Good news for gamers: AMD may launch two new budget gaming GPUs!

We Desperately Need Budget Options

The rumor mill is buzzing with exciting news for gamers: AMD’s Radeon RDNA 3 lineup might soon include two new budget entry-level graphics cards — the RX 7400 and RX 7300. If these rumors are true, these new GPUs would be priced below the RX 7600’s $259, making them highly attractive for budget-conscious gamers.

According to PCGamesN, the leaked information comes from two sources. The first is a tweet from KOMACHI_ENSAKA that simply states “Radeon RX 7400 & RX 7300” followed by a winky emoji. The second source is a follow-up tweet mentioning “0x7499, NV33.” Here, NV33 refers to the Navi 33 GPU that powers the RX 7600, while 0x7499 is a device ID indicating a model of graphics card — specifically, three different model types.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors about AMD developing more budget-friendly cards. Back in 2023, there were whispers of a mid-range RDNA 4 card at a more affordable price, which turned out to be the RX 7600. Given this history, these new rumors could be quite reputable, bringing great news for gamers seeking cheaper options.

Possible Specs for the RX 7400 and RX 7300

Although there’s no detailed information available yet on the two potential budget cards, we can speculate on their specs. The RX 7600 features 2,048 RDNA 3 stream processors split into 32 compute units (CUs) and 8GB of GDDR6 memory via a 128-bit memory bus, running up to 2,655MHz.

Comparing this to the last generation’s RX 6500 XT, which had 1,024 RDNA 2 stream processors (16 CUs), and the RX 6400 with 768 RDNA 2 stream processors (12 CUs), we can make some educated guesses. The RX 7400 might have at least 16 CUs, ideally up to 20 CUs, while the RX 7300 could have at least 12 CUs, possibly up to 16 CUs. These specs would avoid overlapping with the RX 7600 while still providing a significant upgrade over the previous generation’s cards.

Why Are Budget Cards So Important?

The demand for budget-friendly graphics cards is evident among gamers, as shown by the Steam Hardware & Software Survey. The eighth most popular graphics card is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, released in 2016, which lacks AI hardware or ray tracing capabilities. Its popularity is due to its excellent balance between price and performance, allowing it to handle most top PC games effectively.

Newer cards may offer more features but haven’t provided enough of a performance boost to persuade users to upgrade. If the RX 7300 and RX 7400 offer significantly more power than the GTX 1060 and are priced under $200, they could be a winning combination that appeals to nearly every gamer.