AMD’s RX 8800 and RX 8600 GPUs Are Ready to Launch at CES 2025

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As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must admit, the rumors surrounding the AMD Radeon RX 8000 series have me more than intrigued. Having witnessed the evolution of graphics cards since the early days of 2D gaming, I’ve seen my fair share of promises and deliveries. Yet, the prospect of a potential 45% improvement in Ray Tracing performance over the RX 7900XTX, if true, could be a game-changer.

Despite rumors swirling around the Radeon RX 8000 series of graphics cards, AMD has unexpectedly verified the arrival of two upcoming graphics cards before CES 2025. Team Red has yet to make an official announcement, but patches leaked from the AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 24.12.1 driver suggest the presence of these two new GPUs under the tentative names of RX 8800 and RX 8600. While the names are not yet finalized, it is known that the GPUs will be built on the Navi 48 and Navi 44 architectures respectively.

On December 3rd, AMD re-shared details about their press event scheduled for next month at CES 2025, where they plan to unveil their upcoming generation of innovation within the gaming sector. This suggests that two new graphics cards will be globally launched, leveraging AMD’s next-generation RDNA 4 architecture. It appears that AMD is aiming to challenge Nvidia in terms of Ray Tracing performance with these forthcoming GPUs, as they are promising on paper.

Some Interesting Details From a Known Leaker

A user on Chiphell Forums named ‘zhangzhonghao’, known for previously leaking the Ryzen 9800X3D launch dates accurately, has revealed the anticipated performance gains of the RX 8800XT over the RX 7900XTX. He mentioned the RX 8800XT is expected to draw up to 25% less power and perform about 45% better in Ray Tracing than the RX 7900XTX. The latter attribute brings the GPU into the territory of the Nvidia RTX 4080/RTX 4080 SUPER. He also mentioned that the new GPUs have entered production, which is in line with previous rumors of the cards launching in early 2025.

As reported by Videocardz.com, the upcoming top-tier GPU from AMD is expected to consume between 220W and 270W of power while offering graphics performance comparable to the RX 7900XTX. A speculative chart published by the same source suggests that the RX 8800XT may feature 16 GB GDDR6 memory running at 20 Gb/s, whereas the less potent RX 8600XT could come equipped with 12 GB GDDR6 VRAM operating at 19 Gb/s. There has been no confirmation regarding the development of the RX 8900XT or RX 8900XTX by AMD, as there are currently no leaks or rumors suggesting their existence.

What to Expect in 2025

In summary, as previously discussed, AMD aims to narrow down the difference in ray tracing performance between their GPUs and Nvidia’s, starting with their upcoming generation of graphics cards. This ambition is clear in the Sony PlayStation 5 PRO, which employs AMD’s RDNA 4 for enhanced ray tracing capabilities. Similarly, AMD has focused on boosting its AI functionalities, which will contribute to frame generation (FSR) and upscaling. While this development is exciting for avid gamers, it’s worth noting that AMD hasn’t hinted at releasing a rival to the RTX 4090 or the upcoming RTX 5090. This is due to the fact that RDNA 4 represents an improvement over RDNA 3 rather than a full-fledged generational advancement.

For now, AMD is concentrating on delivering entry-level and mid-range GPUs to consumers, with hopes of countering Nvidia’s future top-tier models in the future. If priced effectively, AMD’s RX 8800XT could pose a challenge for Nvidia (Team Green), offering superior value, energy efficiency, and improved performance statistics. The anticipation culminates on Monday, January 6, at CES 2025.

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2024-12-08 22:07