The new NAVI 44 budget GPU could hit the retail shelves later, but as of now, AMD confirms that the GPU will be available only in pre-built systems.
AMD Says Radeon RX 9060 Will Help OEMs Grow Their Businesses, but May Launch It Later in the Retail Channels
Roughly two weeks ago, AMD's Radeon RX 9060 (non-XT) launched quietly, bringing a cut-down NAVI 44 die, featuring 1792 Stream Processors and 8 GB GDDR6 memory for the budget segment. The RX 9060 could be seen as a direct successor to the Radeon RX 7600, but the as per some reports, it was only launched as an OEM-exclusive, eliminating the chances to buy it from retailers as a standalone product.
AMD confirmed in an interview with Quasarzone that the Radeon RX 9060 is indeed OEM-exclusive and it will only be available through pre-built gaming systems. However, AMD might consider releasing it to the retail channels, allowing gamers to buy it as a standalone product, giving them more choices from the RDNA 4 stack. Currently, the cheapest GPU from the RX 9000 series is the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB, which carries a $300 price tag. The GPU could be bought at even a lower price on some retailers due to lower demand than the 16 GB edition, and it basically appears to be a direct successor to the RX 7600 as well.
The Radeon RX 9060, on the other hand, will most likely end up at a $249 price tag or somewhere between $249-$269 if AMD decides to launch it as a retail product. AMD didn't provide the exact date as bringing the card to the retail channels remains undecided until the company deems it appropriate to launch it as a standalone product. One of the reasons it cited for releasing it as an OEM-exclusive is to help OEMs grow their businesses. While this is one of the reported reasons for this decision, this also somewhat relates to the recent criticism of the similar naming of both the 8 GB and 16 GB RX 9060 XT GPUs.
Many complained that OEMs could easily sell the 8 GB version of the RX 9060 XT in their pre-builts, and it's possible that some users may overlook the VRAM capacity, thinking that they have bought the 16 GB edition. Since both 8 GB and 16 GB editions share identical specifications except for the VRAM capacity, AMD decided to bring a cut-down variant without the "XT" label for pre-built systems, specifically.
That said, the Radeon RX 9060 can be easily distinguished from the RX 9060 XT GPUs, allowing users to know which GPUs they are getting. However, the RX 9060 XT 8 GB and 16 GB editions may still confuse unaware consumers, as they are still used by system integrators in their pre-built systems. We advise users to always read the title and description to confirm the exact GPU model they are getting.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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