We’re quickly closing in on the next generation of graphics cards. For AMD, that means the launch of the RX 8000 series which is expected to take place at CES 2025 in early January next year. We’ve already seen Intel launch its new Battlemage cards, and it looks like AMD will also be occupying the mid-range portion of the market – though recent leaks do suggest some serious upgrades in the ray tracing department.

And now, two surprise references to the RX 8600 and RX 8800 in code updates for the ROCm library (AMD’s software stack for GPU programming). Considering we don’t expect to see a high-end card from AMD this generation, the RX 8800 – or rumored RX 8800 XT – may be the top-end option this generation.

AMD Radeon RX 8600 and RX 8800 appear in ROCm code update

A GitHub pull request for the AMD ROCm software, which handles the GPU software stack including drivers, dev tools, and APIs, references to two potential new Radeon GPUs – the RX 8600 and RX 8800. While this obviously isn’t official confirmation from AMD’s marketing team, it is a good indication of what Team Red could be planning to launch in the next few months.

From what we know so far, RDNA 4 will be split among two GPUs, Navi 48 and Navi 44, which are expected to deliver two graphics cards each for at least four models in total. However, there is currently no expectation that AMD will be releasing a successor to the 7900 XT or 7900 XTX as it turns its focus to the entry-level and mid-range market.

RX 8800 XT leaks also appear with ray tracing boost

Further rumors about the RX 8000 series surfaced online recently in this Chiphell forum thread. According to zhangzhonghao, a well-known name when it comes to hardware leaks (who recently revealed AMD’s plans to skip RDNA 5), a model which could be known as the RX 8800 XT will offer 25% less power consumption compared to the current flagship 7900 XTX.

They also detailed that ray tracing has been massively improved by 45%; performance in both rasterization and ray tracing could be equal to Nvidia’s RTX 4080 or 4080 Super. It has long been rumored that the 8000 series aims to improve its ray tracing support, with Team Red focusing on it as one of the generation’s key selling points. However, this remains speculation for now and we should soon see what AMD has been preparing early next year.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.