When AMD introduced its Navi 24 graphics processing unit and Radeon RX 6400 and 6500 XT graphics cards on their base, it said that the former would only be available to OEMs. Then in March, a rumor emerged that AMD was looking forward to launching Radeon RX 6400 into the channel and retail markets.
While there are no formal confirmations that the Radeon RX 6400 is indeed heading to retail, evidence mounts that Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte, and MSI are all prepping retail Radeon RX 6400.
A Bulgarian retailer is listing the Asus Dual Radeon RX 6400 4G (Dual-RX6400-4G) graphics card for 562.20 Bulgarian Levs ($260 without VAT). As the name suggests, the card carries 4GB of memory and has a dual-fan cooling system (which is typically two slots wide). Unfortunately, BestPC.bg does not have this card in stock and does not even publish a picture of this product, so we may only wonder when (and if) Asus starts selling this device. Meanwhile, since there is a part number, it is likely that Asus is indeed offering the card to its partners.
ASRock's Radeon RX 6400 Challenger ITX was probably the first custom RX 6400 board to leak in early February in a filing with the filing in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) customs database. Yet, the board has not been listed by any retailer so far.
Gigabyte is apparently prepping its Radeon RX 6400 Eagle graphics card with 4GB of memory onboard, according to a listing with the South Korean National Radio Research Agency (RRA) that certifies hardware sold in the country, whichVideoCardz discovered. Furthermore, the board carries the GV-R64EAGLE-4GD part number, which indicates that this is indeed a Radeon RX 6400 with an additional 'Eagle' moniker.
The moniker obviously points that the board has some a feature that differentiates it from a plain OEM-oriented board, though we can only guess what this feature is. For example, it might be a more sophisticated cooling system (like the one used on Gigabyte's Radeon RX 6500 XT Eagle) or increased clocks. In any case, OEMs do not need such differentiators, so the board is aimed at channel/retail market.
MSI has quietly started selling its Radeon RX 6400 Aero ITX graphics card based on a cut-down version of AMD's Navi 24 GPU in Singapore. The device fits into Mini-ITX and other compact systems (except low-profile ones) that can house a dual-slot board and it does not require any additional power connectors.
MSI's Radeon RX 6400 Aero ITX graphics card carries 4GB of GDDR6 memory with a 64-bit interface and has two display outputs: a DisplayPort 1.4 and an HDMI 2.0. The bard features a typical Mini-ITX design, but comes with a dual-slot single-fan cooling system that might prevent its installation into some smaller chassis. Meanwhile, AMD's Radeon RX 6400 does not require external power. As a result, the graphics card may be helpful for upgrades or to repair outdated systems from OEMs that tend to use power supplies without any auxiliary PCIe power connectors.
The MSI Radeon RX 6400 Aero ITX card is currently available for S$349 (about $240 without VAT) from a retailer in Kim Hoe Centre, according to a listing at Carousell.sg, which was discovered by @momomo_us.
While it is good to have one more modern Mini-ITX graphics board on the market, perhaps a more important part is that the card comes in a retail box and features a proprietary cooling system with MSI branding. It leaves no doubt that the product is intended for the retail market.
Ultra Low-End for Desktops
AMD officially confirmed that it designed the Navi 24 GPU primarily for laptops running its Ryzen 6000-series processors as it wasn't for a gaming GPU for desktops. Furthermore, the lack of video encoding support and AV1 decoding support makes the GPU unattractive to media enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, AMD's Radeon RX 6500 XT is a low-end gaming solution and requires an eight-pin power connector, which dramatically reduces its compatibility with inexpensive systems that sometimes lack additional power connectors. Yet such systems exist and sometimes need a minor upgrade, or just a graphics adapter, so offering a Radeon RX 6400 for this market segment makes sense for AMD.
Potential buyers should keep in mind that AMD's Radeon RX 6400 is not a gaming solution, so it does not even make much sense to compare its performance to three to five-year-old entry-level GPUs. This card also has only two display outputs and lacks some critical media capabilities (like all Navi 24-based solutions). The main advantage of AMD's Radeon RX 6400 over outdated graphics boards is ongoing driver support that will last for several years down the road.
