AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics cards, also known as the Radeon RX 8000 series, are on the horizon but remain largely enigmatic. While AMD remains tight-lipped about its next-generation GPUs, various leaks and rumors are starting to shed light on what we can expect.
Most likely to launch sometime this year or early 2025, RDNA 4 GPUs could challenge Nvidia’s dominance, especially with the upcoming RTX 50-series. However, there’s a consensus among leakers that AMD won’t be competing at the high-end level. Instead, RDNA 4 seems focused on the midrange market.
Information about RDNA 4’s specs comes mainly from leaks, with YouTuber Tom of Moore’s Law Is Dead being a key source. According to these leaks, AMD is planning two configurations: Navi 48 and Navi 44. The Navi 48 is rumored to be AMD’s flagship for this generation, possibly appearing in an RX 8800 XT GPU. Early estimates suggest a 256-bit interface with GDDR6 memory clocked at 20Gbps, although a 192-bit bus has also been mentioned.
The Navi 44 GPU is said to have a 128-bit memory bus and a smaller die size. The choice to use GDDR6 instead of the faster GDDR7, which Nvidia’s next-gen GPUs are expected to use, is surprising. Moore’s Law Is Dead speculates that AMD might have initially planned for GDDR7 in the canceled high-end variants, referred to as Navi 41, Navi 4C, and Navi 4X. These would have been the successors to the RX 7900 XTX. However, midrange to entry-level cards are expected to stick with GDDR6. Recent reports from Kepler_L2 and Tom’s Hardware suggest that AMD might even use slower 18Gbps GDDR6 modules instead of the 20Gbps versions found in RDNA 3 flagships.
Initial estimates predicted a clock speed of 3.5GHz for RDNA 4, but those have been adjusted to a more reasonable 3GHz to 3.3GHz for overclocked models. Even then, this represents a significant increase over the RX 7900 XTX’s 2.3GHz frequency.
RedGamingTech speculates that the Navi 48 GPU will have 32 work group processors (WGPs), 64MB of Infinity Cache, and a 256-bit memory bus. The Navi 44 GPU is expected to be significantly smaller, with 16 WGPs, a 32MB Infinity Cache, and a narrower 128-bit memory bus. Details about AI accelerators, ray tracing accelerators, and VRAM remain unknown.
While RDNA 4 was initially thought to launch in 2024, recent whispers suggest a possible delay. Many leakers point to a release in the second half of 2024, with some claiming a fourth-quarter launch. However, a delay into the first quarter of 2025 is also possible.
According to Kepler_L2, AMD may wait until CES 2025 to announce the Navi 48 GPU, with the Navi 44 following in the second quarter of 2025. This aligns with anonymous sources quoted by Moore’s Law Is Dead, who suggest that AMD is in no rush due to a lack of competition. RedGamingTech agrees, claiming that AMD has ample stock of Navi 31 and Navi 32 graphics cards and that RDNA 4 offers comparable performance, making a rush unnecessary.
Leakers suggest that AMD may adopt an aggressive pricing strategy, aiming to beat Nvidia in terms of value. The Navi 44 GPU could sell for under $400, while the flagship Navi 48 (RX 8800 XT?) might be priced around $500. This strategy worked well for AMD with the RX 7800 XT and could lead to a 30% improvement in price-to-performance.
Navi 44 and Navi 48 are reportedly built on TSMC’s N4P process, offering a slight advantage over the node used in Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace GPUs. Navi 48 is estimated to have a die size of 300 to 350 mm2, while Navi 44 is smaller, at below 210mm2, similar to the RTX 4060 Ti. The naming scheme is a departure from previous generations, with the lower-end GPU being Navi 44 and the top-tier chip being Navi 48.
Regarding architecture, sources suggest a monolithic die design. Multi-chip modules (MCMs) were initially rumored for the RX 8000 series but were likely canceled due to the scrapped high-end variants. However, architectural improvements are expected in RDNA 4, with a focus on improving ray tracing performance and AI workloads.
Performance-wise, AMD is unlikely to surpass its own Navi 31 GPU. The RX 7900 XTX is said to maintain the lead in rasterization, but RDNA 4 should offer improved ray tracing and better pricing. The RX 8800 XT is expected to be close in performance to the RX 7900 XTX, with a possible 10% performance deficit. It could outperform the RTX 4070 Ti Super and potentially be faster than the RX 7900 GRE.
The Navi 44 die (RX 8700 XT) is expected to offer similar performance to the RX 7700 XT at a lower price, potentially surpassing the RX 7600 XT. It’s unclear if AMD will release more entry-level GPUs in this generation, and there’s no direct competition for Nvidia’s rumored RTX 5080 and RTX 5090.
Ray tracing is an area where Nvidia has historically held an advantage over AMD. While AMD has narrowed the gap, a comparable Nvidia GPU still typically outperforms in ray tracing workloads.
Leakers emphasize the importance of ray tracing improvements in the RX 8000 series. RedGamingTech predicts a 10% to 30% boost, while Moore’s Law Is Dead suggests a focus on beating RDNA 3’s ray tracing performance per compute unit.
While RDNA 4 may still fall short of Nvidia in ray tracing, it should offer a significant improvement over the previous generation. The Navi 31 GPU is expected to outperform Navi 48 in rasterization but could lag behind in ray tracing.
RedGamingTech suggests a complete redesign of the ray tracing architecture, possibly incorporating new work group processors (WGPs). Sources claim that AMD is adopting a more Nvidia-like approach to ray tracing.
Kepler_L2 confirms a wholly redesigned ray tracing architecture in RDNA 4, building upon AMD’s initial attempt in RDNA 2. The tipster has also shared details about new ray tracing features, similar to those found in the PlayStation 5 Pro, aimed at improving accuracy and efficiency.
While RDNA 4 is expected to offer significant improvements in ray tracing, it remains uncertain if it will surpass Nvidia’s performance in this area. Nevertheless, the changes suggest a promising step forward for AMD.
Overall, RDNA 4 appears to be a compelling proposition for the midrange market, potentially offering competitive performance and aggressive pricing. However, it’s important to remember that all of this information is based on leaks and rumors, and the final picture may be different. We’ll have to wait for official announcements and benchmarks to get a clearer picture of what AMD has in store with RDNA 4.
