Skip to main content

AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT sets new world record at 3.2GHz

Overclocker Der8auer set a new world record with the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. In a YouTube video released Wednesday, the German overclocking legend used a liquid nitrogen cooling rig to push AMD’s flagship Big Navi GPU to 3.2GHz, setting a new world record for graphics card speed. The 6900 XT is already an absurdly fast graphics card with a boost clock of 2.25GHz, but Der8auer was able to take the card 1GHz beyond even its fastest speed.

The clock speed goes beyond the artificial clock limit of 3.0GHz on the 6900 XT. That’s because Der8auer was using a PowerColor LiquidDevil Ultimate card, which has a clock limit of 4GHz. It uses the updated XTXH variant of the Navi 21 processor inside the 6900 XT, upping the previous version’s frequency limit.

Recommended Videos

The LiquidDevil Ultimate uses binned GPUs — meaning silicon that has been vetted for high overclocking potential — and features 16-phase VRM for excellent power management. It’s a card made for this kind of extreme overclocking, so it was inevitable that someone would set a world record.

Der8auer

Although the LiquidDevil Ultimate comes with a water block pre-installed, Der8auer stripped the PCB to attach an LN2 cooling chamber, pushing the card to sub-zero temperatures to create an optimal overclocking environment. He also used a custom BIOS, as nearly all extreme overclockers do, and said it will be released into the wild soon.

It was only for a split second, but Der8uer achieved a clock speed of 3,225MHz on the card before crashing. At the end of the video, he said the card has “enormous potential, at least for extreme overclocking,” and that other cards may be able to hit speeds as high as 3.5GHz.

But that’s getting into the territory of high-end, heavily-binned GPUs, and most gamers and hardware enthusiasts would be happy getting their hands on a 6900 XT at all. Like previous world records, this one is cause for celebration. However, it comes amid one of the worst GPU shortages the market has seen, which may not fully recover until 2022.

Jacob Roach
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
AMD’s RX 9070 XT was meant to cost $900, says retailer
A man showcases the RX 9070 XT PowerColor Red Devil box.

While AMD's RX 9000 series is still a mystery, we keep getting new information from the most unexpected sources. This time, Gplay, a Bulgarian retailer, revealed the intended pricing for AMD's best graphics cards. It seems that AMD's initial plan was to price its new flagship closer to the RTX 5080 than to the RTX 5070.

Gplay filmed a video talking about the upcoming Radeon GPUs, although, as noted by VideoCardz, the company didn't dive into any of the specifics gamers have been asking for -- which isn't surprising, given that the GPUs aren't officially available yet. However, we got to see the box for PowerColor's Red Devil RX 9070 XT Limited Edition, and we got to learn some insider information.

Read more
AMD might’ve already lost the war with the RX 9070 XT
Various AMD RX 9000 series graphics cards.

It looks like I may have played myself again. I was genuinely excited about AMD's RX 9070 XT, but now, I'm starting to worry about its future. I always knew that the new AMD flagship wouldn't be able to compete against some of Nvidia's best graphics cards, but I had a lot of hope that it'd still be a great competitor for a number of other reasons.

I'm not doubting the performance of the RX 9070 XT. I have no reason to, as we don't know a thing about it -- and that's exactly why I'm worried. Not only are the GPUs still a complete mystery, but they've also reportedly been delayed. At this rate, I fear that AMD may have lost the war before it even started, and I'm not alone.
What's going on with RDNA 4?

Read more
Radeon RX 9000 series: everything we know about AMD’s next GPUs
Various AMD RX 9000 series graphics cards.

AMD's RX 9000 series is right around the corner, and it's almost ready to compete against some of the best graphics cards. Although AMD keeps all the juicy information about RDNA 4  under wraps, we now know more than we did just a couple of months ago, and leakers are here to supply the rest of it.

Here's everything you need to know about the RX 9000 series.
AMD RX 9000 series: pricing and availability

Read more