AMD and abrupt naming scheme changes – name a more iconic duo. The chipmaker is reportedly skipping 8000 for its next-gen RDNA4-based desktop GPU lineup, with one model prominently mentioned in leaks: the Radeon RX 9070 XT.
Another Name Change
Based on what is known thus far, it looks like AMD did originally intend to name the RDNA4 lineup as RX 8000 series – this was evidenced in the newly-added ROCm code just earlier this month. However, if the company’s laptop CPU naming department has taught as anything, it’s that Team Red can change names on a whim. Case in point, the Ryzen AI 300 series was originally called Ryzen AI 100 series, and anecdotally we did see pre-release devices near the launch that uses the old names due to how sudden the change was.
The most comprehensive information of the new lineup’s naming is provided by leaker @All_The_Watts on X (Twitter), which listed names like RX 9070 XT, RX 9070M XT, RX 9070, RX 9070M, RX 9070S, plus names of new GPUs to be released under Radeon RX 8000 series (likely all part of Ryzen AI Max processors) and even refreshed models for RX 7000 series.
So, what’s the deal with the name change this time? Aside from the fact that the new naming scheme looks conspicuously similar to how NVIDIA names their GPUs, one reason that it skipped 8000 entirely is reportedly attributed to the Ryzen AI Max series processors that uses a special RDNA3.5-based onboard GPUs. Known SKUs in that lineup includes Radeon 8060S leaked in one ASUS ROG Flow Z13 benchmark listing.
Radeon RX 9070 XT: Specs, Designs
Coming back to the same leak – the leaker also hinted on some of the specs of the new GPU. The performance of the RX 9070 XT is reportedly somewhere in between RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 GRE, but closer to the latter; while the non-XT variant is roughly equal with the RX 7800 XT. In terms of VRAM, the XT uses a 256-bit bus, which means it should be 16GB; whereas the non-XT’s 192-bit bus should indicate that it uses a 12GB configuration.
Besides the specs, we also got an accidental reveal courtesy of AMD themselves in a Reddit post, where a promotional image has shown a GPU design that was never seen before. In case you have any doubts if it is just a placeholder image or even AI-generated imagery, another leaker @AnhPhuH has confirmed that the GPU depicted in the image is what the new RX 9070 XT will look like – though unclear if this is first-party MBA (Made By AMD) or third-party AIB (add-in board) partner designs.
Pokdepinion: And then we run out of numbers right away – it’s up to everyone to guess how AMD names RDNA5 GPUs then?
