AMD Surprises: No GDDR7 for RX 8000 Series

During AMD’s Financial Analyst Day in June 2022, the company updated its GPU architecture roadmap for the RDNA/CDNA series, indicating that the RDNA 4 architecture will correspond to the Navi 4x series chips, slated for release in 2024. It has been rumored that the RDNA 4 architecture will feature only two chip models, namely Navi 48 and Navi 44, with preliminary specifications having been recently leaked, expected to be featured in the Radeon RX 8000 series graphics cards.

Recent disclosures by enthusiasts suggest that AMD’s Radeon RX 8000 series graphics cards will continue to utilize 18Gbps GDDR6 memory, contrary to some expectations that the company might opt for Samsung’s GDDR6W or the forthcoming GDDR7. It is noteworthy that 18Gbps does not represent the fastest speed for GDDR6, as the Radeon RX 7900 XT/XTX models are already using 20Gbps memory.

This news might seem somewhat disappointing; however, it appears AMD intends to offer more cost-effective products within the market segments targeted by the RDNA 4 architecture GPUs. After all, 18Gbps GDDR6 has been in mass production for a significant duration and is widely adopted, ensuring that both cost and supply issues are well managed.

Rumored specifications suggest that the Navi 48 will feature 32 Work Group Processors (WGP) equating to 64 Compute Units (CU), with a 256-bit memory interface and a memory bandwidth of 693GB/s. The effective bandwidth is projected to reach 2770GB/s, and the GPU die size is expected to be 240mm². The less powerful Navi 44, aimed at the mid-to-lower market segment, is likely to include 16 WGP translating to 32 CU, with a 128-bit memory interface, a memory bandwidth of 288GB/s, and an effective bandwidth of 515GB/s. The GPU die size for this model is estimated to be 130mm². The Navi 4x series chips will utilize a 4nm manufacturing process, further enhancing their energy efficiency.