AMD’s new RX 8000 series GPUs have been potentially unshrouded by Benchlife, revealing there should be at least 4 models aimed at the mainstream market. But what does that mean exactly? The leaks point to the exclusion of high-end GPUs (for example the 7900 XTX equivalent) in its Navi 48 & 44 RDNA 4 lineup, at least for now anyway.
After all, at that level, the RX 7000 and 6000 series have shown that it is difficult for AMD to compete with Nvidia at the top level, so does that mean that AMD is done with the high-end GPU market forever? Well, probably not. But if these rumors are to be trusted, then we might not be getting any at least this time around.
The models expected, according to WccfTech, are:
- Navi 48 SKU #1 – R24D-E8
- Navi 48 SKU #2 – R24D-E6
- Navi 44 SKU #1 – R25D-P8
- Navi 44 SKU #2 – R25D-P4
These are internal names or codenames of some kind, and not the friendly “RX X000” series we are used to. Just because Intel is undergoing a name change doesn’t mean everyone else is too.
In an interview with Tom’s Hardware, AMD’s senior vice president, Jack Huynh, said this:
“my number one priority right now is to build scale, to get us to 40 to 50 percent of the market faster. Do I want to go after 10% of the TAM [Total Addressable Market] or 80%? I’m an 80% kind of guy because I don’t want AMD to be the company that only people who can afford Porsches and Ferraris can buy. We want to build gaming systems for millions of users.”
– Jack Huynh (Tom’s Hardware interview)
This could set a dangerous precedent, as at the top end of the scale, it leaves Nvidia to essentially do what it wants with no competition, allowing them to skyrocket prices leaving users who want the best of the best no other alternative.
AMD’s Navi 48 and 44 GPUs are set to be the foundation of the upcoming RDNA 4 GPUs, but it will be interesting to see how these new GPUs stack up against the high-end 7000 series GPUs like the XT and the XTX.
