AMD Big Navi graphics cards to arrive before PS5 and Xbox Series X

The AMD Big Navi (aka Navi 2X) graphics cards are set to arrive before the PS5 and Xbox Series X, suggesting we’re only a few months away from release. 

This claim came from AMD’s CFO David Kuman during the Bank of America Securities Global Technology Conference webcast as he confirmed, “This [Big Navi] will be our first RDNA 2 based product.”

A Wccftech source also suggests the Navi 2X graphics cards could be available to buy in October 2020, with the first official reveal expected around August or September. This is rumoured to be the same launch window rumoured for the Nvidia Ampere graphics card, resulting in a head-to-head contest.

Previous reports suggested the high-end AMD Big Navi graphics cards could be even more powerful than the RTX 2080 Ti, which would be very significant since AMD is yet to launch a 4K-capable consumer GPU.

For more information on AMD Big Navi graphics cards, keep scrolling down.

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AMD Big Navi release date – When will AMD’s next-gen GPU launch?

The AMD Big Navi graphics cards are expected to arrive around October, although AMD is yet to confirm this.

A Wccftech source claims we will see an official launch during October, curiously coinciding with the release of AMD’s Zen 3 based Ryzen 4000 desktop processors.

AMD hasn’t offered any specific dates, but CFO David Kuman suggested the new Radeon graphics cards will launch before both the PS5 and Xbox Serires X, both of which are set for a Q4 2020 launch. AMD has also reiterated on Twitter that its next-generation Radeon graphics cards will launch “at the end of the year”.

$AMD on track to launch next-gen “Zen-3” CPUs and RDNA 2 GPUs in late 2020. pic.twitter.com/hhHyN86CI3

— AMD News (@AMDNews) April 28, 2020

Related: AMD Ryzen 4000

AMD Big Navi price – How much will AMD’s GPU cost?

AMD has not provided pricing details for its Big Navi graphics cards, which comes as no surprise as we’re still a few months away from a release. AMD will likely want to find out the price of the Nvidia Ampere graphics cards before making a final decision. 

Wccftech suggested the Big Navi range will be split up between ray tracing-capable graphics cards, and cheaper alternatives that don’t feature such fancy features. This would imitate the same model Nvidia uses with its GTX and RTX graphics cards.

Related: Nvidia Ampere

AMD Big Navi specs and performance

AMD is yet to reveal specs for its Big Navi graphics cards, although did confirm it will feature RDNA 2 architecture that supports variable-rate shading and hardware-based ray tracing.

However, Wccftech reports that ray tracing will be exclusive to the high-end and enthusiast cards, leaving the low-end cards to focus on power efficiency and affordability.

AMD also confirmed its high-end Navi 2X graphics cards will be powerful enough for 4K gaming, which you’d expect if they’re going toe to toe with Nvidia’s most powerful cards.

The new RDNA 2 architecture is said to boast a 50% performance-per-watt improvement on the current generation, potentially resulting in a significant performance increase. 

Renowned leaker AquariusZi at PC Shipping (via @KOMACHI_ENSAKA) claims the flagship Big Navi GPU will have a 505mm² die, which is twice the size of the Radeon RX 5700 XT’s 251 mm² die. If accurate, which obviously can’t be guaranteed, then the Big Navi GPU could potentially be twice as powerful as its predecessor.

Previous leaks also pointed towards the flagship AMD Big Navi graphics card having enough power to compete with (or even surpass) Nvidia’s RTX 2080 Ti. However, it’s likely Nvidia Ampere graphics cards will raise the performance ceiling even further when it launches later thus year.

Related: Intel vs AMD

AMD Big Navi design

While it’s far too early to see exactly what AMD’s next-gen graphics cards look like, AMD has confirmed on Reddit that there will be no blower reference fans. This news comes after a Reddit user spotted the use of an axial-fan cooling solution on a Financial Analyst Day presentation slide.

Nvidia has been using this cooling system with its RTX graphics cards, resulting in improved efficiency and quieter fans. With a seemingly dual-fan setup, it’s likely the upcoming AMD graphics cards will end up looking very similar in design to Nvidia’s  current offering, which is no bad thing.