Sapphire RX 5500 XT Pulse 8 GB in review – Cheap can also be quiet

1 - Einführung und Vorstellung 2 - Tear Down: Platine, Bestückung und Kühler 3 - Gaming Performance 4 - Leistungsaufnahme 5 - Taktrate, Übertaktung und Temperaturen 6 - Lüfter und Geräuschentwicklung 7 - Zusammenfassung und Fazit

Board design

Even with this rather cheap card, despite the low TDP, Sapphire relies on a rather elaborate 6+1 phase design, in which the 6 GPU phases (VDDC) each control loop. This task is done by the IR 35271 from International Rectifier, which controls the discretevoltage converters via special gate drivers. Each of the VDDC control circuits has a 4C029 of ON Semi as a high-side MOSFET and a 4C03N on the low side. This is then smoothed with a 220 nH coil. In addition, there is a similar control circuit for the SoC with identical semiconductor assembly.

The memory (MVDD) is supplied with only a stronger phase, which is generated by an ON Semi NCP 81022N. The voltage converters are then again used by an ON Semi 4C029 on the high side and a single 4C03N on the low side. Samsung's four 14 Gbps 2GB memory modules are then connected to this single phase and, on balance, even more efficient than eight individual 1GB modules. The 8-pin connection is simply secured, a smoothing coil can then be found a little further away in the supply line to the voltage converters. The division of the GPU voltage converters into discrete components instead of DrMOS is likely to have been done here for cost reasons. However, this also suffers a little from the efficiency of the converter circles, but as a gift.

On the back there are few active components, which include the voltage converters for various partial voltages, of which the in the vicinity of the socket is also actively cooled via the baking plate.

Here is a summary of the most important components:

IR 35271 VDDC PWM Controller	ON Semi 4C029 High-Side, 4C03N Low-Side, Gate Driver, VDDC	VDDC Coil, 220 nH
ON Semi NCP 81022N, MVDD PWM Controller	ON Semi 4C029 High-Side, 4C03N Low-Side, Coil 820 nH, MVDD	ON Semi 4C029 High-Side, 4C03N Low-Side, Gate Driver, SoC
DIP Switch, BIOS Switch	EEPROMs, Dual BIOS	Samsung Memory, 2 GB, 14 Gbps

Cooler design

The card has a base plate bearing the radiator, into which a copper heatsink was inserted above the GPU, on the back of which the three 6 mm heatpipes made of nickel-plated copper composite material were flanged. This base plate also cools the four memory modules and the two MOSFETs of the MVDD voltage converters.

The voltage converters are cooled via a separate heat sink anchored in the cooler. Exemplary. The cooling fins are arranged horizontally, which also directs the exhaust air towards the two cooler ends at the end.

The backplate actively cools the areas of the board below the memories and the voltage converters. Taken as a whole, a full-blown cooling system has been installed on a rather economical map. This gives us hope for a very quiet operation.