AMD has introduced only two RDNA 3-based graphics cards so far, and both are aimed at demanding enthusiasts with deep pockets. While it is obvious that AMD intends to expand its Radeon RX 7000-series with new models, it is unclear what exactly the company is prepping and when. But a newly uncovered AMD ROCm 5.6 pull request noticed by a Reddit user may shed some light on AMD's intentions.
As it turns out, AMD is prepping a bunch of new Radeon RX 7000-series products, including Radeon RX 7950 XTX, 7950 XT, 7800 XT, 7700 XT, 7600 XT, and 7500 XT for desktop computers as well as Radeon RX 7600M XT, 7600M, 7700S, and 7600S for laptops. Several things strike the eye with this list.
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7950 XTX | RDNA3 | gfx1100
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7950 XT | RDNA3 | gfx1100
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 XTX | RDNA3 | gfx1100
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 XT | RDNA3 | gfx1100
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7800 XT | RDNA3 | gfx1101
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7700 XT | RDNA3 | gfx1102
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7600 XT | RDNA3 | gfx1102
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7500 XT | RDNA3 | gfx1102
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7600M XT | RDNA3 | gfx1102
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7600M | RDNA3 | gfx1102
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7700S | RDNA3 | gfx1102
- AMD Radeon™ RX 7600S | RDNA3 | gfx1102
First, it contains the never-before-mentioned Radeon RX 7950 XTX and Radeon RX 7950 XT based on the Navi 31 (gfx1100) graphics processor. Of course, the company already offers Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT (which are among the best graphics cards available today), so the 7950 models may be either refreshed versions due at least a couple of quarters down the road or placeholders for potential products should AMD feel that that it needs them. Besides higher clocks, we're not sure what AMD could do to warrant the model number bump. (Well, it could double down on the stacked cache on the MCD as one potential option.)
The pull request also includes Radeon RX 7800 XT based on gfx1101. We assume that's a Navi 32 GPU, but it could be something else. There's no sign of a vanilla Radeon RX 7800 as yet, and so far this is the only gfx1101 GPU. That's a bit odd, but let's move on for now. The list indicates that Navi 33 (or gfx1102) will power everything from the performance-mainstream Radeon RX 7700 XT down to the entry-level Radeon RX 7500 XT. But again, there are no mentions of non-XT versions.
To put it into context, AMD used Navi 22 exclusively for its Radeon RX 6700-series desktop graphics cards, plus the Radeon RX 6700M and Radeon RX 6800M laptop GPUs. Apparently, Navi 32 will be used in only select products. That or AMD has other plans that aren't yet clear. Navi 23 meanwhile was used in the RX 6600-series (RX 6600, RX 6600 XT, and RX 6650 XT), along with mobile variants. Navi 33 is rumored to be a monolithic die, and it looks like its use will cover both entry-level (RX 7500) through mainstream (RX 7600/7700) parts.
AMD has yet to comment on the list of graphics cards in the ROCm 5.6 list. Meanwhile, it should be noted that while the list indicates AMD's intentions to release certain products, it does not mean that they are coming overnight. Furthermore, their specifications remain a mystery for now — it's a safe bet that each step down the list (at least on the desktop parts) will come with reduced GPU shader counts, but we don't know clocks, memory bus width, or cache sizes.
The memory bus in particular is going to be a contentious issue. AMD has made a lot of noise about how Nvidia is shipping "limited" GPUs with less than 16GB of memory, while AMD has the RX 6800 through RX 6950 XT that all come with 16GB, plus the newer RX 7900 XTX/XT with 24GB/20GB of VRAM. The 7900 series parts have 320-bit and 384-bit interfaces provided by five or six MCDs — check our RDNA 3 deep dive for additional information on the chiplet architecture. If Navi 32 has a 256-bit interface, it will likely top out at 16GB for consumer cards, but more likely than not we'll see Navi 33 with 192-bit or even 128-bit interfaces. Those would top out at 12GB and 8GB, respectively, unless AMD decides to put VRAM on both sides of the PCB.
Anyway, we'll know more for certain in the coming months. There are still plenty of RX 6000-series cards in stock, which is likely why AMD hasn't pushed out lower tier RX 7000-series GPUs yet. If RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT are coming soon, it could mean AMD has finally managed to clear out most of its RDNA 2 inventory.
