Final Thoughts
As we mentioned in our original RX 5500 XT review back in December the RX 5500 XT is a great card to replace the aging RX 580/570 cards that are out there. The problem is that there are so many out there and you can pick them up used for around $100. With around the same performance just worse power efficiency it is really hard to justify picking this card up if you already have an RX 580. With that said if you are building a new system or have a much older card then the RX 5500 XT would be a nice card for you.
When it comes to performance as I said earlier this really is the esports card, while the RX 5600 XT is the ultimate 1080p card and the RX 5700 XT is the 1440p card. So what that means is you are going to be able to play your esports titles at high frame rates over 60 FPS. We also were able to achieve over 60 FPS in many AAA titles. So if you are mainly gaming in 1080p then this card would definitely suit your needs. If you happen to want to game in 1440p it can be done with this card, but you’ll likely need to turn the settings down.
Another thing this card has going for it is AMD’s new Adrenalin 2020 software. Not only is this software better than NVIDIA’s Control Panel (not GeForce Experience), but you also get features like Radeon Boost which will give you more performance in specific titles. I haven’t had time to test this feature, but from what I’ve seen it definitely helps out a lot. The big games that support this are PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Overwatch, and Borderlands 3.
MSI’s Gaming X implementation of this card is great. I really like how MSI has changed their Gaming X styling to be more modern. You are also going to get a factory overclock, and MSI’s Twin Frozr 7 cooling solution which is excellent. The full backplate on this card is one of the best that we’ve seen on an RX 5500 XT as well. All of these features do come at a premium as this card is selling at our favorite online retailer for $224.99, so a $25 premium over the reference card. We do feel that it is justified as the overclock, cooling solution and sleek design make it worth the extra money. Overall ThinkComputers gives the MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Gaming X Graphics Card a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!
Pros:
– Sleek design
– Factory overclock
– Twin Frozr 7 cooling
– Adrenalin 2020 software and Radeon Boost
– Excellent card for 1080p and esports titles
Cons:
– Not worth upgrading if you have a Polaris-based RX 580
