Sapphire Nitro+ 9070 XT Steel Nomad OC Setting Performance Effects

Kirkatron · 17 Mar 2025 at 21:41

Some Steel Nomad Testing Results to show the effect of changing the different settings. Hope this helps some people.

For me the Core Offset does nothing when setting to a positive value but helps stabilise the above 3.4Ghz boost when set to negative.
At -110mV I was unable to stabilise the OC with a negative offset.

I threw in a couple of 50% static fan profiles to show how cooling effects performance.

Mem above 2760 Fast timings had no extra performance and above 2800 had a negative impact.

First scored entry is trying to simulate a reference clocked none OC card with reference power limit.

Run on the system in my Sig. Steel Nomad required a higher core voltage to be stable than the games I currently play.

NOPE means it wasn't stable enough to run multiple runs.

Steel Nomad on 9070 XT Nitro+

Core Clock Offset	Core Voltage Offset	Mem Frequency	Mem Timings	Power Offset	Fan Profile	Score	FPS
0	-90mV	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	NOPE	NOPE
0	-100mV	2500	Standard	0	Default	NOPE	NOPE
0	-100mV	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	NOPE	NOPE
-200Mhz	-100mV	2730	Fast	+10%	Default	NOPE	NOPE
-200Mhz	-100mV	2730	Standard	+10%	Default	NOPE	NOPE
-90Mhz	0	2500	Standard	-9%	Default	6942	69.42
+450Mhz	0	2500	Standard	0	Default	7126	71.26
0	0	2500	Standard	0	Default	7142	71.42
0	0	2500	Fast	0	Default	7145	71.45
0	0	2630	Standard	0	Default	7152	71.52
0	0	2630	Fast	0	Default	7203	72.03
0	0	2760	Standard	0	Default	7225	72.25
0	-30mV	2500	Standard	0	Default	7231	72.31
0	0	2760	Fast	0	Default	7271	72.71
0	0	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	7279	72.79
0	-30mV	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	7351	73.51
0	-60mV	2500	Standard	0	Default	7353	73.53
0	-80mV	2500	Standard	0	Default	7387	73.87
0	0	2760	Fast	+10%	Default	7401	74.01
0	-90mV	2500	Standard	0	Default	7417	74.17
-200Mhz	-100mV	2500	Standard	0	Default	7454	74.54
0	-60mV	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	7463	74.63
0	-30mV	2760	Standard	+10%	Default	7486	74.86
0	-30mV	2760	Fast	+10%	Default	7508	75.08
0	-80mV	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	7541	75.41
-50Mhz	-90mV	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	7568	75.68
0	-60mV	2760	Standard	+10%	Default	7576	75.76
-200Mhz	-100mV	2500	Standard	+10%	Default	7580	75.80
0	-60mV	2760	Fast	+10%	Default	7650	76.50
0	-80mV	2760	Standard	+10%	Default	7668	76.68
0	-80mV	2760	Fast	+10%	Default	7687	76.87
0	-80mV	2800	Fast	+10%	Default	7693	76.93
-200Mhz	-100mV	2630	Fast	+10%	Default	7693	76.93
-50Mhz	-90mV	2760	Standard	+10%	Default	7719	77.19
0	-60mV	2760	Fast	+10%	50%	7729	77.29
-50Mhz	-90mV	2760	Fast	+10%	Default	7735	77.35
0	-80mV	2760	Fast	+10%	50%	7784	77.84
-50Mhz	-95mV	2760	Fast	+10%	50%	7866	78.66
-40Mhz	-95mV	2810	Fast	+10%	90%	7952	79.52

BS Dave · 20 Mar 2025 at 16:37

can you set a custom fan curve in the radeon software, like in afterburner?

Kirkatron · 20 Mar 2025 at 16:53

BS Dave said:
can you set a custom fan curve in the radeon software, like in afterburner?

Yes. I've done this after seeing the impact of good cooling. I've also turned off zero fan mode. It's super easy and you can even assign a different fan curve and OC settings for individual games if you want.

