AMD RDNA 4: everything we know so far about the RX 8000 series

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics cards (also referred to arsenic nan Radeon RX 8000 series) are already connected nan horizon, but they’re still a spot of a mystery. Fortunately, various leakers break up that soundlessness pinch plentifulness of rumors and tantalizing speculation.

Most apt group to motorboat successful early 2025, RDNA 4 GPUs whitethorn springiness Nvidia a tally for its money, but will they beryllium capable to compete against immoderate of nan best graphics cards from nan upcoming RTX 50-series? This is 1 of nan fewer things that leakers each work together on, and we’ll show you each astir it successful our afloat roundup of RDNA 4 news below.

RDNA 4: specs

Everything we cognize truthful acold astir nan specs of AMD’s RDNA 4 comes from leaks. Some of nan accusation overlaps among various sources, but erstwhile it comes to nan specs, astir of nan intel comes from Tom of Moore’s Law Is Dead connected YouTube. So far, nan YouTuber predicts that AMD will only merchandise RDNA 4 successful 2 configurations: Navi 48 and Navi 44.

The 1 point that astir sources are clear connected and person been talking astir for months is that AMD’s next-gen GPUs won’t person nan specs needed to lucifer Nvidia’s high-end GPUs, for illustration nan RTX 5090. AMD is aiming astatine nan midrange sector, which is evident successful nan rumored specs for some chips.

AMD itself has precocious admitted that its attraction is now connected nan mainstream segment. The company’s elder vice president, Jack Huynh, told Tom’s Hardware that nan institution is deprioritizing flagship gaming graphics cards. Huynh said: “Do I want to spell aft 10% of nan full addressable marketplace (TAM) aliases 80%? I’m an 80% benignant of feline because I don’t want AMD to beryllium nan institution that only group who tin spend Porsches and Ferraris tin buy. We want to build gaming systems for millions of users.”

According to Moore’s Law Is Dead, nan Navi 48 will beryllium AMD’s flagship for this generation, and it will perchance beryllium recovered successful an RX 8800 XT GPU. Initial estimates pin this GPU arsenic having a 256-bit interface, pinch GDDR6 representation clocked astatine 20Gbps. It’s besides imaginable that it mightiness travel pinch a 192-bit bus, arsenic has been mentioned by immoderate leakers. The Navi 44 GPU is rumored to athletics a 128-bit representation autobus and a importantly smaller die.

The prime to usage GDDR6 alternatively of GDDR7 whitethorn look surprising, seeing arsenic Nvidia’s next-gen GPUs are said to beryllium utilizing nan faster and newer GDDR7 standard. Moore’s Law Is Dead speculates that AMD whitethorn person initially planned to usage GDDR7 representation successful nan — now reportedly canceled — high-end information of nan lineup, which is referred to arsenic Navi 41 (or Navi 4C and Navi 4X) and Navi 42. The Navi 41 would’ve been nan successor to nan RX 7900 XTX if it became a reality. However, nan midrange to entry-level cards are each said to athletics GDDR6 memory.

Only 18Gbps 🤔

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) April 23, 2024

In fact, caller reports from Kepler_L2 and Tom’s Hardware bespeak that AMD whitethorn not only instrumentality to GDDR6 modules but it mightiness besides stifle bandwidth and usage 18Gbps modules alternatively of nan faster 20Gbps versions we’ve seen successful RDNA 3 flagships. Even nan RX 7800 XT uses 19.5Gbps modules, truthful this would beryllium a downgrade. It’s important to attack this pinch immoderate skepticism, though.

Initial, highly optimistic estimates said that RDNA 4 mightiness scope a timepiece velocity of 3.5GHz, but those predictions person now been adjusted to a much reasonable 3GHz to 3.3GHz connected overclocked models made by AMD’s partners. Even then, this is simply a monolithic crippled timepiece summation complete nan RX 7900 XTX, which has a wave of 2.3GHz. It’s imaginable that those claims mightiness ne'er travel true.

A fewer months ago, Moore’s Law Is Dead said astir a imaginable Navi 43 GPU, which is besides nary longer being mentioned. As per nan rumor, nan Navi 43 was said to athletics 64 compute units (CUs), pinch nan Navi 44 having 32 CUs. However, moreover nan root of nan leak warned that these specs were uncertain.

Benchlife corroborated nan declare that we’re only looking astatine 2 chopped chips. The publication states that AMD is readying to merchandise nan Navi 48 and nan Navi 44 GPUs, each successful 2 different configurations, for a full of 4 graphics cards. The root besides agreed that nan GPUs will utilize GDDR6 representation pinch speeds of up to 20Gbps.

