AMD's Next-Gen RDNA 4 GPU Package Sizes Tipped For A Big Reduction

The physical size of a processor tells you a surprising amount about its cost and capabilities, especially if you know the manufacturing process it's made on. AMD has been characteristically tight-lipped about its upcoming series of graphics processors based on the RDNA 4 architecture, but a new leak reveals the package size for the smaller of two rumored upcoming Radeon GPUs, Navi 44.

It's confusing, because in previous AMD graphics generations, the package size (and thus die area) got *smaller* as the number got larger. For example, Navi 21 is the largest RDNA 2 GPU used in the Radeon RX 6950 XT, while Navi 24 is the tiny chip used in the Radeon RX 6500 XT and lower-end parts. All indications are that the next-gen parts will be the reverse, though, with Navi 44 a smaller part and Navi 48 the biggest RDNA 4 GPU.

It's indeed a "smaller" part, too. The dimensions of the Navi 44 package apparently come in at 29×29 millimeters. That information comes to us by way of shipping logs from NBD Trade Data, pointed out by enthusiast and occasional leaker Everest (@Olrak29_ on Xwitter). As Everest notes, this makes Navi 44 slightly smaller than Navi 23, the GPU used in the Radeon RX 6600 series. That chip came in at 35×35mm.

Of course, these are package sizes, not die areas, and it's entirely possible that the die area will be more similar to the previous-generation Navi 23/33 parts than the package area would indicate. We wouldn't hold our breath, though, and ultimately it might not mean much depending on the fabrication process in use. Rumors have RDNA 4 on TSMC's N4 process which is considerably denser than the N6 used for RDNA 3 GPUs.

What's the upshot here? Well, from everything we've heard, AMD is seeking to claw back market share with RDNA 4. One way to do that could be a "good enough" low-cost GPU with attractive pricing. If AMD can provide a significant performance uplift in the sub-$200 range, it would be the first time we've really seen such a gain in some years. The budget GPU situation has been downright dire for years, leaving the growth of PC gaming in developing markets quite stagnant. Here's hoping AMD can shake up the market the way it needs.