AMD’s RDNA 2 flagship is going to be big – GPU die size leaks

We already know that AMD has big plans for its RDNA 2 architecture, the design which underpins both next-generation consoles and Radeon’s Navi 2X series of graphics cards. Now, we may know precisely how big AMD’s upcoming RDNA 2 series graphics cards are, assuming these reported die sizes have any legitimacy behind them. 

As with all rumours, take these die sizes with a grain of salt. This information lines up with existing rumours and our expectations of AMD’s RDNA 2 series of graphics hardware, but that doesn’t mean that these specific leaks are legitimate. 

We already know that AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture is due to deliver major performance/watt improvements to AMD’s graphics card lineup, promising a 50% boost to power efficiency. That’s a big jump for a single hardware generation. Increased power efficiency will allow AMD to create graphics cards that deliver more performance and require less cooling, enabling AMD to create larger, more powerful graphics cards. 

The die sizes of three RDNA 2 powered graphics cards have been listed on the ptt.cc message board, as reported by @KOMACHI_ENSAKA on Twitter, revealing Navi 21, Navi 22 and Navi 23 graphics chips with 505mm², 340mm² and 240mm” die sizes respectively. These are large die sizes for RDNA 2, especially when compared to AMD’s RX 5700 XT, which has a chip size of 251mm². The die sizes of AMD RDNA 2 chips are said to be accurate within 5mm². 

 

 

 

All of these graphics chips are too large to fit onto an AMD-powered APU, and with RDNA 2’s promise of increased IPC and higher clock speeds, even AMD’s smallest RDNA 2 chip could prove to be more powerful than AMD’s RX 5700 XT. 

A die size of 505mm²  is over two times larger than AMD’s RX 5700 XT, making a 2x increase in performance a definite possibility for AMD’s flagship RDNA 2 graphics card. Add in AMD’s promised increase in efficiency and IPC, and a greater than 2x performance boost seems extremely likely. 

 

 

Beyond performance and efficiency enhancements, RDNA 2 will deliver PC gamers support for new features in the form of DXR-compatible, hardware-accelerated raytracing support, and Variable Rate Shading (VRS). 

These features will bring AMD in line with Nvidia’s RTX feature set while offering the same hardware architecture as both next-generation consoles. This means that developers will be making their raytraced games with AMD in mind, which is something which will certainly benefit AMD in the long run.  AMD also promised lower-level API support, though at this time it is unknown how much this feature will benefit the average gamer.  
 

RDNA 2 is everything that a gamer could want from a next-generation Radeon product. It promises higher clock speeds, increased efficiency and more performance per clock cycle. When it comes to hardware features, Radeon is now in-line with many of Turing’s advanced features, which is great news for those who want the latest technologies within their graphics cards. 

With AMD offering a 50% increase in performance/watt, RDNA 2 is set to have a transformative effect on the GPU market, both for desktop PCs, for consoles and for gaming notebooks. 

You can join the discussion on AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics architecture and AMD’s rumoured Navi 2x die sizes on the OC3D Forums.