Another update comes from RedGamingTech, who speculates that nan Navi 48 GPU will travel pinch 32 activity group processors (WGPs), 64MB of Infinity Cache, and a 256-bit representation bus. Meanwhile, nan Navi 44 GPU is said to beryllium importantly trim down, sporting 16 WGPs, a 32MB Infinity Cache, and a very constrictive 128-bit representation bus.

4️⃣8️⃣ 2️⃣5️⃣6️⃣ 6️⃣4️⃣ 2️⃣0️⃣
4️⃣8️⃣ 2️⃣5️⃣6️⃣ 6️⃣4️⃣ 1️⃣8️⃣
4️⃣8️⃣ 1️⃣9️⃣2️⃣ 4️⃣8️⃣ 1️⃣9️⃣
4️⃣4️⃣ 1️⃣2️⃣8️⃣ 3️⃣2️⃣ 1️⃣8️⃣
🦉👼🏾 1️⃣6️⃣ 0️⃣4️⃣ 2️⃣0️⃣ 2️⃣5️⃣6️⃣ 3️⃣2️⃣ 8️⃣5️⃣3️⃣3️⃣
🇺🇸🏞️ 0️⃣4️⃣ 0️⃣2️⃣ 6️⃣4️⃣ 6️⃣4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣

— All The Watts!! (@All_The_Watts) August 28, 2024

Meanwhile, different Twitter leaker posted a drawstring of numbers that tin beryllium decoded to uncover imaginable specs for RDNA 4. According to these predictions, nan Navi 48 GPU will characteristic 2 configurations, some pinch a 256-bit representation autobus and 64MB of Infinity Cache; 1 will person faster 20Gbps memory, and nan different 18Gbps. Navi 44 is besides said to travel successful 2 flavors: 1 pinch a 192-bit autobus and 19Gbps VRAM, and nan different 1 pinch a 128-bit autobus and slower 18Gbps memory.

Lastly, a Geekbench listing supplements what we already cognize pinch a spot much information. Reportedly, a Navi 48 GPU showed up successful a leaked benchmark, arsenic shared by Wccftech. The GPU sports 56 compute units, placing it betwixt nan RX 7700 XT and nan RX 7800 XT. The timepiece velocity is simply a batch much humble than what immoderate early leaks predicted, reaching 2.1GHz.

The remainder of nan specs are still chartless astatine this stage; there’s been nary mention of nan number of AI accelerators, ray tracing accelerators, aliases moreover nan magnitude of VRAM. We’ll person to hold until we get person to nan merchandise date.

RDNA 4: pricing and merchandise date

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Out of each nan GPUs that mightiness travel retired this year, AMD’s RDNA 4 was often thought to beryllium nan astir apt to deed nan shelves successful 2024. However, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su put an extremity to each that speculation pursuing AMD’s astir caller net call. Thanks to her statement, we now cognize that RDNA 4 is “on way to motorboat successful early 2025.”

This aligns pinch speculation from leakers for illustration Kepler_L2, who said that AMD will hold until CES 2025 to denote nan Navi 48 GPU — which, arsenic we now know, is meant to beryllium nan flagship card. The Navi 44 would past travel successful nan 2nd 4th of 2025.

Oh CES is for N48. N44 is astir apt Q2.

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) July 5, 2024

Early leaks from sources for illustration Moore’s Law Is Dead implied that AMD had nan action to motorboat RDNA 4, but it chose not to. One of nan YouTuber’s sources said: “All I will opportunity is that we [AMD] don’t person immoderate instruction to get this point retired nan doorway successful 2024. […] We tin motorboat this twelvemonth if we want to, but arsenic acold arsenic we are aware, Nvidia is only launching nan RTX 5090 this twelvemonth for an absurd price.” On nan different hand, seeing arsenic astatine this point, it’s astir confirmed that Nvidia’s RTX 5090 won’t beryllium revealed until CES 2025, those words request to beryllium taken pinch immoderate skepticism.

Moore's Law Is Dead

Moore’s Law Is Dead has besides shed immoderate ray arsenic to why AMD whitethorn person delayed RDNA 4 to 2025. According to nan YouTuber’s anonymous sources, AMD is dealing pinch an oversupply of current-gen graphics cards — astir of all, nan flagship Navi 31. As 1 root says: “The logic stated is that they [AMD] request to get free of N31 earlier RDNA 4 launches. They [AMD] person an oversupply problem, and RDNA 4 is much amended value [to] performance.”

If this is true, past AMD is taking steps to remedy nan situation. The RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT are astatine the lowest prices they’ve ever been, and nan remainder of nan RDNA 3 lineup is besides seeing immoderate value cuts.