BS Dave · 20 Mar 2025 at 17:17

If you've got headphones you can crank the fans a bit

ezekial · 21 Mar 2025 at 18:05

This is helpful, thank you

eeii · 22 Mar 2025 at 12:55

Would like to see this pinned as it’s very good information. Must have taken a long time.

Bidley · 22 Mar 2025 at 13:38

Thanks @Kirkatron this was really helpful. My Pure is running your final settings rock solid, getting about 75fps in Steel Nomad.

What CPU are you using, out of interest?

Kirkatron · 22 Mar 2025 at 19:29

Bidley said:
Thanks @Kirkatron this was really helpful. My Pure is running your final settings rock solid, getting about 75fps in Steel Nomad.

What CPU are you using, out of interest?

13700k, undervolted and OC'd combined with 7400 c34 DDR5.

Kirkatron · 22 Mar 2025 at 19:32

eeii said:
Would like to see this pinned as it’s very good information. Must have taken a long time.

Yeah it felt a bit like work, but I was doing it for myself to understand how this card responds to the different settings.
Thought I may as well tabulate it and share to save others time. Took about 3 to 4 hours I think.

L0rdMike · 22 Mar 2025 at 19:37

When I benchmark GPU fan is maxed to 100%

Try and get and many points as you can?

Kirkatron · 22 Mar 2025 at 19:48

L0rdMike said:
When I benchmark GPU fan is maxed to 100%

Try and get and many points as you can?

I was trying to show game usable OCs and the impact of each setting, I wasn't trying to get the best score.

tommybhoy · 23 Mar 2025 at 13:20

@Kirkatron -power limit/-mv looking for increased efficiency is possibly a use for +Core Offset.

Core clock may increase slightly when you drop power usage as low as it can go.

humbug · 23 Mar 2025 at 13:30

From stock to your best score you gained 9% performance, its the difference between 60 FPS and 66 FPS, if this was an Nvidia GPU this would be a whole new generation of GPU....

humbug · 23 Mar 2025 at 13:50

This is fun... in this DXR (Direct X Raytracing) benchmark you're 10% ahead of the 5070 Ti and 20% ahead overclocked.

Because the 7800 XT is on these charts i'll add mine overclocked.

4065 Stock
4639 Overclocked (+14%)

I scored 4 639 in Steel Nomad

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT x 1, 32768 MB, 64-bit Windows 11}

www.3dmark.com

Kirkatron · 23 Mar 2025 at 15:28

humbug said:
From stock to your best score you gained 9% performance, its the difference between 60 FPS and 66 FPS, if this was an Nvidia GPU this would be a whole new generation of GPU....

This is true. I'm about 10-15% in actual games after settling on a combo that gets 79 fps in Steel Nomad. I can't seem to hit 80 with anything that would be stable in games.

BS Dave · 26 Mar 2025 at 16:35

humbug said:
This is fun... in this DXR (Direct X Raytracing) benchmark you're 10% ahead of the 5070 Ti and 20% ahead overclocked.

Because the 7800 XT is on these charts i'll add mine overclocked.

4065 Stock
4639 Overclocked (+14%)

I scored 4 639 in Steel Nomad

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT x 1, 32768 MB, 64-bit Windows 11}

www.3dmark.com

He's ahead of the 4080Super by some margin too. Is this a bit raytracing light though?

L0rdMike · 26 Mar 2025 at 17:01

humbug said:
This is fun... in this DXR (Direct X Raytracing) benchmark you're 10% ahead of the 5070 Ti and 20% ahead overclocked.

Because the 7800 XT is on these charts i'll add mine overclocked.

4065 Stock
4639 Overclocked (+14%)

I scored 4 639 in Steel Nomad

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT x 1, 32768 MB, 64-bit Windows 11}

www.3dmark.com

7900XT score looks a bit low on them charts.

I scored 6 591 in Steel Nomad

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT x 1, 32768 MB, 64-bit Windows 11}

www.3dmark.com

humbug · 26 Mar 2025 at 17:45

BS Dave said:
He's ahead of the 4080Super by some margin too. Is this a bit raytracing light though?

