AMD Big Navi key specs just leaked — and it's not coming alone

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AMD Radeon RX 6000 leak reveals a cohort of cards to tackle Nvidia RTX 3000

AMD Radeon RX 6000
(Image credit: AMD)

A new listing for a trio of AMD Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards has popped up on TechPowerUp’s GPU Database and suggests that Big Navi will indeed have the specs to challenge the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. 

The GPU Database lists the Radeon RX 6900 XT and RX 6800 XT, both of which are Navi 21 GPUs, aka Big Navi. So there could be two Big Navi cards in the works.

The Radeon RX 6900 XT is tipped to come with 16GB of GDDR6 video memory, with a 256-bit interface and it’s set to run from 1,350MHz to 2,000MHz. It also sports 5,120 stream processors, which translates into 80 compute units 9CUs. 

In comparison, the GeForce RTX 3080 comes with 10GB of GDDR6X with a 320-bit interface and a boost clock of 1,710MHz. The use of faster memory and a bigger memory interface bus could see the RTX 3080 compensate for a lower clock speed and less memory. But the RX 6900 XT could give it a run for its money. 

These specs track with what we’ve heard so far for Big Navi. But we’d have thought the RX 6800 XT would be Big Navi. But the GPU Database listing has it set to have 12GB of VRAM, a 192-bit memory bus, and a clock speed that runs from 1,489MHz to 2,000MHz, with 3,840 stream processors. 

Those are some solid specs, but they are also confusing as that number of stream processors converts to 60 CUs. But we’ve not heard any leaks or rumors that have a GPU with that number of CUs. So that means there's a second Navi 21 card in the works, potentially to challenge Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3070. 

Given we don’t know where this information is being taken from, we suggest you take the above and the following with a pinch of salt. 

AMD Radeon chip

(Image credit: AMD)

Next up is the Radeon RX 6700 XT. This is a Navi 22 graphics card, thought to be codenamed Navy Flounder. It’s tipped to have the same specs as the RX 6800 XT but come with fewer stream processors at 2,560. That translates to 40 CUs, which we’re expecting to see from a graphics card that sits below Big Navi. We’d expect such a graphics card to fit between the RTX 3070 and the upcoming GeForce RTX 3060. 

Bringing up the rear is the Radeon RX 6500 XT, a Navi 23 graphics card. We heard murmurs of Navi 23 before, with it said to be a graphics card to take on lower-end GPUs. According to the GPU Database, it’ll have 10GB of GDDR6 VRAM with a 160-bit memory bus, a base clock speed of 1,489MHz and a boost of 2,000MHz. Its stream processors measure in at 2,048, thus working out at 32 CUs. We’d predict that this graphics card would snap at the heels of an RTX 3060 but undercut it on price, though that's speculation given Nvidia hasn't confirmed the existence of the RTX 3060. 

There are a lot of numbers to process there, but they basically indicate that the Radeon RX 6000 series will be made up of a suite of graphics cards to challenge Nvidia's new GeForce RTX 3000-series. While Big Navi will likely steal the limelight, it looks like the less powerful cards are probably going to offer a compelling blend of strong performance and affordable pricing. 

For people looking to get a gaming PC this fall, there’s likely to be a whole range offering different performance tiers at strong prices. Sure the PS5 and Xbox Series X are launching in November, but it’s still a very good time to be a PC gamer. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.