Is a 6800 XT with three connectors better than a 6800 XT with two?

[Segundoh]

I had an ASRock Phantom Gaming 6800 XT (https://pg.asrock.com/Graphics-Card/AMD/Radeon RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming D 16G OC/index.asp) with 3 connectors, but I was having issues with it and returned it for a Sapphire Pulse (
https://www.sapphiretech.com/en/consumer/pulse-radeon-rx-6800-xt-16g-gddr6])
with only 2 connectors. Is the Pulse worse than the Phantom Gaming then, or are they the same? I did get the Pulse for $15 less than the Phantom Gaming which is something.

I was able to OC my ASRock to a minimum of 2450, a maximum of 2550, a VRAM frequency of 2124 with fast timing, and undervolted to 1000mV. For my Sapphire, I can only OC it to a min of 2309, a max of 2409, and a VRAM frequency of 2112 with fast timing on, and undervolted to 1100mV. Is this just because of the silicon lottery, or is this because the Sapphire has only 2 connectors?

It seems to be reaching the power limit when I run Time Spy. The PPT limit percentage gets to 99% to 100% when Time Spy crashes, but it also gets to that point when Time Spy doesn’t crash; I suppose something else is causing the crashes then like the silicon lottery. Additionally, the PPT limit is 312.8W anyway when I set the power limit to +15% in Adrenalin, and I heard the most I can get with 2 connectors is 375 W; I don’t plan on using MPT to raise my power limit even more, so that seems to be unrelated to how many connectors I have anyway. Is this actually related to how many connectors I have, or is this limited by the BIOS?

 

[ir_cow]

2 vs 3 isn't a problem for 6800XT. You cannot pass 350 watts without physical voltages modification. Drivers lock the voltage and maximum clock speed.

 

[Segundoh]

2 vs 3 isn't a problem for 6800XT. You cannot pass 350 watts without physical voltages modification. Drivers lock the voltage and maximum clock speed.

Oh okay that makes sense. If I raise the power limit past 350 W with MPT or something, would I even be able to go past that? I’m only using air cooling and not water cooling, so that might not be feasible.

Also, is there any difference between the Sapphire and the Phantom Gaming models then? Their boost speeds are both 2310 MHz so they seem to be the same other than the connector thing. I guess i just got unlucky with the silicon lottery this time then.

 

[Kapone33]

The absolute limit for the 6800XT is 330 Watts but you won't see over 300 even if you move the slider in Adrenline software. Regular driver updates pegs that card at 255 Watts by default.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Card with 3 power inputs is more robust and will be able to draw more power, but end of the day it is a 6800 XT. If you want to do advanced overclocking, the 3x8pin card is a no brainer, otherwise pick whatever is cheaper or seems to have the beefier cooling solution.

 

[AusWolf]

The number of power connectors doesn't matter. VRM build quality and cooler design do.

 

[GerKNG]

the only difference will often be the powerlimit.
two 8 pin cards have a 304W limit and 3x8 Pin have a 334W Limit (at least my two 6900XTs and one 6800XT is like that.)

you can push them to ~380-400W with liquid cooling and a solid PSU on 2x8 with no problems. it does not matter in the end.

 

[Segundoh]

The absolute limit for the 6800XT is 330 Watts but you won't see over 300 even if you move the slider in Adrenline software. Regular driver updates pegs that card at 255 Watts by default.

Oh okay I see. It seems the limit is about that much if I set it to +15% in Adrenalin.

Card with 3 power inputs is more robust and will be able to draw more power, but end of the day it is a 6800 XT. If you want to do advanced overclocking, the 3x8pin card is a no brainer, otherwise pick whatever is cheaper or seems to have the beefier cooling solution.

Does that robustness matter if im not anywhere near the power limit? Will it make my OCs more stable or let me OC more? I’m definitely not using water cooling or anything and just the fans that were included, so I probably won’t even be able to reach 375W. Also, how can I tell which one has a better cooling solution? The three fans and heatsink both look similar.

The number of power connectors doesn't matter. VRM build quality and cooler design do.

