A Bit Extra Pace For Spring

AMD this morning is taking the wraps off a trio of latest Radeon RX 6000 collection video playing cards to spherical out its product stack. Aimed toward all the pieces from the midrange to flagship markets, the brand new Radeon RX 6950 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6650 XT are being launched as a mid-generation kicker to the Radeon household, to offer AMD’s most vital playing cards one final increase in efficiency. Profiting from newer 18Gbps GDDR6 reminiscence together with barely improved clockspeeds, the brand new playing cards, being launched at present, promise modest efficiency positive aspects whereas giving AMD an opportunity to indicate off what their RDNA2 GPU structure can do after practically 18 months of refinement.

At a excessive degree, these three new playing cards are all small updates to AMD’s present Radeon RX 6900 XT, RX 6700 XT, and RX 6600 XT components. Aiming to reap the benefits of the growing availability of 18Gbps GDDR6, AMD has opted to equip it to 3 of a very powerful playing cards within the RX 6000 household as a way to present them with a average increase in reminiscence bandwidth. On the identical time, AMD can also be utilizing this chance to show up the warmth – each figuratively and actually – growing the playing cards’ TDPs a bit to permit for barely greater GPU clockspeeds.

The general change, as famous earlier than, is minor, each when it comes to efficiency and card development. Except the swap to 18Gbps GDDR6 reminiscence, these up to date specs are attainable by present card designs, and there aren’t any different {hardware} modifications. In the meantime AMD’s personal estimates for the efficiency enchancment from the brand new playing cards is on the order of 5% to six% – the reminiscence bandwidth enhance being tempered by the smaller enhance in GPU clockspeeds.

Nonetheless, for AMD it’s a chance to enhance their aggressive positioning of a few of their most important video playing cards by that rather more; to tug forward of NVIDIA within the closing six months or so of the present technology of video playing cards. NVIDIA has lengthy since proven their hand with their very own mid-generation kicker components just like the 3080Ti/3070TI and 3080 12GB, so AMD will get the benefit of creating what’s presumably going to be the final transfer right here (not less than within the higher echelons of efficiency).

Up to date Radeon RX 6000 Product Stack: Enlargement and Retirement

The timing of all of this does have AMD inadvertently making an attempt to catch a falling knife, nevertheless, as after 18 months of frustration, normalcy is lastly returning to the video card market. Retail video card costs are approaching their authentic MSRPs, as cryptocurrency mining profitability has plummeted and provide conditions have improved. Which is improbable information for players, laptop scientists, and anybody else wanting a video card at a (extra) cheap worth, however is a bit more problematic for AMD in making an attempt to cost and place their new components. AMD has already wanted to reprice their new playing cards as soon as earlier than they even launched, and now these playing cards, which have been designed to be a premium, higher-priced providing, are going to be going through much more market strain.

Together with including the RX 6950 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6650 XT to AMD’s sizable Radeon RX 6000 collection product stack, AMD can also be utilizing this chance to retire a video card: the Radeon RX 6600 XT. What was initially the quickest of the Navi 23 playing cards, and the cornerstone of AMD’s midrange video card efforts, is finally going to be no extra. That card’s place out there is being changed wholesale by the quickest RX 6650 XT.

Previous that, the RX 6900 XT and RX 6700 XT are set to stay in manufacturing. Although with the most cost effective 6900XT already hitting $950, AMD and its companions might shortly discover themselves in a scenario the place they’re going to must let their new playing cards float down in worth as effectively alongside the remainder of the product stack.

As an apart, I’m glad to see AMD use a smart naming system with these new components. Giving all the new playing cards an xx50 designation makes it straightforward to inform each that they’re meaningfully completely different from the prevailing playing cards, and to inform the place they slot in inside the bigger product stack. AMD has 4 digits, and it’s good to see that AMD is utilizing not less than 3 of them, fairly than including extra suffixes or overloading product names completely with a number of variations.

Radeon RX 6950 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6650 XT

Diving into the specs, let’s begin trying on the new playing cards.

