New AMD RX 7900 XTX variant requires a mammoth 3x PCIe power connectors

XFX is gearing up to release a brand new version of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX which is slated to feature a huge 3.5-slot design with power requirements of at least 850W. That means you’ll need 3x PCIe power connectors, deviating from the standard two of the base and partner models for the added functionality. 

Spotted by Videocardz, the upcoming Phoenix Nirvana RX 7900 XTX measures in at a massive 13 x 5.1 x 2.8 (LxWxH) making it the largest of the current AIBs available, and dwarfing AMD’s own reference model from 2022. The full model has yet to be fully unveiled, however, teases of the card’s design make a mighty impression. What’s more, it’s alleged to launch at $1,090, just $91 over MSRP. 

Given its length, it’s highly likely to be a triple fan graphics card what with that massive heatsink sitting on top. It’s alleged that there’s a total of eight 6mm heat pipes onboard with a vapor chamber for the GPU and the memory modules. From this information, we can glean that this variant is going to have some serious overclocking runway, as we’ve already seen from the likes of the ASUS Tuf RX 7900 XTX. 

One of the more interesting claims made by XFX regarding the upcoming Phoenix Nirvana variant is that it will be using “premium thermal pads” for enhanced conductivity, according to the source. This means that the new graphics card could be able to push overclocking further than what we’ve seen from competitors, especially given the size of the heatsink on top. 

You may need to do that overclocking yourself, though. The teased information states that the Phoenix Nirvana will be clocked identically to the company’s existing Speedster Merc 319 at 2615 MHz, which isn’t quite as fast as AMD partner cards go, as some versions can push up to 2800 MHz. 

The best graphics card for gamers gets better

We haven’t been shy about our love for AMD’s RX 7900 XTX since its release nearly two years ago. The RDNA 3 flagship packs a ton of value for money with its competitive pricing and huge 24GB memory pool. It’s easily the best graphics card for gamers wanting to game in 4K, and it’s good to see Team Red’s partners continue to support it. 

The pricing, if accurate, may not be too exciting though. That’s because we’re now seeing many RDNA 3 GPUs including the 7900 XTX available at discounted prices – some even seeing permanent discounts. Should everything about the design and the speed of the card be true then it’s likely going to offer leading thermal performance, even if it doesn’t push the boundaries of what we know it can do out of the box. 

We recommend reading our full AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX review to get the full low down on the cards. Even though RDNA 4 is on the horizon, there’s still a lot to expect out of the current crop of GPU hardware to take advantage of. 

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Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn’t working, you’ll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.