Review: AMD Radeon RX 480 (14nm Polaris)

Conclusion

The Radeon RX 480 is the first GPU to be based on the new AMD Polaris architecture debuting on a cutting-edge 14nm process from GlobalFoundries.

Purposely designed to attack the £200 market while AMD gets its software ship in order, RX 480 uses an enhanced GCN architecture that is more evolutionary than revolutionary. Able to mete out the same sort of performance as an incumbent R9 390 but with a die size that's over 40 per cent smaller means AMD can release RX 480 at a far more attractive price point.

And pricing is key. AMD says it expects the RX 480 4GB models to start at £180 and 8GB models, per the review sample, at £215. This, in our opinion, makes the RX 480 a better bet than the still-popular GTX 970/OC, though given recent developments and a shaken pound, it will be interesting to see how UK pricing pans out in these uncertain times.

Overall performance tends to become better on newer titles that use more DX12 goodness, and the architecture is potent enough, in some cases, to give the GeForce GTX 980 a run for its money, though it has more in common with the GTX 970 OC's credentials than the more powerful Maxwell card.

The reference board produces smooth framerates at 1080p and acceptable throughput at 1440p, meaning it does truly appeal to the mass market who desires console-beating performance from their PCs.

RX 480 and its upcoming lieutenants, RX 470 and RX 460, puts AMD in a solid position as a provider of quality GPUs at affordable prices, and while these GPUs are not able to compete against the Pascal-powered GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 duo, they don't need to because they're priced so differently.

We'd like to see partner cards in the labs before passing final judgment. If they can increase the frequencies a notch or two and mute the strident tones of the reference model, hopefully near a £200 price point, AMD and its cohorts will find themselves back in the game, though the as-yet-unknown performance from the soon-to-be-released GTX 1060 may well muddy the waters once more.

Let's not focus on what the RX 480 isn't - a GeForce GTX 1070/1080 competitor - let's consider what it is: a leading choice at the £200 price point.

AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB

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A wide range of AMD Radeon RX 480 graphics cards will be available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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