PowerColor RX 480 is one of those custom made graphic cards that combine raw power with an aesthetic upgrade in order to deliver the best possible gaming performance from AMD’s best price/performance graphics card that delivers 4K performance and best of all, its VR ready. Now, in order to increase power limits of the GPU and allow overclockers to further increase the clock speeds of RX 480, the BIOS switch has been unlocked, which for a custom GPU like this, should be carried out.
No doubt the power consumption, temperature and noise levels will be increased, but we are sure that the custom cooler will be able to handle that. However, we strongly recommend that you have adequate cooling inside your gaming rig since it will contribute a lot to reducing the overall temperature for the RX 480.
You should be mindful that the company has stated that modding of the PowerColor RX 480 is strictly for overclockers. Regular users who do not possess knowledge of the risks they are getting themselves involved in should steer clear of using the BIOS switch. Most stress tests involve the use of FurMark, which spikes the temperature of the graphics card in order to test for stability. Realizing that FurMark is overkill for a GPU, PowerColor has cautioned overclockers not to use FurMark because it could cause irreparable damage to the graphics card.
This version of the RX 480 features a 6 + 1 phase VRM design, with additional phases dedicated to dictate current to the GPU. The card comes with a factory overclock speed of 1330MHz, which naturally means that thanks to the better cooler, you will be able to achieve an ever better overclocking result.
The company has also reminded us that initiating the BIOS switch will not void your warranty but if you manage to damage the card, you’ll be on your own.