AMD Lists The Radeon RX 490 Flagship - Polaris based Dual GPU Graphics Card For 4K Ready Gaming

Information technology has been just a few weeks since the release of the RX 480 graphics card and we accept already started hearing rumblings of a brand new GPU in the works past the proper name of the Radeon RX 490. Just a few days ago, AMD, on its website, accidentally listed the RX 490, a fact that was quickly spotted past a redditor and posted. Many were quick to disregard it as a typo merely this type of error is something we take already seen in the past and some hints given to us by by leaks told us something else entirely.

This is not the real logo.

AMD'due south RX 490 gets listed on promotional folio - shipping information points towards a Polaris dual GPU graphics card

The RX 490 will be AMD's 4K set flagship that will exist taking on the GTX 1080 at a (probably) similar cost indicate. It is going to be the crown jewel in AMD's RX lineup. The existing Polaris based lineup currently maxes out at the Polaris 10 based RX 480 - which is roughly equivalent to the GTX 1060 in terms of graphical performance. According to AMD, Polaris 10 is the largest 14nm FinFET GPU bachelor right now and that raises interesting questions what we can expect from the RX 490.

RX 490 Listed on AMD's Site AMD listed the RX 490, a 'mistake' it has previously made with the RX 480 too.

AMD internal classification overview

[If yous know this part, you can skip this] AMD uses a anticipated classification while naming its test boards. All of these boards start with the letter C (which probably stands for consumer) followed by five numbers. The first digit after C almost certainly denotes the generation of the graphic carte du jour. The second digit apparently represents the relative rank of the chi p in the same lineup. The numbers that follow are much harder to approximate at externally and can depict whatsoever specification whatsoever. Since the numbering follows a very obvious trend however, its non that hard to effigy out how AMD builds the lineup. Before we go whatever further, take a wait beneath.

Hawaii boards for were named C6XXXX, Tonga boards C7XXXX and Fiji boards C8XXXX. In fact, if we are being specific near information technology than the exact lawmaking names were:

Hawaii XT had the C vi 7101 code proper noun.

Tonga had the C76501 lawmaking proper name.

Republic of the fiji islands XT had the C88001 lawmaking proper name.

Past the same logic, Polaris boards should accept the C9XXXX nomenclature, and this is something we take already seen before. The Baffin XT GPU listed on Zauba had the Cix8101 code name, which is clearly a Polaris die. Autonomously from this we spotted a total of 2 more variants on Zauba which are probably too Polaris GPUs. Keep in mind that the INR value given to these dies is just the insurance value (and does non depict the expected MSRP of the same).

Unraveling the mystery of the RX 490 - the "C99" Polaris test lath

To tackle this particular topic, I will exist referencing some of the shipping data from Zauba we accept covered in the by. We saw four singled-out Polaris board variants past the names of C91, C92, C94, C98 and C99. And so far, nosotros accept been able to account for iv out of the 5 sightings. The insurance value of these detail pieces was in ascending order with a very very big difference between C98 and the C99 counterparts. Hither is what was explicitly stated on one of the aircraft manifests: the Baffin XT GPU (aka Polaris 10) was the C98 variant.

In fact both C94 and C98 boards represent iterations of the RX 480 (namely 4GB and 8GB). This automatically ways that the C91 and C92 variants stand for to the Polaris 11 GPU (and the low insurance value gives stiff weightage to this rationalization). Please note that the PCB (which was tested separately this time for reasons unknown) for the RX 480 was code named 'D00' and this is the number y'all will find on any RX 480 if you lot intendance to look at the code about the PCI-E fingers.

AMD-Polaris-GPUs-C94-C98-and-C99 The RX 490 (C99 board) is valued at roughly twice of the RX 480 examination board.

That only leaves the C99 variant non accounted for. Here is where things become really interesting. The C99 variant is roughly double the value of the final GPU: the C94 (aka Politician ten) variant. INR does not correspond directly to MSRP, simply usually has a high correlation with the GPU's performance or features. In this case, it would seem that the C99 test board was at least 2 times as valuable every bit a C94 examination board. Hither is another fact. The INR value of the test board is roughly about the aforementioned (INR 125350) as the Gemini exam lath (Radeon Pro Duo). Finally the nomenclature C99 indicates that the GPU is of the Polaris family unit (remember, the first number after the alphabetic character C represents the architectural generation.) only roughly twice the power of the RX 480.

The RX 490 is a dual GPU graphics card

All of these things indicate to us that nosotros are looking at a dual GPU solution, probably one based on a full version of Polaris ten. The only other alternative was that the C99 variant is Vega x simply in that location are some gaping holes in that theory that in my opinion put it at negligible probability: ane) Vega x by recent reports is too early in the evolution phase to have made it out to the FOC testing stage. In fact, if I were to offer some proof: the C99 board passed RRA certification on 8th April 2022 which was way before AMD celebrated the Vega ten GPU development milestone! ii) The nomenclature indicates to a Polaris card.

So nosotros know for a fact that the C99 lath has notwithstanding to be accounted for. We know that its value is equal to roughly double of the RX 480. We know that the nomenclature indicates a Polaris GPU yet Polaris ten is the total fat chip (meaning in that location isn't a more powerful Polaris variant out at that place) and finally, that information technology passed RRA certification way before Vega 10 was anywhere about completion. In fact, the but way the RX 490 ends up being a Vega 10 GPU is if information technology arrives side by side year (which would mean that the C99 board volition be called something else), which doesn't make a lot of sense considering its (RX 490) list has popped up in AMD partner AIB sites every bit well.

As far as the pricing or the verbal specification goes, we don't really have much data on that count. Keeping in listen AMD's strategy all the same, I doubt the card volition be priced in the same range every bit the Radeon Duo Pro and I definitely would not be surprised if it is priced very similar to the GTX 1080. AMD has previously stated that two RX 480s can trounce a GTX 1080, and it is possible that this innocent enough statement was a big hint to what was coming sooner rather than later.