Beginning on the high, now we have AMD’s new flagship, the Radeon RX 6950 XT. A souped-up model of the unique RX 6900 XT, that is now probably the most highly effective card inside AMD’s product stack – and the costliest.

Seeing as how the unique RX 6900 XT was already based mostly on a fully-enabled Navi 21 GPU with 40 CUs and 128MB of Infinity Cache, AMD has few avenues to spice up efficiency right here apart from cracking up GPU and reminiscence clockspeeds, in order that’s precisely what they’ve executed. Together with pairing the cardboard with 16GB of the most recent 18Gbps GDDR6 reminiscence, the cardboard’s GPU clockspeeds have been boosted; the official recreation clock is now 2100MHz (+10%), and the utmost increase clock is 2310MHz (+3%). This offers the RX 6950 XT 12.5% extra reminiscence bandwidth, and on common a number of % quicker throughput all through the GPU itself.

With a purpose to pay the invoice for this improved efficiency, AMD has additionally cranked up the TBP. Whereas the unique RX 6900 XT was a 300W card, the RX 6950 XT is a 335W card at reference specs, and board companions can all the time crank that up additional. AMD at this level is taking part in on the far finish of the voltage/frequency curve for his or her components, and whereas elevating the TBP does permit for improved efficiency by permitting the cardboard to get nearer to its max GPU clockspeed extra usually, they’re effectively into diminishing returns at this level. All of which is additional mirrored in AMD’s official efficiency figures, which have the RX 6950 XT touchdown at about 4% quicker than the unique RX 6900.

On that observe, it’s price mentioning that the brand new 18Gbps GDDR6 may be taking part in an element within the TBP will increase for these new playing cards. Whereas the voltage for the most recent GDDR6 stays at 1.35v, total energy consumption can nonetheless be on the rise as a result of energy prices of supporting such excessive signaling charges. AMD doesn’t formally escape the ability utilization of its playing cards by GPU and DRAM, however I might not be in the slightest degree stunned if, all different issues held equal, DRAM energy consumption is greater on the RX 6950 XT than it was the RX 6900 XT. At which level, if AMD was going to wish to extend TBPs anyhow (to maintain clockspeeds fixed), why not enhance them a bit extra to wring out some additional headroom from the GPU itself.

In the meantime, slotting in in direction of the center of AMD’s Radeon product stack, now we have the RX 6750 XT and RX 6650 XT. Just like the RX 6950 XT, the predecessors to those playing cards have been already based mostly on fully-enabled Navi GPUs – Navi 22 and Navi 23 respectively – so AMD is popping to growing clockspeeds to enhance efficiency.

For the RX 6750 XT, in comparison with the unique RX 6700 XT the utmost clockspeed has been boosted to 2600MHz (+ <1%), whereas the sport clock is now 2495MHz (+3%). So the anticipated efficiency positive aspects coming from the best GPU clockspeeds are minimal, and the majority of the lifting might want to come from the 18Gbps GDDR6. However regardless of this, AMD’s personal efficiency figures present the RX 6750 XT benefitting from these upgrades greater than the RX 6950 XT did; AMD’s second-tier card is a bit over 7% quicker of their information.

In the meantime the RX 6650 XT, which is outright changing the unique RX 6600 XT, comes with a most clockspeed of 2635MHz and a recreation clock of 2410MHz, each of that are round 2% quicker than the unique card. And, regardless of a rise in TBP and 12.5% extra reminiscence bandwidth, it exhibits the smallest positive aspects in AMD’s official figures, with only a 2% efficiency uplift. On this context it’s comprehensible why AMD shouldn’t be maintaining the unique RX 6600 XT round, because the RX 6650 XT shouldn’t be quick sufficient to meaningfully separate itself from the outdated card.

