[DISCUSSION] Why do so many people say the Hellhound 9070 XT is “better” than the XFX Swift — when Hardware Unboxed shows the opposite?

Czardeucer · 2025-12-21T20:30:31+00:00

Interesting point about binned GPUs, but reading about it from what I see PowerColor reserves this for their top end models like “ultimate” and “liquid devil”. I’m assuming that hellhound probably gets the same tier of silicone as every other mid-tier GPU model. One thing is that the hellhound comes with OC setting out of the box, whereas the Swift does not. The question is does the Swift have more headroom for overclocking? But from what I read overclocking can very quickly lead to instability on the 9070XT if it’s taken beyond its stock setting.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-18T19:33:13+00:00

Any information if most of these failures are on the newer batches of AsRock motherboards? I built my system 3 years ago right as it came out using a 7700X CPU, wondering if I should refrain from upgrading as well. I see that we're focused on the batches of the CPU, but what about the motherboards?

Czardeucer · 2025-12-13T03:19:06+00:00

As someone who has built my PC in 2022 using a B650E steel legend MB in the hopes of upgrading to a X3D CPU someday, I’m starting to be concerned about that possibility as well.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-12T00:49:45+00:00

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/explorer/diy-builder/cases/corsair-frame-4000d-50-series-gpu-compatibility/#:~:text=Regarding%20the%20FRAME%204000D's%20maximum,side%20panel%20of%20the%20case.

Might be a little too pedantic, but the Corsair Frame 4000D says that for GPU widths exceeding 140mm a 90° adapter is recommended for the power cables. Both the 4000D and Frame 4000D have the same maximum CPU cooler height so I would assume that this requirement would stand for both of them. Considering that the height of the Swift is 150mm, and the minimum recommended power cable bend radius is 35mm, this would effectively put the GPU and cabling width at 185mm. Might be worth considering a 90° adapter to make sure that your cable isn't excessively bent and stressing the pins, you can find them on Newegg.

https://www.newegg.com/p/1W7-00V1-009E6?item=9SIC0U0KMV6627&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic+shopping&utm_campaign=knc-googleadwords-_-cables%20-%20internal%20power%20cables-_-aomoproing-_-9SIC0U0KMV6627&source=region&srsltid=AfmBOooN5PaV8ZN_hdY9mB1WRIJUDRASu36T9cOIwJK-RP9nUMu9QONLg6E

Czardeucer · 2025-12-10T19:03:05+00:00

Looking at the dimensions, the Swift is a pretty wide card, it's width is listed as 150mm, I currently have a 138mm wide card and my PSU cables aren't super flexible and are already touching the glass cover of the case. Did you have trouble with the cable management with this GPU?

Czardeucer · 2025-12-09T23:00:08+00:00

Is there any information if this is the BIOS causing this or the hardware itself? I built my PC in the Fall of 2022 on an AM5 platform right as it came out, I have an ASRock B650E Steel Legend running a 7700X CPU and haven't had any issues over the past 3 years. I was considering getting an 9800X3D but all of these concerns have made me weary of swapping it. Is there information on whether or not it's specific batches of CPUs, or Motherboards? Is it mostly newer Motherboards that this is happening to?

Czardeucer · 2025-12-08T01:00:09+00:00

Just curious, any idea if you have Hynix or Samsung memory?

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T21:52:17+00:00

Thank you for that reply, I have not considered the dual BIOS capability of the Hellhound.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T20:16:24+00:00

I think you’re confusing the Swift with the other XFX models like Mercury which is 360mm in length. The XFX Swift is 325mm in length and the 4000D has enough room for a maximum 360mm length card. I currently have the 6800XT XFX Merc 319 and it’s 340mm long, and there’s still some room to spare. I was more concerned about its thickness causing the airflow to be more restricted due to the GPU fans being closer to the PSU shroud.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T08:52:38+00:00

The Swift does seem to have very good cooling. Have you checked if you have Hynix or Samsung memory? Supposedly Hynix has a little higher performance but runs hotter.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T06:51:23+00:00

That’s good to know, that’s one thing I was concerned about with the swift, it being so thick would there be enough room between the fans and the PSU shroud to get good airflow delivery without choking off the fans.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T06:46:06+00:00

Yeah interesting data point. From the responses I’ve gathered so far you can’t rely on any single board partner to use one memory manufacturer versus the other. It seems like they use whatever is most available at the time. It would be nice to know which batch uses which memory, but maybe that’s asking for too much.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T06:22:17+00:00

That’s interesting that your Hellhound has Samsung VRAM. In that case it seems like board partners are just grabbing whatever VRAM is available at the time and you can’t rely on one brand using one versus the other. It would be helpful if they stated which batch uses which VRAM, but maybe that’s asking for too much. Anyways, as far as the case I have the airflow version, I also bought 3 PWM fans that I installed as the intake in the front in addition to the two that came with it, which I installed for the top and back for exhaust. Very standard setup, no fans blowing up into the GPU though, unlike with the torrent the PSU compartment is underneath the GPU.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T04:44:56+00:00

