Rumors have been swirling for some time now that AMD’s next-generation gaming GPUs are set to arrive at the end of 2024, and recent weeks have seen a flurry of leaks suggesting that this timeline is indeed on track, despite AMD’s silence on the matter. Recent rumors centre on a transport manifest detailing a Navi 44 XL GPU, with Navi representing AMD’s codename for its graphics processing units and the Navi 4x family widely speculated as its next-generation silicon.
While AMD’s GPUs may not have excelled in our top graphics card rankings, they still offer a vital alternative and competitive force against Nvidia’s GPU supremacy. As a result, we’re keen to uncover every aspect that follows the next iteration of playing card technology.
The latest leak stems from @Olrak29_, a reliable source on X (formerly Twitter), who simply shared “Navi44XL” alongside a screenshot of a transport manifest published on NBD, detailing four printed circuit board shipments labeled as “private PC video/graphics cards,” each bearing the “NAVI44XL” designation.
Without supplementary information or specifications accompanying this cataloging, it fails to contribute to a consistently evolving picture of what we can reasonably anticipate regarding the effectiveness of AMD’s next-generation graphics cards in terms of performance. Notwithstanding our limited information, we can still theorize about the GPU’s potential positioning within the overall product line, drawing parallels from previous GPU and card releases.
Earlier leaks surrounding the Radeon 8000 and RDNA 4 GPUs have hinted at two primary models: Navi48 and Navi44, with various configurations reportedly set for release, including the Radeon RX 8800 XT, 8800, 8700 XT, and 8700.
While marketed as a standalone product, the Navi44XL GPU appears to be a toned-down iteration of the more powerful Radeon RX 6800. The text suggests that the AMD graphics card range has historically featured an “XL” variant as a lower-tier model, exemplified by the Navi 23 XL GPU in the Radeon RX 6600. compared to the Navi 23 XT GPU utilized in the 6600 XT.
Amidst mounting speculation surrounding AMD’s forthcoming Radeon 8000 series graphics cards, industry insiders have been whispering that top-end models within this new range are unlikely to surpass the performance of their current flagship 7000 series counterparts, including the RX 7900 XTX.
The latest rumors suggest that the forthcoming Navi 48 GPU might feature 56 compute units, implying a significantly reduced performance profile compared to the RX 7900 XTX, which boasts an impressive 96 compute units. The newly unveiled RDNA 4 architecture appears poised to outperform its predecessor in terms of environmental sustainability, despite a substantial gap existing between the number of CUs in their raw forms.
Based on these leaks, we’re able to estimate the AMD RDNA 4 specifications as follows:
Navi48 XTX | TBC | 16GB GDDR6 | 20Gbps | 256-bit | 64MB | |
Navi48 XT | 56 | 16GB GDDR6 | 18Gbps | 256-bit | 64MB | |
Navi48 XL | TBC | 12GB GDDR6 | 19Gbps | 192-bit | 48MB | |
Navi44 XT | TBC | 8GB GDDR6 | 18Gbps | 128-bit | 32MB | |
Navi44 XL | TBC | 8GB GDDR6 | 18Gbps | 128-bit | 32MB |
Although based on leaked information and hypotheses, these claims should not be considered definitive, as they have not been officially confirmed by AMD. Despite efforts, we’re still no closer to pinpointing a specific release window for RDNA 4 graphics cards, with ongoing speculation suggesting either late 2023 or early 2025 as potential launch dates.
As we wait for further details, why not explore our existing data to predict what might be included in the upcoming retailer reveal for Nvidia’s competitive RTX 5000 series of graphics processing units?