The massive image: AMD has trailed Nvidia in ray tracing efficiency throughout a number of GPU generations for a number of years. Nonetheless, a dependable leaker now means that Workforce Pink is poised to reassess its technique relating to this expertise. This info contradicts earlier rumors indicating that the upcoming Radeon lineup wouldn’t see important enhancements in ray tracing capabilities.
Famend leaker Kepler_L2 not too long ago remarked that AMD’s upcoming RDNA 4 graphics playing cards will characteristic a “model new” ray tracing implementation. Whereas this remark would not explicitly state whether or not the forthcoming merchandise, doubtless named Radeon RX 8000, will considerably improve ray tracing efficiency in comparison with their predecessors, it does recommend a renewed emphasis on the expertise.
When questioned additional, Kepler elaborated that whereas the RX 7000 GPUs deal with ray tracing equally to the RX 6000 collection, the RDNA 4’s RT expertise seems to be “utterly totally different.”
Ray tracing has been an space the place latest AMD merchandise have notably lagged behind Nvidia’s choices. For example, our benchmarks reveal that AMD’s present flagship, the RX 7900 XTX, experiences a considerably higher efficiency influence from ray tracing in comparison with Nvidia’s equally priced GeForce RTX 4080.
RDNA3 RT was based mostly on RDNA2 with some enhancements. RDNA4 RT appears to be like utterly totally different.
– Kepler (@Kepler_L2) April 30, 2024
Prior experiences introduced a markedly totally different outlook. Earlier this yr, sources knowledgeable YouTuber RedGamingTech that RDNA 4 would solely see a 25 % enchancment in ray tracing efficiency over RDNA 3. This determine would doubtless place AMD’s upcoming playing cards unfavorably in opposition to Nvidia’s forthcoming Blackwell collection and Intel’s Arc Battlemage GPUs when it comes to ray tracing capabilities. All three GPU generations are anticipated to debut later this yr.
One side the place sources concur is AMD’s resolution to abstain from the present heavyweight GPU competitors, as a substitute concentrating on extra reasonably priced mid-range choices. Kepler reiterated earlier experiences indicating that no RDNA 4 card will rival the highest two Blackwell GPUs – doubtless named the RTX 5090 and 5080.
Current data-mined code suggests that AMD scrapped a card that doubtlessly might have doubled the efficiency of the 7900 XTX, boasting as much as twice as many chiplets and compute items. In the meantime, the Battlemage collection will mark Intel’s inaugural entry into the enthusiast-class discrete graphics chip market.
One other intriguing improvement relating to AMD’s future ray tracing efficiency revolves across the anticipated specs of Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 5 Professional console.
Rumors recommend that, regardless of being based mostly on RDNA 2 structure, it might deal with ray tracing operations as much as 4 instances sooner than the bottom PS5. This projection might doubtlessly surpass the ray tracing capabilities of any present AMD product, together with RDNA 3 GPUs that exceed the console’s value vary. It stays to be seen whether or not Sony has proprietary expertise at play or if the mid-generation refresh will incorporate AMD’s newest improvements.
