AMD Radeon RX 6000 "Big Navi" RDNA2 Reference Design Pictured

[btarunr]

AMD revealed its Radeon RX 6000 series graphics card reference design. This card will likely be AMD's flagship product based on its RDNA2 graphics architecture. The card features a refreshing new dual-slot, triple axial fan cooling solution that uses large new high-airflow fans that have webbed impellers, and an aluminium fin-stack heatsink that spans the entire length of this roughly-30 cm long card. A variation of the insert with the Radeon branding was teased last year. This is AMD's second reference design with triple axial fans, after the Radeon VII.

The card features two 8-pin PCIe power inputs right where you expect them. Display outputs include a pair of DisplayPorts, an HDMI, and a USB type-C. Since air exhaust is guided out of the top of the card with its fin-stack arrangement (and none from the rear I/O), AMD has a sealed I/O shield like the Radeon Fury. AMD partnered with Epic Games for a Fortnite treasure-hunt map that lets you see a 3D model of the card in from more angles. We'll spare you the treasure hunt with a video by Anshel Sag.



The Fortnite video follows.

The USB-C connector got us thinking AMD's rationale behind it. VirtualLink is dead in the water, with almost no takers from the VR HMD segment. When this card was in development, AMD would have seen clear signs of VirtualLink's lukewarm market response. On the other hand, there are plenty of USB-C Thunderbolt-compatible professional monitors. It makes us wonder if AMD just strapped on an Intel "Cactus Ridge" controller and gave this card Thunderbolt capability, with DisplayPort passthrough? A grand-unified type-C port would be that which has DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, and USB3/USB4 connectivity.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[trparky]

OK... why a USB-C port? Is this card going to be a Thunderbolt host device too? Are you going to be able to connect a Thunderbolt device to the back of the card and it'll play host to it?

 

[Xzibit]

OK... why a USB-C port? Is this card going to be a Thunderbolt host device too? Are you going to be able to connect a Thunderbolt device to the back of the card and it'll play host to it?

VR Headset ?

Nvidia tried it last Gen on the RTX cards Virtuallink alternative

 

[john_]

Typical looking card. Two slots, but also two 8pins.

 

[Flanker]

End of blowers for consumer graphics cards?

 

[z1n0x]

I like it, the fans reminds me of sport wheel rim

 

[Bubster]

can't wait for specs/benchmarks vs Nvidia and pricing...

 

[BoboOOZ]

"The card features two 8-pin PCIe power inputs right where you expect them. "

That's so cliché...

 

[Vya Domus]

This whole Fortnite thing is exceedingly bizarre.

 

[M2B]

I wonder if AMD finally figured out a way to surpass the 4+ year old Titan XP in performance...

On a serious note, while the card looks tolerable, it kinda looks like a typical AIB card from second tier companies. Not classy at all. Though as long as the cooler does it job well it doesn't matter I guess.
If AMD offers 3070 performance for 3070 money while having more VRAM I would buy it.

 

[laszlo]

i would prefer to see that little fairy with hammer colored in green

 

[BoboOOZ]

i would prefer to see that little fairy with hammer colored in green

She's green with envy already

 

[kayjay010101]

VR Headset ?

Nvidia tried it last Gen on the RTX cards Virtuallink alternative

Right, but then NVIDIA axed it this gen. So weird to see AMD bring it back...

 

[Xuper]

I wonder if AMD finally figured out a way to surpass the 4+ year old Titan XP in performance...

On a serious note, while the card looks tolerable, it kinda looks like a typical AIB card from second tier companies. Not classy at all. Though as long as the cooler does it job well it doesn't matter I guess.
If AMD offers 3070 performance for 3070 money while having more VRAM I would buy it.

Bs , You will never buy AMD Product.You were always criticized them.

 

[Vya Domus]

Right, but then NVIDIA axed it this gen. So weird to see AMD bring it back...

Ah, because whatever Nvidia does dictates what everyone else should do as well, right ?

 

[kayjay010101]

Ah, because whatever Nvidia does dictates what everyone else should do as well, right ?

That's not what I said.. I think you're reading a bit too much into a harmless comment.
Just funny to see NVIDIA give up on it and in the same launch window AMD starts using it.

 

[Tomorrow]

OK... why a USB-C port? Is this card going to be a Thunderbolt host device too? Are you going to be able to connect a Thunderbolt device to the back of the card and it'll play host to it?

Might an old render. VirtualLink is dead and there's not much point having TB on the GPU.
Nvidia already removed it from 20 series Super lineup.

 

[Shatun_Bear]

OK... why a USB-C port? Is this card going to be a Thunderbolt host device too? Are you going to be able to connect a Thunderbolt device to the back of the card and it'll play host to it?

I use a Cintiq Pro for work, which needs a USB type C, you can't use it with USB Type C on your motherboard if you have a Ryzen non-APU as that is not connected to any integrated GPU, so this is very useful for me on a desktop.

On a side note, I am very excited to find out the truth about Ampere tomorrow. This engineer guy gives a great breakdown on why he thinks Nvidia have been very dishonest, so we're in for a little shock when these are reviewed:

Hint: the performance per watt improvement looks to be tiny, and RT performance increase is apparently very small, hence why Nvidia asked DF to bench Battlefield 2 with RT on.

 

[Ikaruga]

I wonder, how smart it is to show the new flagship graphics card with such low level graphics? I mean, even if they decided to go with the Fortnite style, because of marketing reasons (also questionable imho), at least they could have used a model with more poligons, let alone shading and materials, etc.
Looks like something from a decade ago tbh.

 

[Mysteoa]

This whole Fortnite thing is exceedingly bizarre.

I think it is a good idea. Fortnite is the game that gets the biggest news coverage when something happens. Also, I think it is good for mind share. Getting people that don't know a lot about pc hardware to associate Fortnite with Radeon GPU may sway them to buy an AMD gpu next time when upgrading and the mind share from Ryzen will also help.

 

[BoboOOZ]

and RT performance increase is apparently very small, hence why Nvidia asked DF to bench Battlefield 2 with RT on.

That was obvious even from the Nvidia launch presentation + DF video: high rasterized performance improvement, small RT performance improvement.
The percentual performance hit on some games is bigger than the last generation, it's just that, given that the rasterized performance is much higher, the resulting framerate is still much better.

 

[Bones]

This whole Fortnite thing is exceedingly bizarre.

I was wondering why a fairy was attacking the card.

 

[M2B]

Bs , You will never buy AMD Product.You were always criticized them.

You just have no idea how many times I've recommended AMD products to my friends, especially AMD CPUs.
I myself would've bought a Ryzen CPU too if the 3000 series was available at the time.

 

[ernorator]

Two slot card - check
No blower - check
3 air pressure fans - check
no blocked sides like in VII - check

fk me, is it truly looking like a reference card from AMD with cooler that does not suck?

 

[lemoncarbonate]

This conventional design looks so much better than RTX3000 imo.

Why 2x 8pin though? Can we get a card with good performance with just 1x 8pin like GTX 1000 series??