AMD Radeon VII Gold Edition: Should you buy the new GPU?

Best answer: While this one is best for dedicated AMD fans, availability outside the U.S. is non-existent right now. A better option is to buy a third-party Radeon VII and save a little on the asking price.Better for most: MSI Radeon VII

($700 at Amazon)Anniversary edition: AMD Radeon VII Gold Edition ($700 at AMD)

What’s new with the Radeon VII Gold Edition?

The Radeon VII Gold Edition was launched to celebrate AMD’s 50th anniversary. While it’s a special edition graphics card, there’s absolutely nothing new in the hardware.

It’s the same 7nm GPU with 16GB of HBM2 memory and an 1800 MHz peak clock speed, with the same stock three-fan cooler that came on the original model.

So what’s different? Well, it’s a different color for one. The Radeon VII Gold Edition comes with a red shroud, fitting with AMD’s traditional “Red Team” moniker. It looks stunning and will certainly set off any AMD-based PC build.

Also included with the Gold Edition, as with the Ryzen 7 2700 X Gold Edition, are some keepsakes. These include a code to redeem a special AMD 50 souvenir t-shirt and an AMD 50 sticker with the signature of AMD CEO, Dr. Lisa Su.

You’ll also get a free copy of The Division 2 and World War Z to play on your Radeon VII as well.

red # Should you buy the Radeon VII Gold Edition?

Radeon VII

AMD unveils the $700 Radeon VII, the world’s first 7nm gaming graphics card

The good news is that the list price of the Radeon VII Gold Edition is exactly the same as the regular version, so you’re not paying any more for the red shroud and the keepsakes. So if you want a Radeon VII anyway, the Gold Edition is a good buy, especially if you’re a fan.

The AMD fans are who the product is targeted at anyway, so it’s a good fit. There are some caveats to consider, though.

The first is that currently, the Gold Edition seems to be exclusive to the U.S. through AMD’s own store. There aren’t any options right now for shipping outside of the U.S., and when you go to a local AMD store the Gold Edition isn’t listed for sale. Hopefully, this will change, but right now the rest of the world is out of luck.

It’s not likely to hang around for too long though, so you’ll have to be quick if you want to secure one.

There’s also the fact that if the Radeon VII is the graphics card you really want, by getting one from a third-party such as ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI or many other brands, you’ll probably be able to find a deal somewhere.

You won’t always find a discount, but there’s a lot more chance of it by hunting for a third-party card from resellers such as Amazon and Newegg. And of course, if you’re outside the U.S. then you just need to go and get one of these anyway. For more buying options, have a look at our guide to the best graphics cards.

Radeon VII Best choice

MSI Radeon VII

$700 at Amazon

The solid choice for most

The Gold Edition will be limited in volume and right now, with regards to location, but it doesn’t offer any hardware differences so most should just grab a regular version such as this from MSI.

For the fans

AMD Radeon VII Gold Edition

$700 at AMD

Celebrate Team Red

AMD is going all-in on gold for its 50th anniversary with the Radeon VII Gold Edition, a special edition version of the card that features a hot red shroud and plenty of bundled extras.