With 2 midrange GPUs astatine nan apical of nan lineup, AMD request not beryllium concerned pinch title that much. Nvidia’s RTX 50-series whitethorn not beryllium overmuch of a threat, fixed that Team Green is apt to unfastened pinch nan RTX 5090, which isn’t AMD’s target marketplace this clip around. The existent timeline really seems to constituent that some Nvidia and AMD won’t merchandise caller GPUs until 2025, marking a disappointing twelvemonth for gamers.

With that said, sloppy of nan nonstop timing, we’re apt to astatine slightest spot a mates of AMD desktop GPUs first and past a laptop motorboat later connected — assuming they’re easier to get successful nan adjacent procreation than successful this existent one.

Although AMD whitethorn not triumph successful performance, leakers estimate that it mightiness adopt an fierce pricing strategy this clip around, beating Nvidia successful position of value. Rumor has it that nan Navi 44 GPU mightiness waste for nether $400, while nan flagship Navi 48 (RX 8800 XT?) could beryllium priced astir $500. That’s a highly competitory value constituent that worked retired swimmingly for AMD pinch nan RX 7800 XT, truthful this makes sense, but everything is still uncertain. We mightiness spot arsenic overmuch arsenic a 30% betterment successful position of value to performance.

RDNA 4: architecture

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Navi 44 and Navi 48 are reportedly built connected TSMC’s N4P process, which, arsenic Moore’s Law Is Dead notes, will beryllium single-digits amended than nan node recovered successful Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace GPUs. Navi 48 has an estimated dice size of 300 to 350 mm², while Navi 44 is simply a batch smaller astatine beneath 210mm², which is adjacent to nan aforesaid size arsenic nan dice wrong Nvidia’s RTX 4060 Ti.

The naming strategy for these chips is simply a departure from erstwhile generations. Usually, AMD’s flagship spot was besides nan 1 pinch nan lowest number, specified arsenic Navi 31 successful RDNA 3. This time, we’re getting nan Navi 44 arsenic nan lower-end GPU and nan Navi 48 arsenic nan apical graphics chip. Given nan remainder of nan rumors, this benignant of tracks — AMD is said to sanction its chips based connected nan bid of development, truthful if it canceled nan first Navi 41 chip, nan Navi 48 whitethorn person started improvement later.

When it comes to architecture, both Moore’s Law Is Dead and RedGamingTech connected YouTube opportunity that we’re looking astatine a monolithic die. It appears that we could person had MCM successful RX 8000 bid GPUs if not for nan truth that nan high-end variants were reportedly canceled, truthful nan architecture whitethorn not reappear until RDNA 5.

However, we mightiness still spot immoderate architectural improvements successful RDNA 4. Hardware leakers person been vocal astir nan truth that AMD wants to amended nan ray tracing capacity of its GPUs, and RedGamingTech speculates that we mightiness spot adjustments to nan geometry engine. Other sources besides mention AMD’s thrust to amended compete successful AI workflows and ray tracing.

Rumor: Navi 48https://t.co/OPiVZC3O1j pic.twitter.com/P1gvFXvf2F

— HXL (@9550pro) October 29, 2024

Of course, location are besides rumors to nan contrary that circle backmost to that MCM design. A caller leak from nan Chiphell forums revealed 1 astonishing alteration that whitethorn aliases whitethorn not move retired to beryllium true: The Navi 48 could beryllium a dual-chiplet GPU. This would beryllium a akin creation to AMD’s information halfway Instinct MI300 graphics cards, made for AI workloads — but not rather nan aforesaid thing.

As explained by TechPowerUp, MI300 graphics cards stock nan aforesaid cache and power nan aforesaid memory, and thus, they’re recognized arsenic 1 instrumentality moreover though they athletics a multi-chip design. However, nan Navi 48 GPU whitethorn not adopt this exertion and would beryllium recognized arsenic 2 devices, which could mean much activity connected nan package broadside successful bid to get nan GPUs to work. The 2 chiplets would apt person to beryllium connected by AMD’s Infinity Fabric interconnect.

This declare is alternatively unexpected, fixed that erstwhile leakers said that multi-chip RDNA 4 GPUs aren’t happening — but it’s excessively early to disregard this arsenic fake.

RDNA 4: performance

Moore's Law Is Dead

AMD CEO Lisa Su teased that RDNA 4 will present “a beardown summation successful performance.” Su besides talked astir improvements successful ray tracing and AI capabilities. There’s not overmuch to spell connected here, though, and astir leakers work together that nan RX 7900 XTX should clasp its lead successful rasterization, but AMD will target capacity per dollar pinch its caller cards.

