Ranking the best Sapphire graphics cards in 2022

The manufacturer Sapphire Technology is popular with many PC users and builders, as its key trend is the design and manufacture of video graphics cards, both professional and graphics. However, the Sapphire brand also produces motherboards, fans, and nettops.

It would not be superfluous to highlight that the brand has been successfully cooperating with AMD Corporation for more than 10 years and supports its popular product models at different stages of development. In addition, Sapphire is a partner in the implementation of office and video cards for games by the aforementioned company.

In 2013, AMD announced the Sapphire brand as its unique international intermediary partner for modern AMD FirePro graphics cards, but in addition to this line, the company has many other equally popular models that are considered in the ranking of the best Sapphire graphics cards.

What to look for or criteria for choosing a video card

When buying a graphics card for a computer, due attention is paid to three characteristics:

1. bus frequency;
2. RAM type;
3. Memory size.

All the latest devices are equipped with the GDDR5 connection type - the most powerful and nimble. Buying another type, even at the price of the most budgetary, is illogical, since the same GDDR3 has several times less power with the same parameters.

The capacity for most new games should be chosen at least 4 GB, and for the operation of gaming programs at the limit parameters and a reserve for a couple of years ahead, it is recommended to purchase a 6 or 8 GB model. The frequency for a not very advanced user is important when choosing between devices with similar other parameters.

Another significant criterion is how much the device costs.Most users do not expect to buy a video card for more than 10-13 thousand rubles. Fans of games need to choose solutions for 13,000-33,000 rubles. The most expensive video chips can only be afforded by owners of expensive personal computers of similar power.

Other characteristics that should be given due attention during the purchase of the device are:

• Video card dimensions. The best devices are large and can not fit in every shell. It is worth noting that it is almost impossible to choose a high-quality device for motherboards and “system units” of the mini-ATX type, so you will have to give up either a graphics accelerator or a shell.
• Availability and number of connectors. It is advisable that the slot on the device matches the one on the display. It is worth noting that the number of supported monitors is how many displays can be connected synchronously with a computer.
• Which firm is better? Video card manufacturers prefer one of two popular brands - AMD or Nvidia, and users are guided in choosing a particular solution by their own wishes and reviews from the Internet. As statistics show, Radeon brand products are considered to be inexpensive, and the popularity of GeForce models is due to a large number of video processors with top values ​​​​and low power consumption;
• Compatible with a motherboard that may or may not have a PCI Express 3.0 controller. In such a situation, purchasing a device with this controller would be illogical. It is worth noting that for "ancient" computers it makes absolutely no sense to purchase any of the models considered in the review.
• Cooling system.For a productive chip, the recommended number of fans is 2-3 or more (or, if active-passive technology is used, from one fan and one heatsink).
• Recommended power supply. This characteristic lies in the need to power the video graphics accelerator itself and other components. For an ordinary computer, this power should be no less than 350 W, and for a designer it is recommended to install a PSU with a power of 400-600 W for comfortable work in heavy programs.

Rating of high-quality video cards Sapphire

To understand how to choose a graphics chip for specific purposes, you need to know what types of models are currently found on the Russian and global markets.

This TOP, formed based on a comparison of technological characteristics, takes into account not only new generation products, but also all models that are somehow different from others - cost, power, or compliance with such values.

Inexpensive (Low End) video cards

Good and cheap video cards priced from 3,500 to 8,500 rubles are currently quite seriously competing with new products based on new generation chips and APUs with integrated graphics cores. The power of the latter has increased significantly, which is why integrated graphics now in many cases make it possible to enjoy 3D games with pleasure, which leads to the formation of high-performance discrete devices in this cost category.

It will not be superfluous to say that inexpensive video cards will be a good solution for building budget computers. In addition, such models are an acceptable option for various online games that are unpretentious to powerful graphics (for example, WoT, WoW, EVE and Lineage).To advise users on which model is better to buy in this segment from Sapphire, out of almost two dozen adapters, 3 should be distinguished:

1. ULTIMATE R7-250;
2. Pulse Radeon RX-550;
3. VAPOR-X R7-250X.

"3rd Place: VAPOR-X R7-250X"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Cape Verde clocked at 1.1 GHz
Number of stream processors	640
Standards support	Microsoft OpenGL - 4.3, DirectX - 11.2
RAM	1 GB, type - GDDR5, bus - 128 bits

Since the adapter is characterized by a high frequency of the video processor and the frequency of the memory, an efficient system is needed to cool it. This cooling system was a high-quality VAPOR-X, consisting of an evaporation chamber, 2 heat pipes made of copper materials, a radiator made of aluminum and two controlled coolers.

