Radeon VII: A 2019 Legend Faces Modern Challenges

The resource ComputerBase decided to run fresh tests on the Radeon VII graphics card to mark its seven-year anniversary, evaluating its capability in modern games and determining what the 2019 flagship can accomplish today.

ComputerBase Photo

Recall, the Radeon VII stood out for its 16 GB of HBM2 memory with a 4096-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1 TB/s. However, a not-fast-enough GPU and high power consumption kept this card from becoming a bestseller.

ComputerBase Photo

Remarkably, the card is still quite suitable for gaming today, albeit without breaking any records. At a 1440p resolution, this model averages slightly slower than the GTX 1080 Ti and trails the RTX 2080 by about 10-15%. Still, it confidently outpaces the RTX 2070. Additionally, the card consumes about 280 W, akin to the RTX 2080 Ti, though the latter is already 40% faster.

Revisiting Radeon VII’s Impact

In recent benchmarks, the Radeon VII continues to surprise some gaming enthusiasts by maintaining competent performance levels in various modern titles. In 2026, technology still appreciates the role this card plays, especially amongst budget-conscious gamers looking to maximize performance without the current top-tier prices.

Recent trends highlight the rise of efficient processing units and enhanced memory configurations in current graphics cards, asserting a paradigm shift from the high-consumption profiles like that of the Radeon VII.