How much does GPU brand matter.

[Selixe]

I was originally going to purchase a Sapphire RX 7800 XT for around $700 (converted from SEK), but then I saw that there was another RX 7800 from Asus that is $100 cheaper, and instead of triple fans its dual fans. Does the brand matter in any way other than looks, cooling, and noise? If so what is there to think about before purchasing?

[CyberneticTitan]

You should consider access to warranty and what their policies are towards it (i.e. are you responsible for shipping, where is their RMA center, etc). Then you should consider the reputation of their warranty process.

[RONOTHAN##]

1 minute ago, Selixe said:

Does the brand matter in any way other than looks, cooling, and noise?

The only thing the brand really determines is the RMA department you'd have to deal with if anything went wrong. Looks, cooling, and noise are all determined by the submodel, and practically for midrange cards like the 7800 XT, the difference between any two of them is fairly minimal. If you can save $100 going with the ASUS card, I'd personally go for it. 

 

The only thing that might prevent me from going from the ASUS card is that ASUS's RMA department has had a lot of issues lately at least in the US, so I'd look at some more local reviews to see how they hold up in your region (warranty is very region dependent). 

[Salted Spinach]

28 minutes ago, Selixe said:

...Sapphire RX 7800 XT...

 

...another RX 7800 from Asus that is $100 cheaper, and instead of triple fans its dual fans.

You are comparing Sapphire's highest end model, the Nitro+, against Asus's entry level model, the Asus Dual.

 

If you do not mind missing out on overclocking potential (VRM quality) or the overbuilt cooler for the most silent operation, the Asus Dual will be fine.

 

Sapphire specializes only in AMD grahics cards, whereas Asus also makes Nvidia cards and a whole host of other electronics products. The different business models have implications in their approach to product design and post sales support.

 

Just be mindful of the length of the Nitro+

[DeerDK]

I think thermals and noise are your primary concerns. I've linked to two Techpowerup articles where you can see the difference between Sapphire's high tier model vs a stock model.

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/sapphire-radeon-rx-7800-xt-nitro/

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-radeon-rx-7800-xt/

 

I assume that Sweden have the same level of customer protection as Denmark, and in that case dont worry too much about the whole RMA situation, unless you wanna make a moral stand (which is fine). We don't have to deal with ASUS's potentially flawed RMA service, as we only need to deal with the retailer in that regard.

That said, look at the Pulse cards from Sapphire also gets very good reviews, but I can see that Proshop still is running its sale on the Asus Card.

 

If you are on a budget and was eyeing that one on Proshop, go for the Asus. In my experience their customer service is good.

 

Alternatively, look at komplett. There you can get the Sapphire 7800 xt pulse for 6190 sek. 

https://www.komplett.se/product/1252761/datorutrustning/datorkomponenter/grafikkort/sapphire-pulse-amd-radeon-rx-7800-xt