MSI Preps AMD Radeon RX 5700 Navi Graphics Card Arsenal With Custom Board Designs
The initial flurry of Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700 graphics cards that are available at retail sites like Amazon and Newegg are all based on AMD's reference design, with the stock blower-style cooling shroud. Navi cards with custom cooling solutions are coming, though, as leaked slides by MSI confirm.
In case you are wondering, AMD stuck with the blower-style cooling solution for Navi because it expels hot air directly out of the case. The coolers are similar on the Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700, though not exactly the same—the former has a indent in the shape of a "7" (because of Navi's 7nm manufacturing process) that supposedly optimizes airflow, and a vent on the rear edge.
AMD's hardware partners are utilizing the same reference shrouds in the early going, but you can also expect custom models with open air designs. That will be the case with MSI's Mech OC series.
"Mech is the MSI Radeon graphics card model that focuses on the essentials first, it features a minimalist design dual-fan thermal design that uses the well-known Torx Fan 2.0, providing more concentrated airflow and air pressure for enhanced cooling performance. A classy brushed backplate provides the finish touch for this card," MSI states on one of its slides.
A second leaked slide reveals just over half-a-dozen Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700 models. Here's a look...
In the slide above, we see that MSI is prepping four Radeon RX 5700 XT models (Gaming X, Evoke OC, Mech OC, and Air Boost) and three Radeon RX 5700 models (Gaming X, Mech OC, and Air Boost).
It will be interesting to see how the overclocked and custom cooled models perform, compared to stock designs. In our hands-on time with Navi, these initial models have proven to be capable competitors to NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 2060 Super and GeForce RTX 2060, which is how the Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700 align in terms of pricing.
Look for MSI's custom models to debut soon, as well those from other hardware partners.
Images Source: MSI via hardwareLUXX
