Is the AMD Radeon RX 9050 Coming? Is It What We Need Right Now?

AMD might be ready to expand the Radeon RX 9000 family with a new solution targeting the entry-level segment. According to a recent leak shared by VideoCardz, AIB partners have confirmed the Radeon RX 9050, a model based on RDNA 4 architecture and Navi 44 chip, aimed at capturing the more accessible desktop market segment.

The disclosed information describes a card with 2048 stream processors, an interesting detail as it exceeds the 1792 cores attributed to the RX 9060, which is destined solely for the OEM market. The configuration would include 8 GB of GDDR6 memory at 18 Gbps on a 128-bit bus, a combination that brings it quite close to the RX 9060 XT 8GB, albeit with more conservative operating frequencies.

On the clock specifications front, the Radeon RX 9050 is expected to offer a Game Clock of 1920 MHz and a Boost Clock of up to 2600 MHz, values lower than those of the RX 9060 XT, which can reach up to 3.1 GHz. This difference might translate into more limited performance, despite the higher core count compared to the standard RX 9060.

The technical equipment would also include a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, support for two DisplayPort 2.1a, and one HDMI 2.1b, modern features even for a product aimed at the more economical range. On the power side, initial indications suggest a recommended power supply of 450 W, indicating relatively low consumption.

The most curious aspect concerns its commercial positioning. Although the RX 9050 designation suggests a lower tier, the leaked specifications show a card that, at least on paper, could position itself as a more competitive alternative to the RX 9060, likely intended to more effectively counter the GeForce RTX 5050.

At the same time, the memory crisis has forced manufacturers to favor cards with higher profit margins, namely, the higher-end models available in the catalog. Thus, it would be surprising if AMD were to launch a new GPU in the entry-level tier at this time, but even more so if it offered performance superior to the current 9060, perhaps at a similar or even lower price.

Currently, the price is obviously still unknown, but it would be plausible if AMD aimed for a range close to that of the RTX 5050, which is priced in the market starting from around $289. Clearly, the specifications come from unofficial channels and may be subject to change. We will likely know more during Computex, on the horizon, which will take place from Tuesday, June 2 to Friday, June 5.