RDNA 3 leak hints at how powerful AMD’s next-gen cards will be

By Jacob Roach May 3, 2021

AMD released its RX 6000 graphics cards a few months ago, but next-generation cards based on the new RDNA 3 architecture are, of course, in the works. Leaker KittyYuko (via Wccftech), who had a successful streak with Ampere and Big Navi leaks, shared some information about the upcoming Navi 33 GPU.

The cryptic tweak says that Navi 33 equals Navi 21, plus a next-gen IP core. That points to an RDNA 3 core with specs equal to the current Navi 21 GPU.

Recommended Videos

Navi 33 (?) = Navi 21 + Next Gen IP Core

— Elysian Realm (@KittyYYuko) May 2, 2021

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming

Variants of Navi 21 are inside the RX 6900 XT, 6800 XT, and 6800. The top-end chip inside the 6900 XT features 80 compute units, 80 RT cores, and 5,120 shaders, and according to KittyYuko, the next-gen Navi 33 GPU will feature the same specs. A patent from last year, however, shows that AMD may be using a chiplet design inspired by Ryzen processors, which would put two GPU cores next to each other for a total of 160 compute units and 10,240 shaders.

In general performance, AMD has seen gen-on-gen improvements of about 50% from GCN to RDNA, and from RDNA to RDNA 2, so it would make sense to see twice the compute units, RT cores, and shaders in AMD’s next-gen cards.

The improvements could be much greater, though. Next-gen RX graphics cards are rumored to be manufactured on TSMC’s 5nm process node, and they could provide as much as a 2.5x uplift over the current-gen design. AMD hasn’t formerly unveiled RDNA 3, but AMD executive vice president Rick Bergman and CEO Dr. Lisa Su have both confirmed that the company is hard at work on it. Bergman stressed the performance-per-watt improvement RDNA 3 will bring, saying it’s “a big focus” for AMD.

Originally, we expected RDNA 3 graphics cards in late 2021 or early 2022. However, Twitter user @Kepler_L2 suggests the cards won’t come until later in 2022. It could take even longer depending on the 5nm supply available to AMD. The semiconductor shortage is still gripping the world, and executives from companies like Intel suggest that it will take a few years for supply chains to fully recover.

Topics

Lead Reporter, PC Hardware

Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…

Computing

Pour one out — AMD is reportedly sunsetting the Ryzen 7 5800X3D

Someone holding the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in a red light.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a certified legend, sitting among the best processors you can buy several years after its release. It was the swan song for the AM4 socket and Zen 3 architecture, and it debuted AMD's 3D V-Cache that has turned gaming CPUs on their heads. But it looks like the processor is finally meeting its end.

AMD hasn't said anything official, but PCGamesHardware went as far as to say that "the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is dead," and it's easy to see why. PCGamesHardware is a German outlet, and in that region of the world, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D isn't available. The same is true in the U.S. The processor isn't available on Amazon, and on Newegg, I found one third-party seller shipping the CPU from Israel for $500. It should go without saying at this point, but $500 is way too much for the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in 2024.

Computing

AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D may not give Intel any breathing room

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D installed in a motherboard.

The competition between Intel Arrow Lake and AMD Zen 5 hasn't been as fierce as usual, with both lineups delivering small gen-to-gen improvements. However, it seems that AMD may soon add a staple to its list of the best processors, and the CPU might be announced at the worst possible time for Intel. I'm talking about the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which now has a rumored release date alongside some performance benchmarks.

The release date speculation was initially shared on Bilibili, but the user has since deleted their post. However, the discussion continued on Chiphell forums, spilling the beans on both the official announcement date and the possible release date.

Computing

These AMD and Nvidia release date updates are giving me whiplash

PNY RTX 4080 with the power connector attached.

If you're wondering about the future of Nvidia's and AMD's top graphics cards, you're not alone. We all know it's almost time for the next generation of GPUs to be released, but no one knows when exactly that's going to happen. Today, another source weighed in with conflicting information regarding the release dates of the RTX 50 series and the RX 8000 series, and honestly, it's all starting to give me whiplash at this point.

At the beginning of 2024, most enthusiasts and leakers alike believed that all three GPU makers -- AMD, Intel, and Nvidia -- would launch their next-gen products before the end of the year. In fact, early leaks pointed to an end-of-summer release for AMD. As time went on, we've all tempered our expectations as it became clear that we're unlikely to see any new graphics cards before early 2025.