The installation of this system allows you to achieve more power, reduce the noise level and at the same time save the efficiency of heat dissipation. In addition, the adapter is equipped with an improved base of elements, because only solid-state capacitors are used here, as well as Black Diamond coils, which means a significant increase in performance, quality and durability of the model in general.

It is worth highlighting the presence of four external interfaces:

1. DVI-I;
2. DVI-D;
3. HDMI output;
4. displayport.

It comes with a nice TriXX utility to monitor and configure basic GPU settings.

• High-quality Vapor-X cooling system based on the evaporation chamber;
• Overclocking the graphics core "from the factory" (1.1 GHz), as well as memory (1.3 GHz);
• GDDR5 graphics memory and innovative 28nm process technology;
• Proprietary technology Eyefinity 2.0, supporting the connection of no more than 3 displays.

• The power of the device is not enough for trendy games at extreme graphic parameters.

The average price is 4,500 rubles.

"2nd Place: Pulse Radeon RX-550"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Polaris 11 or 12 (depending on modification)
Number of stream processors	512 or 640 (depending on modification)
Standards support	DirectX 12
RAM	2 or 4 GB (depending on modification), type - GDDR5, bus - 128 bits

This card rightfully takes the second place in the TOP inexpensive models from Sapphire. The adapter represents ultra-budget in all its glory. Compared to all other graphics chips from AMD's 500 line, this model does not have an early version, but is a lightweight modification of the Radeon RX-560 card.

Adapters based on it are positioned as a worthwhile option for e-sports, and due to their small size and reduced power consumption, as a good solution for assembling a consumer multimedia center (HTPC). For demanding games, such a card is not suitable, although it can be used at the minimum quality settings for the displayed image.

Experts advise finding an opportunity and buying a modification for 4 GB of video memory. For movies and other tasks, 2 GB is enough.

Despite the overclocking "from the factory" and a fairly ordinary cooling system, the model is quiet even under load.

• Compactness;
• Relatively silent.

• Under load, it heats up more than other models.

The average price is 7,500 rubles.

"1st Place: ULTIMATE R7-250"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Oland XT 800 clocked at 800 MHz
Number of stream processors	384
Standards support	OpenGL 4.3; DirectX-11.2
RAM	1 GB; type - GDDR5

This model is one of the exceptional options on the market that allows you to assemble a completely silent personal computer, which makes it an acceptable solution for installation in home multimedia centers and budget PCs.

The passive type cooling system of this video card is based on 4 tubes made of copper materials, as well as aluminum radiators, which are separated from each other, which makes it possible to efficiently dissipate the heat generated from the graphics chip. The video card is equipped with three well-known interfaces:

1. DVI-I;
2. HDMI;
3. displayport.

The model does not need to be connected to an additional power supply.

• Absolutely passive cooling system;
• Compactness;
• GDDR5 memory type and innovative 28nm process technology;
• Optimal energy consumption;
• Proprietary technology Eyefinity 2.0, supporting the connection of 3 displays.

• During testing, it was not possible to increase the voltage on the GPU, which is why weak overclocking capabilities are included in the list of cons.

The average price is 4,000 rubles.

Video cards of the middle (Middle End) segment of the cost

Adapters of the middle cost category contain devices at a price of 8,500-20,000 thousand rubles - one of the most acceptable when it comes to matching cost to performance.

There are many video cards in the Sapphire series of devices in this range, but only 5 of them are interesting enough to consider in more detail:

1. NITRO+ Radeon RX-580;
2. Nitro Radeon RX-470;
3. DUAL-X R9-285;
4. Radeon R9-380;
5. ITX Compact R9-285.

"5th Place: ITX Compact R9-285"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Tonga, clocked at 328 MHz
Number of stream processors	1792
Standards support	OpenGL 4.3; DirectX 12
RAM	2GB, type - GDDR5, bus - 256 bits

The device is purposefully designed for installation in compact enclosures, for example, known today systems such as ITX. Despite its practical dimensions, this adapter has a very high performance and allows you to enjoy trendy games in the maximum picture resolution.

The Sapphire brand did not limit itself to only changing the reference appearance of the printed circuit board and installing its own cooling system. She carried out, albeit modest, but still, overclocking "from the factory", which distinguishes her from other adapters with AMD Radeon R9-285 processors.

