News JVTech NVIDIA will not be alone in offering new graphics cards: AMD remains in the race with their Radeon RX 8000
Published on 03/12/2024 at 08:50
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The end of 2024 will be marked by the arrival of new generations of graphics cards, both from NVIDIA and AMD. However, the red brand has a very particular new strategy.
A new generation under RDNA4
AMD is preparing to unveil its next series of graphics cards, the Radeon RX 8000, based on the RDNA4 architecture. This range will adopt the Navi 44 and Navi 48 GPUs, and will be positioned mainly in the mid and entry-level. Contrary to expectations, AMD seems to be giving up on offering a truly high-end product, marking a change in strategy compared to the RX 7000.
According to leaks, the RX 8000 will use GDDR6 memory with characteristics close to the previous generation. For example, the RX 8800 This represents a minor gain over the RX 7800 XT, which shares similar memory.
Lower models will offer even fewer upgrades: the RX 8700 XT would adopt 18 Gbps memory, while another Navi 48 card would reduce capacity to 12 GB on a 192-bit bus. Finally, the RX 8600, based on the Navi 44, would be limited to a 128-bit bus with 32 MB of cache.
The RDNA4 architecture should still bring significant improvements in ray tracing, potentially doubling performance in this area. However, these gains would not compensate for the absence of marked developments in terms of memory bandwidth and overall capacity, which could limit their attractiveness for demanding gamers.
Prices remain a key issue. If AMD aims for competitive prices, increases are already mentioned. The RX 8800 XT, for example, could retail for around $574, or 15% more than the RX 7800 This positioning, although lower than equivalent NVIDIA cards, could be perceived as excessive in the absence of notable developments.
Why abandon the high end?
The absence of GPUs equivalent to the RX 7900 XT and XTX in this generation raises questions. AMD could focus its efforts on other segments, such as APUs or processors, or seek to reduce development costs in an uncertain economic context. This choice leaves NVIDIA dominating the high-end graphics card market with its RTX 4000 and future RTX 5000.
AMD has not yet made its Radeon RX 8000 official, but presentations could take place during CES 2025, from January 7 to 10. This deadline will perhaps allow us to learn more about their complete characteristics and their positioning.