Oh okay that makes sense. How can I check which of these two models has better VRM build quality and cooler design compare between those two models?

the only difference will often be the powerlimit.
two 8 pin cards have a 304W limit and 3x8 Pin have a 334W Limit (at least my two 6900XTs and one 6800XT is like that.)

you can push them to ~380-400W with liquid cooling and a solid PSU on 2x8 with no problems. it does not matter in the end.

Oh okay I see. My PPT limit is 312.8 W according to HWiNFO, and it sometimes gets to 312.8 W in at least Time Spy. Sometimes, it crashes and sometimes it doesn’t, so I suppose it’s something else and not the power limit. And I see, so even 2x8 allows for about 380-400 W. That’s interesting. I’m not using liquid cooling and just air cooling right now, so I suppose I don’t have to worry about that anwyay.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Does that robustness matter if im not anywhere near the power limit? Will it make my OCs more stable or let me OC more? I’m definitely not using water cooling or anything and just the fans that were included, so I probably won’t even be able to reach 375W. Also, how can I tell which one has a better cooling solution? The three fans and heatsink both look similar.

Like AusWolf said you want to primarily pay attention to the VRM quality. It is rare for a 3x8-pin card to have a poor VRM, but such models do exist. Sapphire Nitro+ (this is the one you're looking at, right?) are tip top cards, though. Can't go wrong with 'em.

As for the heatsink, amount of heatpipes/fins and the size in general but that doesn't matter too much at that segment anymore, almost all of them are great.

 

[Segundoh]

Like AusWolf said you want to primarily pay attention to the VRM quality. It is rare for a 3x8-pin card to have a poor VRM, but such models do exist. Sapphire Nitro+ (this is the one you're looking at, right?) are tip top cards, though. Can't go wrong with 'em.

As for the heatsink, amount of heatpipes/fins and the size in general but that doesn't matter too much at that segment anymore, almost all of them are great.

Oh, I’m actually looking at a Sapphire Pulse card. It seems that’s a midtier card below the Sapphire Nitro+ card. Have you heard anything about the Pulse and if that’s good too?

Is there a way to check for VRM quality? So, 3 pin cards usually have better VRM than 2 pin cards. Would the ASRock Phantom Gaming card be better then since it has 3 pins and the Pulse only has 2? The size and heat pipes look similar, though I didn’t count how many the ASRock one had before I returned it.

 

[Awwwyeahhhbaby]

For a 6800XT that is absolutely fine, unless you are into big overclocking then you'd be a little safer with a 3-pin card and a quality waterblock because at 400W or more that card gets nuclear-level hot. The default card power is 300W, but using MPT you can go as high as you want and thats who the triple connector cards are aimed at.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Oh okay I see. My PPT limit is 312.8 W according to HWiNFO, and it sometimes gets to 312.8 W in at least Time Spy.

FYI my PC Red Dragon 6800XT has the same power limit and has "only" a 2x8 pin power delivery. It's easy to hit that power limit if you want in gaming (Control, SotTR, CP2077, etc.) but you're way past efficiency and diminishing FPS at that point except if you're using RT. And for RT you should have gotten a 3080 or similar anyway. Instead I run at 1.068v 2350MHz in-game and it'll use between 200 and 250W for 1% fewer fps than stock.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Oh, I’m actually looking at a Sapphire Pulse card. It seems that’s a midtier card below the Sapphire Nitro+ card. Have you heard anything about the Pulse and if that’s good too?

Is there a way to check for VRM quality? So, 3 pin cards usually have better VRM than 2 pin cards. Would the ASRock Phantom Gaming card be better then since it has 3 pins and the Pulse only has 2? The size and heat pipes look similar, though I didn’t count how many the ASRock one had before I returned it.

The Pulse is great, too. Either way you go won't be disappointed, although if you care about power efficiency, that is, saving power, 4070 is currently uncontested and you should check that out instead.

 

[Segundoh]

For a 6800XT that is absolutely fine, unless you are into big overclocking then you'd be a little safer with a 3-pin card and a quality waterblock because at 400W or more that card gets nuclear-level hot. The default card power is 300W, but using MPT you can go as high as you want and thats who the triple connector cards are aimed at.

