Testing
The following system was used to test the graphics card:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5 GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: Ballistix Tactical Tracer 16GB DDR4 @ 2666MHz
– SSD: Crucial MX 500
– HDD: WD 1 TB Blue
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W
– CPU Cooler: CoolerMater MasterLiquid 240
– Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White
– Thermal compound: Arctic Cooling MX-4
To test the graphics card, the AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.2.2 driver was used, being the latest AMD driver available at the time of writing the review.
All the games used to test the graphics cards are set to their highest quality settings with the resolution 1920 x 1080. Both the games and benchmarks used were run three times.
The software used to measure the temperature and frames per second (FPS) are the following:
– AIDA64 Extreme 6.20.5300
– GPU-Z v2.30.0
– MSI Afterburner v4.6.2
– Fraps
The overclocking has been done using the default fan settings. Each graphic card overclocks differently due to different batches of memory chips used as well as the variation in the manufacturing process of the graphics core. This means that each graphics card will overclock differently in both frequencies obtained and voltage required.
In the case of the ASRock Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming OC 8 GB, a maximum overclock of 1993MHz Boost Clock and 1858MHz Memory Clock was achieved.
The test results are as follows:
Grand Theft Auto V (Low 0.1%)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Low 0.1%)
Metro Exodus (Low 0.1%)
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider (Low 0.1%)
Temperature
The Idle tests consists of the system left at the Desktop for 30 minutes, the power consumption is measured during the test.
Full Load: Represents the power consumption of the graphics card while playing a modern video game, in this case the benchmark of Tomb Raider 2013 with the following settings: 1920 x 1080, Ultra Preset, TressFX OFF, 4xAA.
Peak: Represents the power consumption of the graphics card during a synthetic benchmark, in this case FurMark 1.15.1.
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 5 db. In the case of the SRock Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming OC 8 GB, the two 90mm fans will stop spinning when the graphic card has a light load.
Sound Idle
Sound Full Load
Final thoughts
The ASRock Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming OC 8GB is a really good graphics card for a budget gaming system, and it will do its job in most games at 1080p with ease.
The small PCB and cooling system also make this graphics card compatible with most small form factor cases and motherboards.
The performance in games at 1080p is very good, especially when we take into consideration the total power draw of just 137W. The ASRock RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming OC 8GB is faster than the RX 580 and in some titles, it is faster than the RX 590.
The dual fan cooling system is on the smaller side; however, it manages to keep the graphics card temperature in check, with a maximum temperature of just 63 degrees Celsius. The two 90mm fans can spin to over 4000RPM, however in a normal gaming usage situation, they will never go above 2000 RPM.
In conclusion, the ASRock Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming OC 8GB is a good option for a budget gaming system. The performance is good in most games at 1080p, the RX 580 is definitely slower than this RX 5500 XT, while the RX 590 is only marginally better, while using almost double the power when gaming.
The price of the ASRock Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming OC 8GB is around 200 USD, making it one of the most affordable 5500 XT in this price segment.
