Introduction
SAPPHIRE has a brand new video card series, or SKU, of GPU video cards, and we have one to review. The SAPPHIRE “PURE” Radeon RX 7700 XT 12GB (SKU# 11335-03-20G) video card is based on the new AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT GPU and has a unique all-white design and theme from SAPPHIRE with Tri-X cooling technology for $469 MSRP. The new SAPPHIRE PURE series complements the current SAPPHIRE lineup and will sit in between its current PULSE and NITRO+ series, which we have reviewed the SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7700 XT and SAPPHIRE NITRO+ Radeon RX 7800 XT.
Currently, SAPPHIRE offers two PURE series video cards, one based on the Radeon RX 7700 XT and one based on the Radeon RX 7800 XT, we will be reviewing the Radeon RX 7700 XT model. The full name as specified on SAPPHIRE’s webpage is SAPPHIRE PURE AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 12GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA 3 architecture.
The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is positioned for the 1440p gameplay experience with 12GB of VRAM at $449 MSRP. It has 54 Compute Units, 3456 Shader Units, 54 RT Accelerators (2nd Gen), 108 AI Accelerators, and 96 ROPs. It uses 48MB of 2nd Gen AMD Infinity Cache. It has a Game Clock of 2171MHz and a Boost Clock of 2544MHz. It has 12GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus at 18Gbps which gives it 432GB/s of memory bandwidth, and it uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface with a TDP of 245W.
SAPPHIRE PURE Radeon RX 7700 XT 12GB Specs
The SAPPHIRE PURE AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT 12G DDR6 has a striking all-white design with a red logo LED. It features SAPPHIRE’s Tri-X cooling triple axial fan, angular velocity fans, two ball bearings, robust composite heatpipe construction, multiple top-shelf PCB components and construction, and of course, 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM all in a 2.5-slot video card with a backplate.
The SAPPHIRE PURE Radeon RX 7700 XT also comes with a factory overclock. The AMD reference spec for the game clock on the Radeon RX 7700 XT is 2171MHz while the boost clock is 2544MHz. The SAPPHIRE PURE Radeon RX 7700 XT GAMING OC comes with a game clock of 2226MHz and a boost clock of 2584MHz. This, therefore, gives it a clock speed advantage over the SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7700 XT that we have also reviewed. It also has a slightly higher MSRP at $469, compared to the PULSE at $449.
The SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 7700 XT is designed with a digital power design and uses Ultra High-Performance Conductive Polymer Aluminum Capacitors and high TG copper PCB. The PCB is a high-density 14-layer 2oz copper high TG PCB. There is an all-aluminum backplate on the backside that does aid in increasing heat dissipation. The angular velocity fan blades provide extra downward air pressure with 19% more airflow. The fans feature dual-ball bearings. There is fuse protection built into the circuit of the external PCI-E power connector.
SAPPHIRE PURE Radeon RX 7700 XT Pictures
The video card is packaged securely in formed foam. In a separate pocket is an accessory support bar. There are instructions included for assembly. As was discussed, this is a new line of products for SAPPHIRE. The video card is a striking pure white color with black and gray accents. The cooling fans are Angular Velocity 100mm each, and the blades are connected by an outer ring. There is an Intelligent Fan Control which will stop the fans at a software-defined temperature. The cooling is likewise provided by a full-length heatpipe heatsink, constructed of composite metals. The PCB is packed with advanced components, several fuses, and a high-density 14-layer 2oz Copper construction.
On the back is a full-length, all-aluminum, all-white, slotted backplate. It is labeled with Radeon and PURE in either solid gray or black letters. On the top outer side is a red SAPPHIRE logo. By default it will light up, however, there is a small switch at the far end of the backplate which allows it to be turned off.
The SAPPHIRE PURE Radeon RX 7700 XT GAMING OC is a solidly designed video card. The top shroud is plastic and meets with the metal backplate for a full cover. The video card measures 12.5″ inches long, 4.5″ inches wide, and 2.06″ inches in height, it is a 2.5-slot card. The front I/O has two HDMI 2.1 and two Display Port 2.1 outputs. The video card card requires two 8-pin PCIe connectors and the minimum PSU is listed at 700 Watts. The total board power is listed as 240 Watts Total Board Power. This video card weighs in at 2.5 pounds. The backplate is beveled at the PCIe connections to save your fingers. To be honest, the card weight is not excessive. The included support bar is probably not necessary but is a nice gesture.