AMD Expands RDNA 3 Family with Surprise RX 7700 Launch Featuring Generous 16GB Memory
AMD has quietly unveiled the Radeon RX 7700, a new addition to its RDNA 3 desktop graphics card lineup that brings an unexpected memory configuration to the mid-range segment. The new card features 2,560 stream processors and, more notably, 16GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus—the same memory setup found on the higher-end RX 7800 XT.
The RX 7700 represents AMD’s first significant update to its desktop RDNA 3 family in some time, aside from the OEM-focused RX 7400. Based on the Navi 32 GPU with 28.1 billion transistors, the card features 40 compute units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units. With a memory speed of 19.5 Gbps, it delivers 624 GB/s of bandwidth, matching the RX 7800 XT’s memory performance.
Positioning and Performance
According to AMD’s own performance figures, the RX 7700 sits approximately 16-19% below the RX 7700 XT in gaming performance, despite sharing the same memory configuration as the more powerful RX 7800 XT. This places the card in an interesting position within AMD’s product stack—offering more memory than the RX 7700 XT (which has a 192-bit bus) while delivering less raw performance.
The company has not officially disclosed the card’s total board power (TBP), but the product listing recommends a 700W power supply and specifies dual 8-pin power connectors, suggesting a power draw likely between the RX 7700 XT’s 245W and RX 7800 XT’s 263W.
Market Strategy and Availability
The quiet nature of this launch—without official pricing, regional availability details, or significant fanfare—suggests the RX 7700 is primarily targeted at OEMs and system integrators rather than retail consumers. This approach allows AMD to fill a specific gap in its product lineup for pre-built systems without directly competing with its existing retail offerings.
The generous 16GB memory allocation makes the card particularly well-suited for content creation workloads and modern games that increasingly benefit from larger video memory buffers, potentially giving it an edge over competing cards in its class that typically offer 8-12GB.
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The Bottom Line
The Radeon RX 7700 represents an interesting compromise in AMD’s product strategy—offering substantial memory capacity that matches higher-end models while maintaining a mid-range performance profile. For users who prioritize memory size over raw compute performance, particularly in content creation or memory-sensitive games, the RX 7700 could represent a compelling option if it becomes available at an appropriate price point.
Source: AMD