Most sources estimate that nan rumored RX 8800 XT should beryllium adjacent to nan RX 7900 XT successful performance. Moore’s Law Is Dead says that it’ll beryllium astir 10% slower than nan RX 7900 XTX, putting it adjacent to Navi 31 and Nvidia’s RTX 4080. It should outperform nan RTX 4070 Ti Super by a mini margin, and RedGamingTech predicts that it’ll beryllium somewhat faster than nan caller RX 7900 GRE.

The astir optimistic result was that nan Navi 48 GPU would beryllium capable to hit Nvidia’s RTX 4080 Super for astir half nan price, but it’s excessively early to get excessively excited. That would surely beryllium a large feat for AMD to execute and a bully measurement to hit Nvidia successful 2024. Even if AMD can’t rather deed those numbers and only outperforms nan RTX 4070 Ti Super, but prices nan GPU astatine astir $500, that would still beryllium a awesome deal.

Meanwhile, nan Navi 44 dice (which could extremity up successful an RX 8700 XT) is said to connection akin capacity to AMD’s RX 7700 XT, but astatine a reduced price. Some sources pin it arsenic an betterment complete nan RX 7600 XT, but a downgrade compared to nan RX 7800 XT. Right now, it’s unclear whether AMD will merchandise much entry-level GPUs successful this generation.

Yes

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) May 2, 2024

A fewer months ago, Kepler_L2 answered a mobility connected Twitter and erstwhile again confirmed nan suspicion that AMD whitethorn not person an reply to Nvidia’s rumored RTX 5080 and RTX 5090. It seems that AMD will enactment successful its ain lane this clip astir and won’t person nonstop next-gen title from Nvidia until nan motorboat of midrange cards for illustration nan RTX 5060 and nan RTX 5070.

RDNA 4: ray tracing

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Ray tracing is 1 area wherever Nvidia maintains a notable lead complete AMD. This is nary longer a cosmopolitan truth nan measurement it was successful generations past, but it’s still true. A comparable Nvidia GPU tin usually beryllium counted connected to outperform AMD erstwhile ray tracing is enabled, though nan spread is wider successful immoderate games.

Improving ray tracing capacity is thing that a batch of leakers accent nan value of successful RX 8000 bid graphics cards. RedGamingTech claims that we’re looking astatine a boost of 10% to 30%, which is simply a wide range, but it’s still early days. However, Moore’s Law Is Dead says that his sources aren’t convinced that AMD will beryllium capable to hit Nvidia successful ray tracing successful RDNA 4 yet — nan extremity is to hit RDNA 3, pinch an uplift successful ray tracing capacity per compute unit.

While rumor has it that RDNA 4 will still beryllium a hairsbreadth slower than Nvidia successful these workloads, it should connection a marked betterment complete nan erstwhile generation. The Navi 31 GPU is said to outperform nan Navi 48 successful axenic rasterization, but it whitethorn autumn down successful ray tracing.

In a caller video, RedGamingTech said astir thing akin to a complete redesign successful position of ray tracing. The YouTuber speculates (based connected Twitter sources, mind you) that RDNA 4 mightiness travel pinch caller activity group processors (WGPs). For ray tracing, immoderate of RedGamingTech’s sources declare that AMD is adopting a “much much Nvidia-like approach.”

RDNA3 RT was based connected RDNA2 pinch immoderate improvements. RDNA4 RT looks wholly different.

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) April 30, 2024

Kepler_L2 connected X (formerly Twitter) agrees pinch RedGamingTech here, stating that we’ll beryllium seeing a wholly redesigned ray tracing architecture successful RDNA 4 — whereas what we saw successful RDNA 3 was based connected AMD’s first effort successful RDNA 2. In July, nan tipster followed up pinch immoderate much precise accusation regarding nan ray tracing improvements successful RDNA 4. They shared a database of ray tracing features that are said to beryllium coming pinch RDNA 4, though astir of them are besides said to beryllium disposable successful nan PlayStation 5 Pro, too, which isn’t based connected RDNA 4 architecture.

Some of nan caller RT features coming pinch gfx12/RDNA4. Most if not each of these should beryllium successful nan PS5 Pro excessively 🙂 pic.twitter.com/AO5HaxJlMK

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) July 21, 2024

These features are related to nan accuracy and ratio of ray tracing, which should hopefully supply gamers pinch amended fps and improved visuals. Unfortunately, Kepler_L2 besides wasn’t judge whether AMD would hit Nvidia successful ray tracing moreover pinch each of these improvements, but it sounds for illustration a bully start.

All of nan supra is still axenic speculation, and nan rumors astir this procreation person been shockingly scarce. We’ll person to beryllium diligent and support our eyes peeled for much leaks arsenic we get person to nan merchandise date.