AMD Radeon RX 8000 “RDNA 4” GPUs: A Return to Mainstream Focus

AMD’s upcoming Radeon RX 8000 “RDNA 4” GPUs are set to follow a similar product segmentation strategy as the RX 5000 “RDNA 1” lineup, with a strong emphasis on mainstream audiences. This shift comes as AMD decides to forgo the enthusiast market, focusing instead on delivering better performance per dollar for mainstream users.

No Enthusiast Route for RDNA 4

It was anticipated that AMD would not target the high-end enthusiast market with the Radeon RX 8000 “RDNA 4” series. This decision was solidified when one of the high-end Navi chips, the Navi 4C/4X, was canceled mid-development. Consequently, the upcoming graphics cards will feature a monolithic design aimed squarely at mainstream users.

Similarities to RDNA 1

According to a recent update by Golden Pig Upgrade on Weibo, the RDNA 4 GPU family will closely resemble the RDNA 1 series. The RDNA 1 series included a range of mainstream and budget GPUs, integrated into the Radeon RX 5000 graphics cards. This lineup spanned from the Radeon RX 5300 to the RX 5700 XT, featuring chips like Navi 14, Navi 12, and Navi 10.

Similarly, the RDNA 4 lineup will include GPUs based on the Navi 48 “GFX1201” and Navi 44 “GFX1200” SKUs. While it’s not confirmed if the RX 8000 series will be the official branding, it logically follows the progression from RX 7000 to RX 8000. Alternatively, AMD might skip to RX 9000 or adopt a new “Radeon AI” naming convention.

Expected Performance

The AMD Radeon RX 8000 “RDNA 4” GPUs are expected to slot between the RX 7900 and RX 7700 series in terms of performance. The Navi 48 GPUs are rumored to offer performance levels comparable to the RX 7900 GRE and RX 7900 XT, while the Navi 44 GPUs are expected to fall between the RX 7700 XT and RX 7800 XT. These performance estimates are preliminary, and more details will emerge in the coming months.

Specifications and Configurations

Currently, there are at least four SKUs in development. One configuration offers up to 56 compute units, 16 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus, and pin speeds up to 20 Gbps. Additionally, there is a 192-bit variant of the Navi 48 GPU, while the Navi 44 is likely to be a 128-bit part.

AMD Radeon RX 8000 “RDNA 4” GPU (Rumored Specifications):

GPU Name	Architecture / Node	GPU SKU	Compute Units	Memory Config	Memory Bandwidth	Infinity Cache
Radeon RX 8X00 XTX	RDNA 4 / 5nm	Navi 48	56 CUs	16 GB GDDR6	640 GB/s	64 MB
Radeon RX 8X00 XT	RDNA 4 / 5nm	Navi 48	TBD	16 GB GDDR6	576 GB/s	64 MB
Radeon RX 8X00 XT	RDNA 4 / 5nm	Navi 48	TBD	12 GB GDDR6	456 GB/s	48 MB

The Navi 44 XL GPU has also been spotted, though details remain scarce. The Navi 48 GPU was identified as “3A-102-G28201” a few months back. The Navi 4X GPUs are expected to come in XTX, XT, and XL variants, similar to previous iterations, with XL being the most cut-down configuration.

Launch Timeline

The AMD Radeon RX 8000 “RDNA 4” GPUs are anticipated to debut at CES next year, with a launch expected in the first quarter.

AMD RDNA Generational GPU Lineup:

Radeon Lineup	Radeon RX 5000	Radeon RX 6000	Radeon RX 7000	Radeon RX 8000
GPU Architecture	RDNA 1	RDNA 2	RDNA 3 / RDNA 2	RDNA 4
Process Node	7nm	7nm	5nm/6nm	5nm/3nm?
GPU Family	Navi 1X	Navi 2X	Navi 3X	Navi 4X
Flagship GPU	N/A	Navi 21 (5120 SPs)	Navi 31 (6144 SPs)	Navi 41 (Cancelled?)
High-End GPU	Navi 10 (2560 SPs)	Navi 22 (2560 SPs)	Navi 32 (4096 SPs)	Navi 48 (4 SEs?)
Mid-Tier GPU	Navi 12 (2560 SPs)	Navi 23 (2048 SPs)	Navi 33 (2048 SPs)	N/A?
Entry-Tier GPU	Navi 14 (1536 SPs)	Navi 24 (1024 SPs)	Navi 34 (1024 SPs)?	Navi 44 (2 SEs?)

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the official launch.