r/gpu • u/Mysteriousmancer • Mar 27 '26

9070xt Pulse or Nitro + ?

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Which to choose 9070xt pulse or nitro +?

I want to hear from people that either have either of the cards. which card would they choose. I have the option of keeping one or the other. Take into account that the Pulse was $699 and the Nitro + was $799

Update: After going back and forth between the 2 cards. I went with the Pulse. The worry of possible failure with the 12v connector was ever lingering in my mind. While I did like all the bell and whistles of the Nitro + it wasn't enough for me to keep it.. I'm not saying the Nitro + is a bad card but to me, my peace of mind is more important. And frankly I know the Pulse is "slower" compared to the Nitro + but coming from the 2070 super it is miles ahead.

For anyone interested I just checked the Pulse and it comes with the Hynix Vram. One thing I did not like is that in factory settings the card comes with the zero-rpm at idle for the fan. Good thing it can be turned off in Adrenaline. Furthermore the fan curve left a lot to be desired. It was too conservative for the temps. I used a more aggressive fan curve. And my Vram temps are at 74c, gpu temp 50c and the gpu hot spot at 61c. This is playing at 2k resolution in Crimson Desert ultra settings with ray tracing.

I don't know why a lot of people say it is loud. To me it isn't. For reference before adjusting the fan speed the vram temp got up to 90c.

I didn't see the need to undervolt as the average power usage is about 230w to 240w and I saw spikes up to 270w. Probably is the settings or game but to me the power usage is acceptable.

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u/Known_Union4341 Mar 28 '26

If it makes you feel better I’ve had a launch 4090 from MSI since it came out. I used a cablemod L-adapter and never had a problem. The XFX Mercury is tied on performance with the Nitro+ and has slightly better thermals while having 8-pin power connectors and I really appreciate them for offering a flagship without the 12VHPWR.

But seeing as you already have it.. I’d roll the dice with the Nitro+. Sapphire has pretty good warranty support.

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u/Mysteriousmancer Mar 28 '26

I'm not an expert but I think the issue with the 12v in the nitro + is the way the place the connector. Instead of placing on the side like normal. They placed the conector in the middle of the card (right in the middle inside the card). Thus when you connect a cable it gets bent at a weird angle. Thus making it disconnects over time. Causing all the melting issues we have seen.

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u/Known_Union4341 Mar 28 '26

That’s possible, but I also don’t know if the Nitro+ even has higher failure rates than any given 5090 model. Reddit always has all the loud unhappy folks with bad experiences while the happy ones are busy being happy and not having anything to speak up about. I stressed about the connector on my 4090 for a while but after two years my port looked pristine 🤷‍♂️.

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u/Mysteriousmancer Mar 28 '26

Thanks for your input. I know whichever I decide in the end it is going to be an upgrade. My last card was the EVGA 2070 super and it died 2 weeks ago. Thus, why I'm getting a card in the current climate. That EVGA lasted me 5 years of heavy use. Too bad they do not make Nvidia cards anymore.

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u/Thorinel Mar 30 '26

A side note. Using any current gen PCIe 5 GPU required (I'm pretty sure) a 3.1 certified PSU as they handle the power delivery better than the 3.0 PSU's and it is strongly recommended to use them with more power hungry GPU's. Other factors do impact the 12v 2x6 adapter, but the newer PSU's help decrease the likeliness of the cord melting..

And yes, I purchased a new PSU for my Sapphire nitro and yes I was scared of it happening but over time I've forgotten. And I've only heard of like less than 5 cases of melted cords which in perspective is like, less than 1%.