You recently purchased an RX 6400 but feel let down.
You recently purchased an RX 6400 but feel let down.
You recently purchased an RX 6400, performed a DDU setup and installed the drivers. The VSync is experiencing frequent stuttering—even when disabled—it still lags every 20 seconds. Is this due to your CPU? You have an i5-3470S.
It's probable. Lower-end chips such as the 6500 and 6400 benefit from maximum bandwidth in the motherboard, and the difference between PCIe Gen 3 and 4 is quite significant.
However, this card doesn't perform well at x16. It functions at x4; remove it and examine the traces—it only reaches the initial pins. The RX 6400 is a subpar chip, originally built for mobile but later modified for desktops. I’d send it back and receive something comparable to a 5500XT or even an RX 580.
The quickest discreet card without cables is still the 1650. It’s hard to understand why AMD didn’t enhance the 6400 slightly for that market share. They probably had valid reasons. There are some rough methods to install a full-height card—often requiring drilling and sawing—or simply taking off the case cover and never reattaching it. A full-height card would stand out prominently, like an engine on a dragster.
In this context, strong value comes from a readily available new model. These cards stand out in the current market, and there are compact versions too. Keep in mind that some base models and original concepts run on pure bus power and don’t need 6+2, while most others do. Generally, a 500-600W power supply should handle them easily. Many users criticize the GTX1650, but I’m unsure why. I tested an Asus Tuf GTX1650-S-4GB-OC in a 1700 setup in 2020 and an Asus Phoenix GTX1650-OC in a 3600X about a month ago. For games that don’t need or gain much from ray-tracing, these cards outperform the $850 RTX3060ti every weekday and especially on Sundays. If visual quality differs, it’s hard to say. Their clock speeds are 1800Mhz, 1635Mhz, and 1785Mhz, so while the RTX has some edge, a GTX1650 offers solid performance if ray-tracing isn’t essential. You’ll find low-profile versions on Amazon for around $265, with cheaper options in the $185–$225 range and higher-end ones near $235–$275. A half-height model at $265 seems like a good deal, particularly if it skips the 6+2 requirement. However, I can’t locate a clear photo confirming this spec. The listing mentions it’s bus-powered and doesn’t need 6+2, but a picture would clarify. Q&A notes it includes an expansion slot bracket for a half-height case.