A recent report from IT Home, citing a specific forum dedicated to graphics card discussions, highlighted a potential halt in the production of the Navi 23 graphics chip, which powered the Radeon RX 6600-series products.
With the completion of the Radeon RX 7000-series lineup and the introduction of RDNA 3-based graphics processors, there are indications that AMD might be phasing out its previous generation of graphics cards and GPUs. The forum statement mentioned, "A specific GPU production at AMD's facilities has stopped. All AIB brand shipments have been paused, and inventory is being cleared. This cessation affects the Radeon RX 6650 XT, with most brands expected to deplete their stocks by the end of September." It should be highlighted that, although there are logical reasons for AMD to reduce production of the older-generation GPUs, especially in light of the active production of the new Navi 33 graphics processor and Radeon RX 7600 cards, there has been no official statement from the company. Therefore, the information should be approached cautiously.
The Navi 23 GPU from AMD consists of an impressive 11 billion transistors, houses 2048 stream processors, contains 32MB of Infinity Cache, and utilizes a 128-bit memory interface. This GPU is employed in the Radeon RX 6600, RX 6600 XT, and RX 6650 XT graphics cards. Although the reported halt in production seems to relate only to the Radeon RX 6650 XT model, the limited availability of the Radeon RX 6600 and RX 6600 XT in the U.S. market suggests a possible discontinuation of the Navi 23 GPU and its associated Radeon RX 6600-series cards.
In comparison, the RDNA 3-based Navi 33 GPU comprises 13.3 billion transistors, includes 2048 SPs, and offers enhanced performance relative to its predecessor. The Navi 33 also features a smaller die size of 204 mm² compared to Navi 23's 237 mm² and is manufactured using TSMC's N6 process technology, a shift from Navi 23's N7 process. This could indicate a more efficient production methodology.
Rumor: AMD To Cease Navi 23 Production: Discontinuing Radeon RX 6600-Series
