A recently surfaced prototype of an AMD Radeon RX 7000 GPU cooler has caught the eye of enthusiasts, showcasing an impressive 3-slot design. However, it appears the timeline for its potential release has already passed, leaving fans to speculate about its implications.
Could AMD Have Developed an RTX 4090 Rival During the RX 7000 GPU Era?
An insightful member from Quasarzone came across this unreleased AMD cooler on a Chinese marketplace, initially unaware of its prototype status. Upon comparing it with the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, the user discovered notable differences, particularly in size and design features.
This prototype boasts a thicker profile compared to the reference Radeon RX 7900 XTX, utilizing a triple-slot cooling design. The configuration of the LEDs has also been tweaked, although the fundamental appearance remains reminiscent of AMD’s retail cards.
The cooler is adorned with three distinctive red aluminum fins, symbolizing the “RDNA 3″branding. In terms of dimensions, the prototype stretches to 33 cm, surpassing the 29 cm length of the standard 7900 XTX. Notably, there were circulating rumors and various listings for potential RX 7950 XTX and RX 7990 XTX models, suggesting this cooler might have been intended for one of those GPUs.
Comparison of RX 7900 XTX (Reference) and RX 7000 (Prototype) Cooler Thickness
Perhaps the most striking innovation in this prototype is its redesigned power connector area, which is tailored to accommodate three 8-pin connectors—an increase from the two found on the existing 7900 XTX model. Although some graphics cards have utilized a similar 3×8-pin setup, they remain relatively rare.
The heatsink itself is notable for its copper baseplate, featuring multiple contact surfaces designed to efficiently cool both the VRAM and GPU. Early observations suggest that the baseplate’s footprint is larger compared to that of the reference 7900 XTX cooler.
While speculation surrounds the purpose of this prototype, AMD previously hinted that a potential competitor to the RTX 4090 was conceivable within the RDNA 3 line, though they ultimately chose not to develop it. This leaves us questioning whether this cooler was created for such a project.
The absence of a GPU exceeding the Navi 31 die in AMD’s RDNA 3 lineup raises further questions; the company itself noted that power consumption and production costs played significant roles in their decision-making process. It’s possible that a highly overclocked Navi 31 chip was envisioned but scrapped due to thermal and power challenges, or perhaps a different model was developed and subsequently abandoned.
Design Comparison: RX 7900 XTX (Reference) vs RX 7000 (Prototype) Cooler
Instances like this prototype’s reveal occur sporadically, often years or months following the actual product launches. Similar patterns have been noted with NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 and Titan GPUs, reinforcing the fact that extensive development phases are integral to the pre-launch cycle. Only a fraction of the concepts and designs seen in leaks make it to the market, as manufacturers conduct thorough evaluations before finalizing configurations that will reach consumers.
Related Articles:
XFX Reveals Samsung GDDR6 Memory on RX 9060 XT V3 Runs 10°C Cooler Than SK Hynix Memory
5:30
Windows 11 SSD Crashing Problems Possibly Associated with Pre-Release Firmware Given to Reviewers; Retail Devices Expected to Be Unaffected
5:29
Intel Launches APO Update for Core Ultra 200 Series and 14th Gen CPUs; Promises Performance Boost of Up to 14%
5:09
Leave a Reply