AMD Radeon RX 9050: 4GB graphics cards are back - but for now only in pre-built PCs
With the Radeon RX 9050, AMD introduces a new entry-level graphics card – for $279 with 8 GB VRAM, or with 4 GB, but only in pre-built PCs. This is the first AMD desktop GPU with only 4 GB VRAM since 2022.
AMD has officially listed the Radeon RX 9050 on its website – the first new desktop GPU from AMD in about a year. The card is based on Navi 44 and comes in two variants: with 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM for retail sale, and a 4 GB version that AMD reserves exclusively for OEMs. ASRock briefly listed the 4 GB version but has since removed the page. Both versions share the same RDNA 4 architecture with 16 Compute Units, 16 RT cores, and 1024 Stream Processors.
The market launch is effective immediately, but initially only in the Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Latin America regions. The 8 GB version is not available for purchase in Europe and the USA (at least for now). The return of the 4 GB class is no coincidence: rising RAM prices and component shortages are once again necessitating cost-saving measures for graphics cards.
The 8 GB Version: $279, efficient, and usable at 1080p
The 8 GB version costs $279 (MSRP). It offers a 128-bit memory bus, 32 MB Infinity Cache, 18 Gbit/s memory clock, and 288 GB/s bandwidth – and with a typical board power (TBP) of 92 watts, it is one of the most efficient desktop GPUs on the market.
According to AMD, the values for 1080p at medium settings are as follows: "Cyberpunk 2077" achieves 96 FPS, "Call of Duty: Black Ops 7" 116 FPS, "Forza Horizon 6" 131 FPS. E-sports titles run significantly better – "Counter-Strike 2" reaches 227 FPS, "Rainbow Six Siege" 206 FPS.
The 4 GB Version: OEM-exclusive and with half the memory bus
The 4 GB version is a different story. ASRock listed it as "Radeon RX 9050 Challenger 4GB" (archived here), before the corresponding website disappeared again. It comes with a 64-bit memory bus (instead of 128-bit), 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM, 1920 MHz Game Clock, and up to 2600 MHz Boost. It connects via PCIe 5.0, and power is supplied by an 8-pin connector. FSR 4 is supported.
For demanding current AAA titles, the card is unlikely to be truly suitable even at 1080p. Tom's Hardware discovered the 4 GB card in a $900 prebuilt from Best Buy – along with a Ryzen 5 5500, 8 GB DDR4 RAM, and a 500 GB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
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