Hardware Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| GPU Architecture | AMD Polaris 10 (Ellesmere) — 14nm FinFET |
| PCI Device ID | 0x67DF (Ellesmere XT) |
| Compute Units | 36 CUs — 2304 Stream Processors |
| Base Clock | 1120 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1266 MHz |
| Memory (8GB) | 8 GB GDDR5, 256-bit, 224 GB/s |
| Memory (4GB) | 4 GB GDDR5, 256-bit, 224 GB/s |
| TDP | 150W (reference) |
| Power Connectors | 1× 6-pin (reference) — AIB variants often 8-pin |
| Flash Tool | ATIFlash / VBFlash |
| BIOS Editor | Polaris BIOS Editor |
The Launch Power Controversy
AMD's reference RX 480 design drew current through the PCIe x16 motherboard slot connector at levels that exceeded the PCIe specification limit of 75W per slot. Measurements taken at launch showed slot current draw reaching 83W under sustained GPU load — the 6-pin power connector specification of 75W plus slot spec of 75W should have covered 150W total, but the distribution was skewed toward the slot connector.
AMD issued a driver update (16.7.1) that redistributed current draw from the slot connector to the 6-pin connector, keeping slot draw within specification. This resolved the immediate board damage concern but did not change the underlying hardware design. Custom AIB designs from Sapphire, XFX, MSI, and Asus addressed the issue at the PCB level with 8-pin connectors and more robust VRM implementations.
BIOS Modification Landscape
The RX 480's BIOS structure exposed by Polaris BIOS Editor became the template for all subsequent Polaris modding. The memory timing strap table structure — the key discovery made by the community — showed that the BIOS contained independent timing parameter sets for each memory frequency tier. Copying the timing parameters from a higher-frequency tier into the operational frequency slot produced measurable bandwidth improvements at stable operating conditions.
The RX 480 8GB's 256-bit bus with standard GDDR5 timing made it an accessible target for community documentation. Unlike Fiji (HBM1 on Fury X) or Vega (HBM2), GDDR5 timing relationships are well-understood from years of system memory overclocking research, which accelerated community tool development.
Cross-Flash to RX 580
The RX 480 and RX 580 share the same Ellesmere silicon. AMD's 14nm+ process refinement (Polaris 20 vs Polaris 10) primarily increased clock ceiling rather than changing die topology. This physical identity made cross-flash from RX 480 to RX 580 BIOS feasible — provided the target BIOS SubVendor ID matches the card's AIB partner, and the board's VRM can sustain RX 580 TDP levels. Reference-design RX 480 cards with 6-pin connectors are not good cross-flash candidates for this reason.