This model will be an excellent option for building a compact, but at the same time powerful gaming computer, which most users dream of.

• The length of the product is 171 mm;
• Orientation to compact ITX-type shells;
• Efficient cooling system from Sapphire;
• Overclocking the processor "from the factory" (928 MHz);
• Small dimensions of the video card and a unique printed circuit board;
• Supports True Audio Technology and AMD's Mantle;
• Proprietary technology Eyefinity 2.0, supporting the connection of four displays.

• An advertising move in the form of an inscription about overclocking the GPU by 10 MHz;
• Low overclocking potential due to limits on the processor;
• Noisy under high load.

The average price is 11,000 rubles.

"4th Place: Radeon R9-380"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Antiqua Pro
Number of stream processors	1792
Standards support	OpenGL 4.5; DirectX 12
RAM	4 GB; type - GDDR5; bus - 256 bits

Video card from the 200X line with an innovative graphics chip and slightly improved internal architecture. Due to comfort optimization, the frequency of the internal core has increased by 60 MHz and, in addition, Sapphire has increased it to 995 MHz.

The maximum temperature reaches 60 degrees, taking into account that the coolers are spinning at half strength. The memory capacity is 4 GB and the internal bus is 256 bits. In HD, depending on the level of detail set in games, the frame rate remains constant from 50 to 60 fps, and this is a very good value. There are various slots: HDMI, DisplayPort and DVI-D/I.

• Works great in trending games;
• High-quality cooling;
• Great overclocking potential.

• The cooling system is noisy at high loads.

The average price is 12,500 rubles.

"3rd place: DUAL-X R9-285"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Tonga, clocked at 965 MHz
Number of stream processors	1792
Standards support	OpenGL 4.3; DirectX 12
RAM	2GB; type - GDDR5; bus - 256 bits

The model, having overclocking "from the factory" and innovative cooling, will be an excellent option for building a budget computer for games. It is worth highlighting the chic package of the device, which contains an HDMI cable and a mat from Sapphire.

This adapter has a factory overclocked graphics chip and memory, which makes it possible to increase performance when compared with reference cards based on R9-285. In addition, it will not be superfluous to say that it uses an innovative cooling system from the Sapphire brand - Dual-X, which represents the concept of two coolers with an unusual appearance.

Dual-X is designed to guarantee silent operation of the accelerator and effective cooling even under incredible loads.

The model will be a good purchase for a budget computer for games.

• Efficient and silent Dual-X cooling system;
• Regular overclocking of the graphics chip (965 MHz) and memory (1.4 GHz);
• Impressive GDDR5 memory capacity;
• Supports CrossFireX and AMD's Mantle;
• Proprietary technology Eyefinity 2.0, supporting the connection of 4 displays;
• Supports True Audio Technology from

• Low memory overclocking results;
• Noisy under load;
• The performance is slightly less than the R9-280.

The average price is 12,000 rubles.

"2nd Place: Nitro Radeon RX-470"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Polaris 10
Number of stream processors	2048
Standards support	DirectX 12
RAM	4GB; type - GDDR5; bus - 256 bits

An acceptable option for a game fan who already has a solid budget for purchasing a video accelerator. The resources of the card with a reserve are enough to open any game in excellent quality.

One disadvantage is only the unreality of overclocking. The model is released already overclocked, but taking into account the number of cases of graphics chip failure due to incorrect configuration, this drawback can even be a plus. A PC with such an accelerator is suitable for Photoshop, trendy games, as well as for 4K movies.

• Enough performance for 1080p resolution;
• DisplayPort 1.3/1.4;
• HDMI 2.0b;
• Operates silently and economically under load.

• Does not deactivate the cooler during inactivity;
• Only 4GB of memory.

The average price is 19,000 rubles.

"1st Place: NITRO+ Radeon RX-580"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Polaris 20
Number of stream processors	2304
Standards support	DirectX 12
RAM	4 or 8GB (depending on modification); type - GDDR5 SDRAM; bus - 256 bits

This model will be an excellent purchase for gamers who are not very picky about image quality, but need a good and durable device. Due to the lowest overclocking (the nominal frequency of the chip is 1411 MHz), the processor does not get very hot during operation, which means that the entire system cools perfectly. In addition, the device is equipped with 8GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, clocked at 8 GHz.