We’ll see how third-party benchmarks play out as soon as these playing cards begin transport, however assuming AMD’s information is correct right here, it’s a testomony to the worth of their on-die Infinity Cache. Whereas reminiscence bandwidth will increase nearly by no means play out as 1-to-1 efficiency will increase, it’s outstanding how little efficiency is being added by the additional bandwidth – or conversely, how effectively the Navi 23 GPU was already being fed by 16Gbps GDDR6 on only a 128-bit reminiscence bus. Even simply 32MB of cache is doing a complete lot of labor to restrict DRAM bandwidth wants at 1080p.

Lastly, just like the RX 6950 XT, TBPs for these two playing cards are growing as effectively. The RX 6750 XT will carry a 250W reference TBP, which is 20W greater than the unique RX 6700 XT. In the meantime the RX 6650 XT will likely be tuned for 180W, which can also be 20W greater than its predecessor, the RX 6600 XT.

Driver Information: Privateness View & AMD Tremendous Decision 1.1

Tucked into at present’s product announcement can also be a brief replace on the motive force facet of AMD’s product ecosystem.

AMD’s GPU-accelerated Privateness View characteristic, which was initially slated to launch in Q1, is lastly nearing launch and ought to be on this month’s driver drop. In the meantime, based on AMD an up to date model of their driver-based AMD Tremendous Decision expertise is within the works. Although at this level they’re not disclosing what options will likely be tweaked or added for what will likely be Tremendous Decision 1.1.

Accomplice Playing cards & Product Positioning

Provided that at present’s launch is a comparatively minor replace to some of AMD’s present playing cards, AMD and its board companions are hitting the bottom operating with the brand new playing cards. Together with their companions’ personal work, AMD is releasing up to date variations of their reference playing cards for the RX 6950 XT and RX 6750 XT. So players who most well-liked AMD’s reference designs – and even simply shopping for straight from AMD – will likely be ready to take action.

In the meantime the board companions will, as all the time, be doing their very own factor. Anticipate to see the same old mixture of stock-clocked and manufacturing unit overclocked playing cards, with the board companions trying to squeeze only a bit extra out of AMD’s newest {hardware}.

Past details about at present’s launch, AMD hasn’t given us a lot details about availability. However given how lengthy the underlying GPUs have been in manufacturing – and the way available the 6900XT/6700XT/6600XT have been in current weeks – this shouldn’t be an particularly frantic or supply-constrained launch. All of which is a pleasant change in tempo after the earlier 18 months.

Although it stays to be seen simply how a lot of a abdomen the general video card market has for brand new premium-priced Radeon playing cards proper when the unique playing cards are lastly falling to extra cheap costs. As provides for something that isn’t an RX 6800 or RX 6600 is essentially unconstrained at this level, many of the worth within the new playing cards comes from their marginally greater efficiency, which suggests the ecosystem doesn’t have a lot leeway to offer for greater costs. Maybe it shouldn’t be too stunning then that AMD is already ramping up additional measures to shore up video card costs, together with an impending recreation bundle supply, which is kicking off at present regardless of not really being reside but.

Fortunately for AMD, their competitors isn’t themselves, however fairly it’s market chief NVIDIA. And whereas costs on GeForce playing cards have come down as effectively, the extra mining-friendly playing cards have been slower to come back down, leaving lots of them nonetheless promoting a good bit above their authentic MSRPs. So with a large and now even bigger product stack to work with, AMD has a counterpart to all the pieces inside NVIDIA’s stack – and for now, an often-significant vital worth benefit.

AMD reckons they’ve the efficiency benefit as effectively, and whereas I’ve vital doubts we’ll see the RX 6950 XT constantly outperform the RTX 3090 (AMD’s chosen competitors), the RX 6750 XT and RX 6650 XT stand to fare higher in opposition to NVIDIA’s baseline RTX 3070 and 3060 playing cards respectively. Which to deliver issues full circle, is among the factors of this launch: for AMD to place their greatest foot ahead and supply new {hardware} fodder to showcase the place they stand versus NVIDIA.

Wrapping issues up, anticipate to see the brand new Radeon playing cards on retail cabinets this morning – if not sooner.