Unidentified AMD Radeon graphics card cooler surface in Chinese forums is bigger than RX 7900 XTX, boasting a colossal heat sink and three 8-pin power connectors - potentially a nonexistent RX 7950 XTX model.
In the world of gaming, every new generation of graphics cards brings excitement and anticipation. Recently, a fascinating discovery has shed light on what could have been in the RDNA 3 era, as a prototype cooler from AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series has surfaced.
This prototype cooler, significantly larger and thicker than the retail RX 7900 XTX cooler, measures nearly 34 cm in length and 5.5 cm in thickness, boasting a triple-fan, triple-slot design. The most intriguing feature is the presence of three painted red fins marked "RDNA 3," indicating it is from AMD's third-generation RDNA architecture era.
The cooler's robust design includes a massive heatsink, a copper baseplate, and a heavy heatpipe array, all signs of a cooling solution prepared for a high-power GPU. The presence of space for three 8-pin power connectors suggests a total board power well beyond 450W, similar to Nvidia's RTX 4090 scale of power delivery.
The internal layout of the prototype cooler is decidedly different than the 7900 XTX, with unique mounting patterns and slightly different cutouts for LEDs. These differences hint at a GPU that AMD ultimately did not release, potentially an RX 7950 XTX or a similarly powerful unreleased model.
This discovery offers a rare look at what might have been if AMD had decided to go head-to-head with NVIDIA at the very top end. It's important to note that this prototype cooler does not conclusively prove the existence of an RDNA 3 GPU that could match the RTX 4090 in power. However, it does provide physical evidence of AMD preparing a GPU in the RX 7000 series class that could have matched or approached the power envelope of Nvidia’s top-tier RTX 4090.
This discovery also reflects competitive ambitions behind the scenes, even if not brought to market. AMD ultimately shifted focus away from the ultra-enthusiast segment, choosing to compete on efficiency and price-to-performance rather than raw power.
Hardware samples like this often surface years after launch, usually as engineering leftovers that make their way into secondary markets. The available information comes primarily from leaked images and forum discussions on Chinese and Korean platforms.
As always, take this news with a grain of salt, and remember that while this prototype cooler is intriguing, it does not guarantee the existence of the GPU it was intended for. Nonetheless, it's a fascinating glimpse into what could have been in the world of graphics card development.
[1] Source: [Link to the original forum discussion or image] [2] Source: [Link to another forum discussion or image] [3] Source: [Link to a third forum discussion or image]
- The surfaced prototype cooler of AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series, featuring three painted red fins marked "RDNA 3" and a powerful cooling system, hints at potential artificial-intelligence and technology-infused gadgets that could have competed with NVIDIA's top-tier products.
- The presence of space for three 8-pin power connectors on this prototype, intended for a GPU within the RX 7000 series class, indicates the possibility of advanced gadgets incorporating artificial-intelligence and cutting-edge technology, challenging the dominance of Nvidia's gadgets in the ultra-enthusiast segment.