Oh okay that makes sense. Even if I don’t reach that power limit and only reach a max of 312.8 W, would 3 connectors be able to distribute power more efficiently or is it still the same? I’m only using the three fans that came with my GPU and not water cooling, so I suppose it’s unnecessary if it doesn’t make a difference below 400 W.

FYI my PC Red Dragon 6800XT has the same power limit and has "only" a 2x8 pin power delivery. It's easy to hit that power limit if you want in gaming (Control, SotTR, CP2077, etc.) but you're way past efficiency and diminishing FPS at that point except if you're using RT. And for RT you should have gotten a 3080 or similar anyway. Instead I run at 1.068v 2350MHz in-game and it'll use between 200 and 250W for 1% fewer fps than stock.

I assume the power limit is about the same for a 3 pin GPU too since it was still locked to *15% for the 3 pin one. And I see, so it doesn’t really matter if it gets past that limit anyway. Would a 3 pin GPU be able to handle 312.8 W better since it can distribute it among 3 connectors, or does that not matter?

either way, would it only make a 1% or a very small difference as you said? Even if I’m able to OC it or undervolt it a bit more with the old one, I’d assume the difference would be very small, but I’m not sure.

The Pulse is great, too. Either way you go won't be disappointed, although if you care about power efficiency, that is, saving power, 4070 is currently uncontested and you should check that out instead.

I see, so they’re about the same. That’s good to hear. I suppose the slightly worse OCing is just because of the silicon lottery then though I suppose there’s not a huge difference between a max Time Spy graphics score of 19600 for my new one and one of 20600 for the old one.

 

[LabRat 891]

If you're not into XOCing, pick the card with the better warranty/reputation.

The only plus for a 3x 8-pin card (to a 'casual' OCer) is more copper carrying current. The 'diceroll' of silicon quality and the PCB's components will influence any prospective OC more.

I can't think of a practical reason, but those aware of Ohm's law might feel a little more "warm and fuzzy". I poke fun, but I might choose on this reason alone if price were otherwise similar.
(Side point: resale value, years down the line, will be better on a 'special' card. Any kit that was "+1" and a lower production SKU goes for $$$ over the same-spec 'mundane' component.

 

[AusWolf]

Oh okay that makes sense. How can I check which of these two models has better VRM build quality and cooler design compare between those two models?

Read reviews. The better ones (like the ones here on TPU) talk about these things in detail. There's no other way.

 

[Segundoh]

If you're not into XOCing, pick the card with the better warranty/reputation.

The only plus for a 3x 8-pin card (to a 'casual' OCer) is more copper carrying current. The 'diceroll' of silicon quality and the PCB's components will influence any prospective OC more.

I can't think of a practical reason, but those aware of Ohm's law might feel a little more "warm and fuzzy". I poke fun, but I might choose on this reason alone if price were otherwise similar.
(Side point: resale value, years down the line, will be better on a 'special' card. Any kit that was "+1" and a lower production SKU goes for $$$ over the same-spec 'mundane' component.

Oh ok I see. So there’s a small difference between 3x 8pin GPUs and 2x 8-pin GPUs, but it doesn’t really matter. I guess I just got unlucky with silicon quality and the PCB’s components then. I’m definitely not XOCing. I couldn’t any reviews for either card aside from customer reviews on Newegg and such, but they both seem largely positive; I thought Sapphire would be better than ASRock since Sapphire has a better reputation, but the warranty is also only 2 years while the ASRock’s warranty is 3 years.

the Sapphire is only $15 less than the ASRock one, so I suppose the ASRock one would be better since the prices are so similar as you said. And I didn’t realize that special cards have better resale values; that definitely makes sense, so perhaps I should’ve gone for one of those.

Read reviews. The better ones (like the ones here on TPU) talk about these things in detail. There's no other way.

I might be looking at the wrong places by using Google and Bing, but I wasn’t able to find any reviews for either of these specific models. I did see those TPU spec pages, but they don’t talk about VRM quality and fans and all. Maybe I’m just not looking at the right places.

 

[AusWolf]

I might be looking at the wrong places by using Google and Bing, but I wasn’t able to find any reviews for either of these specific models. I did see those TPU spec pages, but they don’t talk about VRM quality and fans and all. Maybe I’m just not looking at the right places.