There is support for CrossFire. To connect the display, experts advise using DisplayPort 1.4, of which there are two on the board, but you can also use HDMI 2.0b (also 2 connectors) or DVI-D (1 pc.) The video card is connected to the PC via PCle. Additional power is required, for which 8- and 6-pin slots are provided. Compatible with PSU from 500W. Equipped with a custom heatsink with 2 coolers, TDP - 185W.

• Well-designed fan with the ability to configure;
• Good performance even despite the modest performance in the parameters;
• 2 BIOS blocks with different configurations, up to overclocking and dangerous cooling.

• Overprice;
• Able to heat up more than 70 degrees under full load;
• Too bright backlight, difficult to deactivate.

The average price is 13,500 rubles.

Expensive (High End) graphics cards

Professional gaming devices are expensive (more than 33 thousand rubles). The price is explained by the fact that these adapters give the user the ultimate power at the time of their release and contain all the innovative technologies.Usually, the fastest and most productive devices of this price range make it possible to enjoy any 3D games, with maximum picture parameters and on the most popular formats.

Traditionally, this range includes 1-processor and 2-processor variants. For a potential buyer, the former are still closer in cost, since the latter will cost too much, which is why not every gamer can buy such a video card.

The performance lead in this category is given to Nvidia adapters, but there are recognized profitable options based on AMD, namely:

1. FIREPRO S9150;
2. Vapor-X R9-290X;

"2nd Place: Vapor-X R9-290X"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	Hawaii, clocked at 1030 MHz
Number of stream processors	2816
Standards support	OpenGL 4.3; DirectX 12
RAM	8 GB; type - GDDR5; bus - 512 bit

First of all, it is worth highlighting the cooling system - Vapor-X. This is a proprietary design by Sapphire Corporation and when compared to the reference cooling system from AMD, it guarantees noise reduction and synchronous cooling of the graphics core.

The Vapor-X cooling system typically consists of an aluminum heatsink that cools and separates the heat that comes from the aluminum base in contact with the GPU. The radiator, for its part, is cooled by controlled coolers.

This model is one of the few options on the market that can successfully compete with the leaders based on Nvidia graphics chips in the premium price range of the professional and gaming video card market.In the era of the emergence of innovative 4K displays, 8GB of memory will come in handy, so this model can be purchased with a margin for the future.

The video card has a good regular overclocking, which makes it possible to increase the already excellent performance of the adapter. For effective cooling, Sapphire's innovative Tri-X fan with 3 coolers is used. The key block of the cooling system, which is based on proprietary Vapor-X technology, is complemented by several auxiliary "chips". For example, along the edge of the device, the printed circuit board is slightly elongated, and one of the copper layers is left open.

An auxiliary heat pipe, which is mounted directly on this layer, removes the heat absorbed by the board from the chip and other elements. It is worth noting that this technology alone makes it possible to reduce the temperature by a couple of degrees.

Higher quality and improved overclocking capabilities are guaranteed by using exclusively high-quality aluminum polymer capacitors, which have the capability to greatly outperform conventional aluminum material capacitors, thus increasing the life of the graphics card.

This model is indeed an exciting option in this category of the market, as it was created by experts for the pros.

• Vapor-X cooling system with 3 Tri-X coolers;
• "Smart" concept of control over the TriX fan - Intelligent Fan Control (IFC);
• Factory overclocked graphics core (1030 MHz) and memory (1375 MHz);
• Supports CrossFireX and AMD's Mantle;
• AMD Eyefinity 2.0 technology supporting up to 4 displays;
• TrueAudio Technology support from AMD;
• Large memory capacity of GDDR5 type, which is 8GB;
• Innovative Aero 10 VRM engine with 10-phase power concept;
• One of the most powerful 1-socket options on the market.

• Not detected.

The average price is 26,500 rubles.

"1st place: FIREPRO S9150"

Characteristics

Parameter	Meaning
Chip	AMD FirePro S9150
Number of stream processors	2816
Standards support	OpenGL 4.4; DirectX 12
RAM	16 384MB; type - GDDR5; bus - 512 bit

A premium device from AMD with 16 GB of memory, which will be an excellent solution for 3D graphics and AI-based options. It is worth noting that this video card will be an excellent purchase for miners of cryptographic currency, but it is necessary to pay due attention to the high cost.

This model belongs to the category of unusual devices designed only for specific tasks of designing graphics and other computing processes.

The board does not have slots for connecting displays.

The model is equipped with a 28 nm Hawaii XT chip with 2816 stream processors, and all this is complemented by 16 GB of 512-bit memory. The board is connected via PCle and requires additional power through 8 + 6 pin slots. Despite the heat dissipation of 235 W, the device is not equipped with an active cooling system, and therefore the installation of an auxiliary fan is necessary.

