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I'm not exactly surprised that an AMD Radeon RX 9050 is apparently coming. Sure, we'd ideally be getting more SKUs in the middle tier at affordable prices with more than 8GB VRAM, but this latest graphics card seemingly has an edge over the RX 9060 when it comes to core count.
According to a report by Videocardz, the AMD Radeon RX 9050 matches the RX 9060 XT with a Navi 44 GPU and 2,048 Stream Processors. Effectively, it's acting like the non-XT version doesn't exist by borrowing specs from its beefier sibling rather than using a 1,792-core Navi 44 XL.
The catch is that you're getting the same 8GB GDDR6 VRAM and 128-bit memory bus as the RX 9060, although it's got PCIe 5.0 x16 support. Naturally, the clock speeds for this unannounced card are lower too, with insider information suggesting a 1,920 MHz game clock and 2,600 MHz boost clock speeds, respectively. For context, the RX 9060 XT offers up to 3,130 MHz, so you may feel a difference in some scenarios.
Stream Processors | 2,048 units |
VRAM | 8GB GDDR6 |
Memory speed | 18 Gbps |
Memory bus | 128-bit |
Game clock | 1,920MHz |
Boost clock | 2,600MHz |
Bus standard | PCIe 5.0 x 16 |
Ports | 1 x HDMI 2.1b, 2 x DisplayPort 2.1a |
Other specs like board power are currently unknown, but the recommended PSU is 440W. I'd like to think AMD will aim for the lowest wattage possible with its base model, since it'll make an ideal GPU for tiny builds off the back of the Steam Machine. Hell, if it does end up mostly having a core edge over the RX 9060, packs the same 8GB VRAM, and can just about hit 4K 60fps leveraging FSR 4, I might make my own DIY Valve box.
Before you get all hyped up about that, though, I need you to chow down on that usual grain of salt. Videocardz specifies that the specs are "preliminary" and come from a single source, and GPU makers love to change their specs plans. That said, this could be the company trying to make a card specifically geared to mini gaming PCs that would theoretically rival the upcoming Steam Machine and even Xbox Project Helix, and we'll ultimately know if that's the case when more specs land.
If it's more on Valve's box you're after, a reservation page code suggests four Steam Machine bundles might be available at launch, which could save you grabbing it with the controller.
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