I’m running CachyOS, and having an Nvidia card, I’m using their Nvidia-specific kernel. I know this 3060 won’t last forever, and I’m planning to upgrade to an AMD card for a better overall experience.
Is there anything I should be aware of regarding the kernel or other compatibility when switching brands? Can I simply plug in the new one and run pacman -Syu?
Sidenote: I will plan around my PSU’s output, so no need to advise regarding physical compatibility.


Thanks! I’ll keep that note about the XTX in mind. I have a 240Hz monitor, but I only play at 1080p, so that might be just the ticket.
I have a 302mm card in my case now, but I think it can accommodate a max of 330mm (with some maneuvering). Gotta keep those things in mind with ITX builds!
If you want to approach 200Hz, then it’s probably still good advice to go for the XTX, especially if high framerate is a strong feel-good improvement for you.
I’ve got a 2k 240Hz monitor, I can drop it to 1080p for testing if you want me to try any specific games out. If I’ve got it, I can give you some rough FPS numbers - just let me know! I’m running steam on Linux with proton, but the numbers should be pretty comparable to Windows these days.
Love an ITX build - I’m cheating with the XTIA XProto L because it’s an open build. I was lucky the 7900XT fit on mine - it’s almost too long. The MERC 310 XFX 7900XT and XTX are both 344mm. It dwarfs my old RTX2070.
They are technically PCIe 4.0 cards. My i7-10700K CPU is only 3.0 capable, but it runs just fine. Some people reported problems using 4.0 cards in 3.0 slots. I haven’t seen issues. I’m told I’m leaving some power on the table, but with the price of RAM, I’m not upgrading any time soon.
One other note, the additional power supply connections required for the GPUs are 2x8 pin connectors for the 7900XT and 3x8 pin connectors for the 7900XTX, so you may need to buy a new power supply or double check your power supply came with enough ports and cables if it’s modular.