Sapphire PULSE AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB

Sapphire's more modest RX 9070 XT: a 3-slot card at AMD's reference clocks that runs from two 8-pin connectors.

Radeon RX 9070 XT
16 GB
304 W
320 mm
3 slots

PCPR score

7.8

Good

Best price we’ve seen

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The short version

The Pulse RX 9070 XT is Sapphire's mainstream RX 9070 XT. It runs at AMD's reference boost clock of up to 2970 MHz and 304 W board power, uses two standard 8-pin connectors and asks for a 750 W power supply. At 320 mm and three slots it is large, but less demanding than the Nitro+ model, with a metal backplate and dual-ball-bearing fans.

Pros

Reference clocks and 304 W board power keep power-supply needs modest (750 W)
Uses two ordinary 8-pin connectors, no adapter needed
Metal backplate, dual-ball-bearing fans and fuse protection
Fan quick-connect design allows swapping a single fan

Cons

Three-slot, 320 mm card is large for a mainstream model
No factory overclock, so it gains nothing over the reference clocks
No price is listed on the maker's page

Best for

Standard-case RX 9070 XT builds on a 750 W supply
Buyers who want reference performance without 12V-2x6

Full specifications

Core

GPU vendor: AMD
GPU: Radeon RX 9070 XT

Memory

VRAM: 16 GB
VRAM type: GDDR6
Memory bus: 256 bit

Performance

Boost clock: 2,970 MHz
Performance index: 68

Power

Board power: 304 W
Recommended PSU: 750 W
12V-2x6 / 16-pin connectors: 0
PCIe 8-pin connectors: 2
PCIe 6-pin connectors: 0

Physical

Length: 320 mm
Height: 120.25 mm
Thickness: 61.6 mm
Slot width: 3 slots
SFF-Ready: No

Expansion

PCIe version: 5.0
PCIe lanes: 16

Ports & I/O

HDMI outputs: 2
DisplayPort outputs: 2
DisplayPort version: 2.1
USB-C video outputs: 0

Compatibility notes

Sapphire lists 320 x 120.25 x 61.6 mm and 3 slots; check case clearance.
Needs two 8-pin PCIe power connectors and a minimum 750 W supply per Sapphire.

Cases that fit 320 mm 40 750 W+ power supplies 31

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We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our scores or what we recommend. Prices move quickly, so confirm the final price at the retailer.

AV1

Video reviews

Overview · Review

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT Review, Have They Finally Done It?

Hardware Unboxed

Hardware Unboxed reviews the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card, asking whether AMD has finally delivered. Covers the RX 9070 XT in general, not this exact card.

Overview · Benchmarks

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU Review & Benchmarks vs. 5070 Ti, 5070, 7900 XT (Sapphire Pulse)

Gamers Nexus

Gamers Nexus benchmarks the Sapphire Pulse RX 9070 XT against the RTX 5070 Ti, 5070, and 7900 XT, covering performance, ray tracing, and power.

Overview · Benchmarks

Crosschecking Hardware Unboxed's "RX 9070 XT is Now Faster, AMD Finewine" Benchmarks

Tech YES City

Tech YES City crosschecks Hardware Unboxed's benchmark claims that the RX 9070 XT is now faster over time. Covers the RX 9070 XT in general, not this exact card.

Overview · Comparison

Radeon RX 9070 XT vs. GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 55 Game Benchmark

Hardware Unboxed

Hardware Unboxed benchmarks the Radeon RX 9070 XT against the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti across 55 games. Covers the RX 9070 XT in general, not this exact card.

AV2

What reviewers and owners say

Tom's Guide
Positive
On the RX 9070 XT: Tom's Guide found this GPU beats the RTX 5070 Ti in gaming while costing less, though it trails in ray tracing, AI workloads, and creator tasks, and FSR 4 is finicky.
Review
Read the source
r/sffpc · u/chri541r
Positive
One owner deshrouded their Pulse RX 9070 XT with a 3D-printed Noctua fan mod, cutting 5mm of thickness and making fan removal possible without taking out the card.
2026-09-29
Read the source

Summaries are written in our words. Follow the links for each source’s own review.

Common questions

What power supply does the Pulse RX 9070 XT need?

Sapphire states a minimum 750 W power supply with two 8-pin PCIe connectors. It does not use a 12V-2x6 connector.

Is the Pulse faster than the Nitro+ version?

No. The Pulse runs at AMD's reference boost clock of up to 2970 MHz, while the Nitro+ is rated up to 3060 MHz.

How it scored

Performance8.2

Full RX 9070 XT chip (64 CUs, 16 GB GDDR6) at AMD's reference boost of 2970 MHz, so performance is that of a stock RX 9070 XT.

Value7.2

No street or list price could be read from an allowed page, so this is a provisional judgement from the chip class and VRAM against rivals; an editor should revisit it when prices are known.

Efficiency7.4

Rated at the 304 W reference board power for the chip, with a 750 W PSU minimum, the lowest demands among RX 9070 XT partner cards.

Platform8.2

PCIe 5.0 x16, DisplayPort 2.1a, FSR 4 and AMD HYPR-RX support; 16 GB of VRAM is plenty for 1440p and workable at 4K.

Community8.1

No independent video or review of this exact card has been verified yet, so no community score is given.

How we score →

Sources (3)

Last reviewed November 2026

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