Its Ray Tracing normal, DXR compliant.

What you might call and tech journalists (who should know better but unsurprising given they get all their technology knowledge from Nvidia) "heavy RT" is not DXR compliant, at least not yet, its using Nvidia exclusive RT tech not compatible with AMD, again at least not yet, Microsoft are currently working on standardising those elements and Path Tracing, which most of it is, to RT v1.2 as a part of the shader model 6.9 standard.

Dontrocktheboat · 26 Mar 2025 at 19:07

Kirkatron said:
Some Steel Nomad Testing Results to show the effect of changing the different settings. Hope this helps some people.

For me the Core Offset does nothing when setting to a positive value but helps stabilise the above 3.4Ghz boost when set to negative.
At -110mV I was unable to stabilise the OC with a negative offset.

I threw in a couple of 50% static fan profiles to show how cooling effects performance.

Mem above 2760 Fast timings had no extra performance and above 2800 had a negative impact.

First scored entry is trying to simulate a reference clocked none OC card with reference power limit.

Run on the system in my Sig. Steel Nomad required a higher core voltage to be stable than the games I currently play.

NOPE means it wasn't stable enough to run multiple runs.

Steel Nomad on 9070 XT Nitro+

Core Clock Offset Core Voltage Offset Mem Frequency Mem Timings Power Offset Fan Profile Score FPS
0 -90mV 2500 Standard +10% Default NOPE NOPE
0 -100mV 2500 Standard 0 Default NOPE NOPE
0 -100mV 2500 Standard +10% Default NOPE NOPE
-200Mhz -100mV 2730 Fast +10% Default NOPE NOPE
-200Mhz -100mV 2730 Standard +10% Default NOPE NOPE
-90Mhz 0 2500 Standard -9% Default 6942 69.42
+450Mhz 0 2500 Standard 0 Default 7126 71.26
0 0 2500 Standard 0 Default 7142 71.42
0 0 2500 Fast 0 Default 7145 71.45
0 0 2630 Standard 0 Default 7152 71.52
0 0 2630 Fast 0 Default 7203 72.03
0 0 2760 Standard 0 Default 7225 72.25
0 -30mV 2500 Standard 0 Default 7231 72.31
0 0 2760 Fast 0 Default 7271 72.71
0 0 2500 Standard +10% Default 7279 72.79
0 -30mV 2500 Standard +10% Default 7351 73.51
0 -60mV 2500 Standard 0 Default 7353 73.53
0 -80mV 2500 Standard 0 Default 7387 73.87
0 0 2760 Fast +10% Default 7401 74.01
0 -90mV 2500 Standard 0 Default 7417 74.17
-200Mhz -100mV 2500 Standard 0 Default 7454 74.54
0 -60mV 2500 Standard +10% Default 7463 74.63
0 -30mV 2760 Standard +10% Default 7486 74.86
0 -30mV 2760 Fast +10% Default 7508 75.08
0 -80mV 2500 Standard +10% Default 7541 75.41
-50Mhz -90mV 2500 Standard +10% Default 7568 75.68
0 -60mV 2760 Standard +10% Default 7576 75.76
-200Mhz -100mV 2500 Standard +10% Default 7580 75.80
0 -60mV 2760 Fast +10% Default 7650 76.50
0 -80mV 2760 Standard +10% Default 7668 76.68
0 -80mV 2760 Fast +10% Default 7687 76.87
0 -80mV 2800 Fast +10% Default 7693 76.93
-200Mhz -100mV 2630 Fast +10% Default 7693 76.93
-50Mhz -90mV 2760 Standard +10% Default 7719 77.19
0 -60mV 2760 Fast +10% 50% 7729 77.29
-50Mhz -90mV 2760 Fast +10% Default 7735 77.35
0 -80mV 2760 Fast +10% 50% 7784 77.84

brilliant write up!
Saved me hrs trying to figure out weird AMD OC quirks.

Bidley · 26 Mar 2025 at 19:09

I think @Kirkatron deserves a commemorative bench with a plaque on the OCUK forum lawns.