A Closer Look
What we get here is arguably one of the nicest looking AMD cards of this generation, but it’s also on the large side too, though for anyone who has had a Nitro card before, that won’t come as a shock, as they’re typically on the larger side. Measuring in at 331mm in length, 128mm in height and 66mm thick, making it a 3 slot card that’s also very square in its dimensions, though that’s not a bad thing. It comprises of a single colour scheme of gun metal grey, though it does use mixed materials with the front of the card having a perforated design, though there is a black backing behind them, so this is more style over function, and this shroud houses the 3 large fans, of which the middle one spins in an opposite direction to the other two for improved cooling.
The top of the card is probably the most interesting part, as it has a unique grille design that features a criss cross lattice-style pattern that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, but it works and definitely makes it stand out from other cards on the market by doing something different while also giving a glimpse of the large heatsink beneath, and potentially letting hot air escape, though we’ll find out what that does in practice shortly.
Another really unique part is the backplate, or backplates, should I say. The RX 9070 XT Nitro+ incorporates a full metal backplate which spans across the PC,B and with the included thermal pads, does help to dissipate heat. What makes this special, though, is that another backplate comes included, which attaches by magnets, which then extends beyond the PCB and over the large cut-out section.
Within this cut-out section, is an ARGB out connector and the single power connector, because unlike other AMD cards, the Nitro+ features a 12V 2×6 connector, which is an odd move, but I also need to expand on it a little.
In a time where NVIDIA have been getting some bad press about using the connector, Sapphire has made the bold move to incorporate it into their card, but they’ve not just put the connector on and called it a day. Instead, they’ve made some key changes to make sure there’s little to no room for error or issues. Firstly, they include an adapter in the box, but much like we’ve seen on power supplies from the likes of MSI, for instance, there’s a colour tip, meaning that when you plug it in, if you still see blue, then it’s not plugged in far enough. On top of this, they’ve also added fuse protection into the circuitry behind the connector, again, giving yet another point of failure before anything catastrophic could happen.
On the back of the heatsink is a small amount of foam too which protects the cable or adapter from being torn up by the fins of the heatsink and then, when you put the second backplate into place, things are hidden nicely out of sight, adding to the clean look of the card, while also adding a unique talking point and a bold move by using this connector.
The uniqueness doesn’t just stop there though, as this card is heavily engineered with the consumer in mind because while buying a graphics card is one thing, it seems like Sapphire wants to make sure you have the ability to combat one of the biggest issues that long-term gaming usage inflicts. Dust.
Dust is the prime killer for any PC component, and cleaning your graphics card is typically a tricky affair, but with a quick connect feature for the fans, Sapphire have added in the ability to remove the fans with a single screw, meaning that if one should ever fail, or if you need to remove them for cleaning, then it’s really simple and should help with any major warranty issues as well.
I think they’ve had to make this an easy solution because the cooling on the card is pretty extensive. From the PTM7950 TIM that they use on the GPU core, to the AeroCurve fans, all the way through to the steel frame and integrated cooling module that makes direct contact with the GPU core, memory and power delivery components, there’s a lot of material used to give the Nitro+ card the strongest footing to be regarded as one of the best AMD cards of this generation, and with the Nitro+ range of old, they do demand a higher price point, but with every element that I’ve mentioned, I think it’s clear to see why this comes in at a higher price point. You’re not just paying for some fancy RGB, of which the Nitro+ does include an ARGB light bar under that shroud, that’s fully customisable, or a better quality graphics card support bracket, of which also comes included, or a faster clock speed, of which again, it does come with. Instead, you seem to be getting the full package, while still retaining that “value for money” argument.
