AMD Navi 24 ‘RDNA 2’ To Be The First 6nm GPU, Will Power Entry-Level Radeon RX 6500 XT & RX 6400 Graphics Cards

The soft RDNA 2 refresh that we have been waiting for could be heading to the entry-level segment first in the form of RDNA 2 which will power the Radeon RX 6500 XT & RX 6400 graphics cards while being based on a brand new process node.

In Q1 2022, Intel, NVIDIA & AMD are expected to compete in the entry-level segment with brand new options for consumers. While NVIDIA focuses on its Samsung 8nm powered Ampere lineup within this segment, Intel and AMD will be offering new chips based on TSMC's 6nm process. The latest report comes from Videocardz whose sources suggest that AMD might actually end up being the first GPU maker to offer a 6nm GPU.

It is reported that the AMD Navi 24 GPU powered by the RDNA 2 graphics architecture would utilize the 6nm process node, far ahead of Intel's ARC Alchemist GPUs. The new process node was coming to the RDNA 2 refresh GPUs but it looks like AMD has done so with the Navi 24. For Navi 24, this is going to mean faster clocks and better efficiency than what TSMC's 7nm node could have offered. It looks like the source also offered additional specs on both cards which can be seen below.

AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Graphics Card With Navi 24 XT GPU

The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT will be utilizing the full Navi 24 XT GPU die. Internally known as 'Beige Goby', the AMD Navi 24 GPU is the smallest of the RDNA 2 lineup and will feature a single SDMA engine. The chip will feature 2 shader arrays for a total of 8 WGPs and a maximum of 16 Compute Units. AMD has 64 stream processors per compute unit so that brings the total core count on the Navi 24 GPU at 1024 which is half that of the Navi 23 GPU which will offer 2048 stream processors in 32 compute units.

In addition to the number of cores, each shader array would feature 128 KB of L1 cache, 1 MB of L2 cache and there would also be 16 MB of Infinity Cache (LLC). The AMD Navi 24 RDNA 2 GPUs will also be featured across a 64-bit bus interface & will be featured on low-end Radeon RX 6500 or RX 6400 series parts. The card will feature a bandwidth of 128 GB/s but AMD is coming up with a new marketing name for total bandwidth (including Infinity Cache) which is rated at 232 GB/s. AMD Navi 24 is expected to get some really high clock speeds, even surpassing the 2.8 GHz barrier.

As for the specifications, the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT graphics card will feature 1024 cores and 4 GB of GDDR6 memory. The card would not be able to operate in any mining algorithm, especially ETH. The top model will feature a TDP of 107W and as such, will require external power connectors to boot. The card is expected to launch on 19th January so expect an announcement at CES 2022.

AMD Radeon RX 6400 Graphics Card With Navi 24 XL GPU

The second card in the Navi 24 RDNA 2 lineup is the AMD Radeon RX 6400 which will be based on a slightly cut-down 'XL' chip with 768 cores. The card will retain its 4 GB GDDR6 memory and feature slightly lower clocks but still around the 2.5 GHz+ frequency range. It is reported that the RX 6400 is not going to require any power connectors to boot thanks to its 53W TDP. It will also feature 112 GB/s standard and 232 GB/s IFC bandwidth. While the Radeon RX 6400 is expected to launch a bit later than the 6500 XT, it will likely be kept as an OEM-only model and won't get custom variants. In the official renders, it can be seen that the card is designed for the entry-level and low-profile GPU market with a single-slot and half-height form factor which features a single fan and an HDMI + DP output.

Both GPUs will be aimed at the entry-level segment with MSRPs of sub $200-$250 US. Since the Radeon RX 6600 series is already positioned in the premium 1080p gaming segment, expect the Navi 24 GPUs to be aimed at the entry-level 1080p gaming market. But given that AMD has raised the prices of RDNA 2 GPUs and alerted its AIB partners to do the same too, the entry-level market may end up in another mess for budget builders trying to get on something after years of wait.