Sapphire has officially announced its next-generation Nitro+ and PULSE Radeon RX 6800 series graphics cards. The lineup includes three Nitro+ and two PULSE series cards which come in both Radeon RX 6800 XT & RX 6800 flavors.
Sapphire Unveils Radeon RX 6800 XT & RX 6800 Nito+ / PULSE Series Graphics Cards, Stunning Designs, 2.7 Slots & Triple-Fan Cooling
The Sapphire Radeon RX 6800 series graphics card line up is split into the Nitro+ and PULSE series. The Nitro+ being the more premium lineup comes in both RX 6800 XT & RX 6800 flavors and even includes one additional Special Edition ‘SE’ variant for the Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card. So let us start with the Nitro+ series graphics lineup first.
Sapphire RX 6800 XT & RX 6800 Nitro+ Series Graphics Cards
The Radeon RX 6800 XT Nitro+ from Sapphire is shown to be a massive triple-fan cooled graphics card. Two of the fans feature 9 blades each while the one at the end features 12 fan blades and as such, we can expect them to push lots of airflow towards the central heatsink assembly.
The card features a massive metal backplate and it does extend beyond the length of the PCB. There’s a cutout at the backside to let air pass through the aluminum fins. You can also spot an RGB Nitro+ logo which looks great with the whole aesthetics of the card.
The card is said to feature a 2.7 slot design and from the looks of it, features a large aluminum heatsink beneath the shroud which features 6 massive heat pipes. Details such as final clocks & PCB design remain unknown at the moment but we expect them to be shared prior to the launch on the 18th of November.
Sapphire RX 6800 XT Nitro+ SE ‘Special Edition’ Graphics Card
The main difference between the Sapphire RX 6800 XT Nitro+ SE and the Nitro+ variants seems to be the fans that feature RGB LEDs integrated within them. The SE also seems to be the only variant in Sapphire’s RX 6800 lineup to feature a USB Type-C connector whereas the rest of the Nitro+ line is configured with three DP and a single HDMI port.
Aside from that, we can expect the SE variant to feature higher factory overclocks and a slightly better PCB. All Nitro+ Radeon RX 6800 series graphics card variants feature a dual 8-pin power connector configuration so a good PSU around 700-800W would be recommended for these cards.
Sapphire RX 6800 XT & RX 6800 PULSE Series Graphics Cards
Finally, we have the PULSE variants which come in Radeon RX 6800 XT & RX 6800 series. Unlike the massive 12-fan blade cooling systems on the Nitro+, the PULSE series gets a triple-fan solution that is comprised of 9-fan blades. The heatsink underneath looks largely the same but we can see one less heatpipe for the PULSE variant.
The card also looks to be less wide and comes with the red and black trim that PULSE cards are known for. Once again, both cards feature a dual 8-pin connector configuration while display outputs include the standard 1 HDMI and triple DP ports. The card also features no RGB LEDs. Sapphire has provided no word on pricing or availability of the graphics cards but expect it to be posted soon!
AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series Graphics Cards Pricing & Availability
The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics cards will be available starting the 8th of December. The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is said to carry a price tag of $999 US and is expected to be a reference only model for this year unless AMD gives its AIB partners a greenlight for custom variants which may be in the plans. The Radeon RX 6800 XT and Radeon RX 6800 will be launching in the retail market on 18th November for $649 US and $579 US, respectively.