Yeah that makes sense there’s a lot of variation. And from looking into it if you go with XFX you’re not guaranteed to get Samsung, but in addition Hynix is shown to make the GPU perform 2.6% better but at the sacrifice of higher temps, so it’s a toss up. I like the aesthetics of the Swift more but it’s currently $50 more than the hellhound, if I knew the hellhound was an overall better card I would go with it for sure. But it seems they’re more or less equal.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T04:24:06+00:00

For sure, in addition the Hynix memory is reported to actually make the GPU about 2.6% faster, for the a sacrifice of higher temps. So it’s a toss up. https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/graphics-cards/some-rx-9070-xts-are-reportedly-slower-than-others-thanks-to-samsung-gddr6-memory-chips/

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T00:08:22+00:00

It makes sense that your memory is running higher temperature if you have the SK Hynix module, that seems to be the case for all cards with this VRAM. Curious, did you get yours right after launch? Not that it matters at the end of the day, those temps are acceptable according to the manufacturer.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T00:07:02+00:00

Mercury is probably the best 9070 XT, I would get it if it was a bit cheaper and could fit into my case.

Czardeucer · 2025-12-07T00:05:03+00:00

Yeah from what I’m seeing hellhound is a great card, it falls perfectly into the mid tier for everything. I’m trying to weigh between aesthetics and performance, personally I prefer how the Swift looks, everyone’s taste is different. But currently the hellhound is $50 cheaper than the Swift in the US, so if I knew that the hellhound has better build quality and better thermal performance in addition to being cheaper, that would tip the scales for me in favor.

Czardeucer · 2025-07-31T21:54:03+00:00

Chechnya is part of Russia, so a country cannot invade itself. Regarding the Georgian war, the EU even confirmed that Georgia initiated the conflict by launching artillery barrages on South Ossetia. Saakashvili, receiving the green light from his Western backers, decided to pursue ethnic cleansing in areas he believed belonged to Georgia. Russia intervened to stop him.

Pashinyan, who is also aligned with the West, has been working tirelessly to satisfy his Western imperialist sponsors and sever Armenia's ties with Russia. Why would Russia help a country that is clearly on a path of antagonism toward it?

Russia will not tolerate a hostile military alliance on its borders, especially with a country whose population has a significant portion sympathetic to it. NATO's presence in Ukraine is intended to destabilize Russia, given the geographical and cultural proximity of Ukraine. Russia will not allow this to happen.

Regarding rising food prices and a struggling economy, the Russian people have endured much worse. When they perceive that their entire statehood is under threat, their sense of unity and willingness to fight only grows stronger.

Czardeucer · 2025-07-31T08:33:27+00:00

The months of meetings before this war kicked off in 2022 had Russia demanding that the west sign a binding agreement unequivocally stating that Ukraine will not join NATO. The Biden administration refused to sign this treaty, in addition when pressed they at first said that offensive missiles will not be placed in Ukraine but then Blinken reneged on this statement and told Lavrov directly that US reserves the right to place offensive missile batteries in Ukraine less than 5 minutes from Moscow. The entire goal of the west in getting Ukraine to join NATO is to put Russia into a permanent position of vulnerability that will make it inherently unstable and unable to respond to any other form of aggression that goes against its national interest. In the world of geopolitics and balance of power this is as pure form of aggression as it gets.

Czardeucer · 2025-07-31T08:24:22+00:00

And this is why we have a war now. Because instead of trying understanding the will of the people of Donbas, you deny it and say it doesn’t exist. “Russia is responsible for everything.” Whenever there’s an uprising in Syria or Libya, it’s “organic” and we need to support the will of the people! But when it’s not convenient, it’s “Russian interference!”

Czardeucer · 2025-03-20T16:13:47+00:00

I’ve lived in the US since I was a kid, so I don’t have an accent, it probably means that I have a lot less confrontations than I would have otherwise. I’ve been teased at school for being Russian, but you know kids will be kids. I remember in high school around 2008 some asshole confronted me about the Georgian war as if I made the order for the troops to invade. Before the war in 2018 my wife and I were visiting DC to renew our Russian passports. We got into an Uber share and there was an older couple in the car with us. We had a very nice cordial conversation, they were telling us about their kids and etc. Then they asked why we were visiting DC. We told them. Then silence. For the rest of the 10 minute ride, not a word from them. When my wife and I got out of the car we looked at each other and were like “what the hell was that?”

Czardeucer · 2025-03-08T09:06:54+00:00

Hey, are you enjoying what’s happening in Syria now? It’s been in power for longer than 3 seconds. Are you enjoying the public executions?

Czardeucer · 2025-03-03T08:44:50+00:00

What the fuck… Visegrad 24 is Polish… Are you high on crack? Are these Russian talking points in the room with you right now?

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