RDNA 4, aka the RX 9000, was a “buffer” series. Indeed, with this generation, AMD didn’t go looking for NVIDIA in the high-end sector. However, this was only temporary, since with RDNA 5 things are set to change. Initial speculation on the chip configuration already paints an interesting picture, with GPUs featuring up to 96 compute units, 32 more than the RX 9070 XT.
RDNA 5: AMD back in the high-end segment?
Of course, these are just rumors, and until the actual launch of the cards, expected for 2026, things could well change. In any case, via Kepler_L2, we have a first glimpse of what this generation could offer:
In fact, the product range could benefit from four different chips, with a large model capable of reaching 96 compute units. In terms of memory, we’re talking about a bus capable of reaching 512 bits, while based on the current RDNA 4 architecture configuration, Infinity Cache could reach 128 MB. And that’s without mentioning the L0/LDS local caches, which could also be revised upwards, but that remains to be seen. The intermediate GPU , meanwhile, could feature 40 compute units, with a different organization at chip level. Indeed, while the CUs on the top-of-the-range model are organized in eightshader arrays, each comprising two shader engines , each with six CUs, this intermediate chip would have 4 shader arrays, each containing 8 shader engines with 5 compute units. The memory bus would also be reduced:
Finally, smaller chips would benefit from 24 to 12 compute units. This time, the GPU would be seriously truncated, with 2 and 1 shader array, each enclosing 4 and 2 shader engines. However, there would still be a total of six compute units per shader engine. As for memory, the 24 CU GPU would benefit from a memory bus of up to 256 bits, thanks to 8 32-bit memory controllers. But it seems unlikely that AMD will offer an entry-level configuration with a larger memory bus than the mid-range chip. Finally, the smaller 12 CU GPU is said to feature a 128-bit bus. In short, as mentioned above, the cards are not expected until 2026. By then, things may well have changed. In the meantime, RDNA 5 should be playing elbows with the RTX 50 refresh and big Battlemage.