AMD's new RDNA 4 gaming-GPU-for-the-masses said to be delayed but will probably still be available before the Nvidia competition

We reported a few weeks ago that AMD's upcoming RDNA4 graphics cards might arrive at CES before Nvidia's mainstream GPUs. The idea was that RDNA4 isn't meant to compete in the high-end and Nvidia releases only the top-end variants first.

We have some news, but it's not good. Moore's Law is Dead, a YouTube channel, reports that AMD is delaying RDNA 4 It's not because the new graphics architecture is a problem.

AMD and its partners are still reportedly struggling to move a glut RDNA 3-based graphics card. Most of these cards need to be sold first, as the new RDNA4 cards will make them look wildly overpriced compared to the performance they provide.

MLID has a reputation that is a bit shaky. Among the misses, the channel has had some notable hits throughout the years. This one is no exception.

AMD has now confirmed that RDNA 4 will not be aimed at the high-end. It is logical that the Radeon RX8800 XT would make existing RX 7900 XT and RX 7800 XT appear like a bad bargain. We expect it to perform like the RX 7900XT, but at a price of about $500.

MLID sources claim that the Navi 31 GPU is proving to be particularly difficult to shift. One "major retailer" claims to have a "huge oversupply" problem.

It's true that buying a RX 6900 XT is easy right now. Newegg's current pricing for a RX 7900 XT is $680, which is a far cry from its original $900 MSRP. There are also a variety of RX 7900XTs from different board makers.

All of this implies, but does not prove, that the notion of a plentiful if not problematical supply may be true. You wouldn't want to try to sell an RX 7900XT for $700 when the new RX8800XT is only $500.

The next question is how long we will be delayed. MLID's source all point to a launch in 2025's first quarter. This actually matches our previous story about a CES release in January.

The "delay" angle is likely in contrast to the traditional GPU launch cycles, which have seen new GPU families rolling out around October-December for the last few cycles.

AMD's RDNA 4 is not expected to be announced any time soon. You could say the same about Nvidia's upcoming Blackwell GPU generation, which is likely to be branded RTX50 series.

This is all essentially scans. AMD's RDNA is unlikely to launch until the beginning of next year. It won't compete at the top end. It should have some breathing room before Nvidia releases the RTX-5070, with which we expect the top RDNA cards to compete.