 XTX and 20GB for the 7900 XT is half as much (or less) memory than can be found on AMD and NVIDIA's high-end professional and server cards, AMD is the only vendor offering consumer cards with this much memory for less than $1000. So for a memory-intensive AI inference cluster built on a low budget, the cheapest 24GB card available starts looking like a tantalizing option. Otherwise, ASRock's Radeon RX 7900 Passive cards distinguish themselves from AMD's formal professional and server cards by what they're not capable of doing: namely, remote professional graphics or other applications that need things like GPU partitioning. These parts look to be aimed at one application only, artificial intelligence, and are meant to process huge amounts of data. For this purpose, their passive coolers will do the job and the lack of ProViz or VDI-oriented drives ensure that AMD will leave these lucrative markets for itself.
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This fascinating new GPU completely ditches fans | Digital Trends
We may still be in limbo when it comes to next-gen graphics cards, but ASRock just launched a couple of interesting AMD GPUs. The ASRock RX 7900 XTX Passive and the RX 7900 XT Passive are two of AMD's most powerful consumer graphics cards, but this time around, they're completely fanless. That's right -- without an active cooling solution, these cards rely entirely on passive cooling. At a glance, no one would've said that the cards in question are part of AMD's RX 7000 series. After all, the RX 7900 XTX normally features three fans, but this one comes with zero, and it's also significantly thinner than ASRock's other versions of the RX 7900 XTX. Both cards are now just dual-slot, and they're both shorter and thinner than their air-cooled counterparts. Recommended Videos The GPUs come with a grooved vapor chamber heatsink, made to move heat from the card to the aluminum cooling fins. The heatsink stretches across the GPU die, the memory, and the voltage regulator module (VRM), which should translate to a solid cooling solution even despite the lack of fans. The 12V-2×6 power connector has been placed right at the edge of the printed circuit board (PCB), making cable management simpler. ASRock describes the GPUs as "multi-cards for accelerate computing," but they do have slightly lower specs than their overclocked versions; no surprise, given the passive cooling. The RX 7900 XTX Passive has a boost clock of 2.5GHz, which is the same as the ASRock RX 7900 XTX 24GB, but a mere 80MHz less than the Taichi OC version of the card. It's not a big trade-off, and the VRAM and the bus width stayed the same in both GPUs. Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming ReSpec Subscribe Check your inbox! Privacy Policy It's unclear when ASRock's Passive GPUs will hit the shelves, and we're not sure how much they're going to cost. Regardless, they're unlikely to be of interest to most people. A quiet GPU sure is nice to have, but the cooling could prove tricky outside of some very specific settings. Fanless cards are rare for gamers, but they're not unusual in settings that need higher performance, such as AI workloads. These cards are likely to end up in multi-GPU solutions, such as inside a server chassis. That way, they'll still receive plenty of cooling and remain stable. In a gaming chassis, a card with a 355-watt TDP (which is what the 7900 XTX sports) would most likely struggle to keep cool.
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ASRock introduces innovative passively cooled versions of AMD's high-end Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT graphics cards, featuring a massive vapor chamber and 12VHPWR power connectors.
ASRock, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware, has made waves in the tech industry with its latest announcement of passively cooled versions of AMD's high-end Radeon RX 7900 XTX and XT graphics cards 1. This groundbreaking development marks a significant milestone in GPU cooling technology, as it eliminates the need for traditional fan-based cooling systems in high-performance graphics cards.
The passively cooled RX 7900 XTX and XT cards feature a massive heatsink that spans the entire length of the PCB and extends beyond it 2. The cooling solution incorporates a vapor chamber design, which efficiently dissipates heat across the entire surface area of the heatsink. This innovative approach allows the cards to maintain optimal performance without the need for noisy fans.
ASRock has opted for the new 12VHPWR power connector on these passively cooled cards, moving away from the traditional 8-pin PCIe power connectors 1. This decision aligns with the industry's shift towards more efficient power delivery systems for high-performance graphics cards.
Despite the absence of active cooling, ASRock claims that these passively cooled variants can maintain clock speeds comparable to their actively cooled counterparts 3. However, it's worth noting that optimal performance may require proper case airflow to ensure adequate heat dissipation.
These passively cooled graphics cards are particularly appealing to users seeking silent computing solutions, such as home theater PC enthusiasts and professionals working in noise-sensitive environments 2. The absence of moving parts also contributes to increased reliability and reduced maintenance requirements.
ASRock's introduction of passively cooled high-end graphics cards could potentially influence the direction of GPU cooling technology across the industry. If successful, this approach may lead to more manufacturers exploring passive cooling solutions for powerful graphics cards, ultimately benefiting consumers who prioritize silent operation without compromising on performance 3.
As of now, ASRock has not disclosed specific information regarding the availability or pricing of these passively cooled RX 7900 XTX and XT graphics cards. Given the unique cooling solution and potential niche market appeal, it's anticipated that these cards may command a premium over their actively cooled counterparts 1.
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