• Incredible performance in the performance of graphics and computing processes;
• Suitable for cryptocurrency mining;
• A well-developed device of a passive type radiator.

• Weak chip for this year;
• There are no display slots, and workstations require the purchase of an auxiliary accelerator.

The average price is 114,000 rubles.

5 mistakes when choosing a video card

In general, when looking for how to choose a video graphics accelerator for laptops or PCs, users make the same mistakes, of which the main 5 are worth noting.

Mistake #1. Key characteristic - video memory capacity

“The more, the more powerful” - this is how most users argue. A solid memory capacity is, of course, excellent, but if this characteristic is not the main one. The functioning of the graphics accelerator is based on many other features, such as:

1. Processor model;
2. chip frequency;
3. Memory frequency;
4. Bus bit depth;
5. RAM capacity.

A clear example of this is comparing the GT-8600 with 512 MB of memory to the GT-8800 with 256 MB of RAM. The memory capacity of the first board is larger, however, every other characteristic of the device loses in power to the second one, which in the end means that the second one will function faster.

In addition, it is worth paying due attention to the fact that the user does not need auxiliary memory if he does not play at too high resolutions, for example, 1920x1080 and beyond.

Mistake #2. Purchasing a new generation device instead of an old one

The basis of these actions is as follows: "If the card is new, then it is faster!" In some cases, of course, this is true, but not always. The fact is that retail outlets are predisposed to reduce the cost of older generations, and get rid of the "ancient" reserve of products, guaranteeing the possibility of purchasing a new one. Therefore, if we test devices of a single cost segment, but of a different generation, it turns out that the “older” device wins in terms of performance.

The key mistake that most users make is that during the purchase of a graphics accelerator, they incorrectly decode its digital type code. Most users believe that a 4*** motherboard from AMD-ATI is in any case faster than a 3*** card, but this is not true and, for example, the Radeon 3870 will overtake the Radeon 4350 in all respects and, in addition, will be faster than Radeon 4650.

Mistake #3. Lack of attention to the capacity of the system unit and the power of the PSU

For example, the user managed to avoid the first 2 mistakes, and he is going to buy a GeForce GTX-280 to play his favorite games, but in the end it turns out that this device does not fit into the system unit. This happens when the user has a compact system unit of the HTPC standard.

In this regard, before buying a graphics accelerator, you need to measure the place that is free for the video card and, during the purchase process, check the length of the board.

Mistake #4. Installing a powerful accelerator in an OS with a weak CPU

For example, a user has a brand new Radeon 4870X2 and is determined to conquer virtual reality. However, what he sees on the display is completely different from the descriptions of what was read in online reviews.

This is because such an efficient card chip is not able to work balanced in terms of power with a weak CPU, for example, the E4300 from Intel. The user CPU will lag behind the graphics accelerator and, of course, its power will be reduced.

It is necessary to try to maintain the uniformity of the speed of the CPU with the video graphics card. If the user, for example, has a mid-segment board installed (GTX-9800), then ideally it should be combined with a mid-range CPU (E7400 or similar).

Mistake #5.Purchasing a device that outperforms gaming requirements

For example, if a user plays CS 1.6 or WoW and other games that were released more than a few years ago, then most likely there is no need for a new generation card with incredible power. In addition, if the user plays on a 17 or 19-inch display, then he most likely does not need a premium board either.

It's like buying a Ferrari to get to work just because you want more horsepower when you could get by with a simple Toyota. The user will only "throw away" a lot of money for the purchase of the board, energy costs and, in the case of a complete upgrade, for the CPU and other components.

Some users do not agree with this point of view and believe that it's cool to have a reserve of performance for subsequent games. But the bottom line is that when the novelty of the gaming industry sees the light, then an old graphics accelerator is able to run it anyway, maybe at much lower graphics parameters, and accelerators that can guarantee much better functioning for the same money, most likely, not yet on the market.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is worth noting that when choosing a graphics accelerator, it is completely optional to buy one of the devices that is indicated in the rating. TOPs often provide an opportunity to get the most accurate idea of ​​the current market options, innovative technologies and approximate cost.

After familiarization, the user will be able to find a video card himself, and be glad if he can find a profitable place to buy a card with similar characteristics, improve the performance of his own PC for trending games, or simply get the opportunity to play those with acceptable parameters.