AMD Radeon RX Vega 56

The Radeon RX Vega 64 is not the only consumer gaming card announced today. Similar to what AMD has done in the past, 8 NGCUs were cut to release a lower entry RX Vega 56 SKU which has 3584 stream processors, but the same memory configuration. Changed also are the core and memory frequencies with the RX Vega 56 operating at a base clock of 1156 MHz, boost clock of 1471 MHz, and a total memory bandwidth of 410 GB/s (800 MHz). In return, you get a $100 price cut and a TDP of 165 W, which makes it potentially the most efficient GPU from AMD yet if performance is to scale. The RX Vega 56 will not have a limited or liquid-cooled edition, and will be available in September from AMD and add-in board partners.

Radeon Packs

Remember the FreeSync emphasis on the previous page? We heard about AMD taking RX Vega around on a tour, demonstrating a full AMD system with a FreeSync monitor against an NVIDIA GeForce system with a GSync monitor. AMD wants everyone to know that the entire AMD system is better value for money - be it Ryzen for the CPU, RX Vega for GPUs, and a FreeSync monitor for the display. It is interesting then that AMD chose an Intel CPU for their internal GPU comparisons, but let's let that slide for now. We need to talk about how AMD is handling RX Vega retail sales first.

We know that the RX Vega 64 is launching in August, but AMD told us that the regular $499 RX Vega 64 and $399 RX Vega 56 are the only ones guaranteed to be sold individually (with a 1-per-customer limit to avoid miners snatching up the supply). The RX Vega 64 Limited and Liquid Cooled Editions are going to only be available as part of a Radeon Pack. During checkout at participating e-tailers, you will have the option of selecting up to three separate add-ons, including $120 in games (two games at $60 MSRP, with the game options depending on the region), a $200 discount off a FreeSync monitor (Samsung CF791 at first, but other models are planned), and a $100 discount voucher off a Ryzen CPU and X370 socket motherboard combo.

AMD tells us a customer who wishes to buy a Radeon Pack will have the option to pick and choose the add-ons during checkout, but it also means you have to purchase the monitor and/or Ryzen combo along with the GPU. These are not discount codes you will get for future use, so think carefully before jumping in. AIBs are out of luck here as AMD is going to control this completely. Also note that at this time, there are very specific options available - a Samsung CF791 34" WQHD FreeSync monitor, and the Ryzen combo is region specific also in terms of what will be available. Finally, we are still awaiting confirmation on whether the discount vouchers are based off MSRP or current street prices - a big difference considering the monitor has an MSRP of $950 but can be bought for ~$800 from resellers. The two games will always be included as a redeemable code for Steam or a similar platform.

These Radeon Packs are lucrative if you are looking to buy a new system entirely, but are otherwise a distraction to the part where the RX Vega 64 Liquid Cooled Edition - the top-performing option from AMD - can not be purchased by itself. To those who do not want a reference blower cooler solution, I have more bad news. AIB designs will only be coming out late Q3 or even Q4 2017. Hopefully, AMD knows what they are doing, but I suspect they are limited by the number of cards available here, especially given the clock-frequency sorting required for the watercooled variant.