The AMD Radeon RX 480 Preview: Polaris Makes Its Mainstream Mark
by Ryan Smith on June 29, 2016 9:00 AM ESTGaming Performance
So with the basics of the architecture and core configuration behind us, let’s dive into some numbers.
Overall, AMD is pitching the RX 480 as a card suitable for 1440p gaming as well as 1080p gaming and VR gaming. In the case of 1080p the card is clearly powerful enough, as even Crysis 3 at its highest quality setting is flirting with 60fps. However when it comes to 1440p, the RX 480 feels like it’s coming up a bit short; other than DiRT Rally, performance is a bit low for the 60fps PC gamer. Traditionally cards in the $199-$249 mainstream range have been 1080p gaming cards, and in the long run I think this is where RX 480 will settle at as well.
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Demibolt - Friday, July 1, 2016 - link
Not here to argue, just fact checking.GTX 970 is currently in the top 3 cards used by Steam users (according to Steam's reports).
The GTX 970 can currently be purchased for ~$240 from several online retailers.
TimAhKin - Wednesday, June 29, 2016 - link
The 480 was never meant to compete with Pascal.This card is for people that want to upgrade from older GPUs. It's a pretty cheap card that's good for 1080p and VR.
Fallen Kell - Wednesday, June 29, 2016 - link
This is a horrible card for VR. It can barely do 60 FPS at 1080p, which isn't even in the same ballpark of doing the 90-120 FPS at 2160x1200 that is needed for VR. The card would need to be 3-4x higher performance than it currently is to pull off VR.Meteor2 - Wednesday, June 29, 2016 - link
No, you need 90 fps minimum for VR and the 480 does it at the resolutions used by the Rift and Vive just fine.DigitalFreak - Wednesday, June 29, 2016 - link
The 480 does 90fps @ 2160x1200? WTF are you smoking?Fallen Kell - Thursday, June 30, 2016 - link
I know, seriously. I don't know what Meteor2 or TimAhKin are smoking, as it is obviously the fanboy weed. There is only a single game that was benchmarked at 1080p where the 480 could even hit 90+ fps, and everything else was between 40-70 fps. And VR has 25% more pixels than 1080p.I mean, if the 480 was getting 120-130 fps at 1080p, then I would agree that it might be a decent VR card. But it averages about 1/3rd that on current AAA titles (or less with highest video quality settings enabled). This is why I said it needed to be 3-4x higher performance than what it is to do VR. Anyone using this for VR will have to turn down the video quality WAY down, which means you will see much more item/object popping due to object draw distances being so low, which destroys the immersion sense that VR is attempting to create in the first place. Add in the slideshows you will get during effects heavy scenes and get ready for the vomit comet to commence due to the eyes not seeing the results of your head moving.
Meteor2 - Thursday, June 30, 2016 - link
I'm going by the Occulus benchmarks. You know, the one by the people who make the VR headsets.killeak - Thursday, June 30, 2016 - link
Well, they said that this would be an entry level VR card, and for that I take using low settings but 90fps at VR Resolution, and I think it's possible to consider the RX 480 (just as the 970) an entry level VR card.Now, if we are talking high/ultra settings, then no, it won't make it.
pashhtk27 - Thursday, June 30, 2016 - link
And for 90fps on high settings, you have 1080. You sure should smoke cash.Yojimbo - Thursday, June 30, 2016 - link
You are looking at benchmarks with all settings maxed out. The RX 480 is entirely capable at running 90fps @ 2160x1200 with settings selected more judiciously.