VRM quality is mentioned in the first few pages along with the disassembly photos. Cooler build quality is mentioned there as well, but temperature and noise comparisons (which you'll find around the last few pages) will tell you more.

 

[Segundoh]

VRM quality is mentioned in the first few pages along with the disassembly photos. Cooler build quality is mentioned there as well, but temperature and noise comparisons (which you'll find around the last few pages) will tell you more.

Sorry, what review are you looking at? I was looking at these databases: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/sapphire-pulse-rx-6800-xt.b8326 and https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/asrock-rx-6800-xt-phantom-gaming-d-oc.b8341

It seems that’s the wrong thing since I dont see those pages. I just noticed now that the ASRock one is 17 mm longer( but does that matter in terms of cooling?

 

[AusWolf]

Sorry, what review are you looking at? I was looking at these databases: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/sapphire-pulse-rx-6800-xt.b8326 and https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/asrock-rx-6800-xt-phantom-gaming-d-oc.b8341

It seems that’s the wrong thing since I dont see those pages. I just noticed now that the ASRock one is 17 mm longer( but does that matter in terms of cooling?

These (just type "6800 XT" in the search box):

TechPowerUp

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Segundoh]

These (just type "6800 XT" in the search box):

TechPowerUp

www.techpowerup.com

I’m seeing the Nitro+ and Taichi, but I don’t see the Pulse and Phantom Gamijg. I suppose I should’ve spent a bit more to get these high-tier models but oh well. I guess that means both the Pulse and PG ones are pretty similar to the reference model.

 

[R0H1T]

The best is the one powered from the PCIe slot, no cables!

The number of power connectors doesn't matter. VRM build quality and cooler design do.

Well it kinda matters for your PSU. You'll need to get a more expensive one.

 

[AusWolf]

I’m seeing the Nitro+ and Taichi, but I don’t see the Pulse and Phantom Gamijg. I suppose I should’ve spent a bit more to get these high-tier models but oh well. I guess that means both the Pulse and PG ones are pretty similar to the reference model.

Don't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with a reference card. Only that it's a bit louder and hotter than the more expensive ones. I have a reference card too (only 6750 XT, though).

The best is the one powered from the PCIe slot, no cables!

Why even complicate things with a PCI-e slot? I want a card with no connectors at all!

 

[R0H1T]

We'll probably need to wait till graphene transistors take off & Metaverse is beamed straight into our heads

We are fast approaching the limits of Silicon & while AMD or Nvidia could still stretch it out with chiplets or more cache for maybe half a decade but this is probably the tuning point for oversized & overpowered/power hungry GPU's ~ no one likes them!

 

[Segundoh]

The best is the one powered from the PCIe slot, no cables!

Well it kinda matters for your PSU. You'll need to get a more expensive one.

That makes sense, so I’ll need a more expensive one with more connectors. Mine comes with 3 anyway, so I suppose it’d be fine either way. I think I’ll plug in the cables but I won’t put it in the PCIE slot lol.

Don't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with a reference card. Only that it's a bit louder and hotter than the more expensive ones. I have a reference card too (only 6750 XT, though).


Why even complicate things with a PCI-e slot? I want a card with no connectors at all!

Oh okay it’s good to hear that reference models are great then. I suppose there’s a very small difference between the Pulse and the Phantom Gaming then. I suppose the fact that the Phantom Gaming is 17 mm longer than the Pulse probably doesn’t mean the cooling is better, but not sure; I don’t think the GPU ever overheated anyway when Time Spy crashed even when I OCed it, so I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway.
And that’s true, who needs a PCIE slot or connectors. Im just gonna leave the GPU outside of the case and let it work its magic.

We'll probably need to wait till graphene transistors take off & Metaverse is beamed straight into our heads

We are fast approaching the limits of Silicon & while AMD or Nvidia could still stretch it out with chiplets or more cache for maybe half a decade but this is probably the tuning point for oversized & overpowered/power hungry GPU's ~ no one likes them!

Imagine wireless GPUs, that would definitely be something. And I see, so there’s not much more that GPUs can do from here on. I wonder how they’ll innovate from here on then.