SAPPHIRE Expands RDNA 4 Lineup with Entry-Level RX 9050 PULSE
SAPPHIRE has officially unveiled its PULSE Radeon RX 9050, bringing a compact, power-efficient option to AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics card family. The new model is designed for budget-conscious gamers and 1080p gaming, offering a factory-overclocked alternative to the reference specification.
The Radeon RX 9050 is based on a significantly cut-down Navi 44 GPU. It features 16 Compute Units, 1,024 Stream Processors, 16 Ray Accelerators, and 32 AI Accelerators. This positions it as an entry-level offering, with roughly half the compute units of the Radeon RX 9060 XT. The card comes equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 memory operating at 18 Gbps across a 128-bit interface, delivering 288 GB/s of memory bandwidth. It also includes 32MB of Infinity Cache.
Factory Overclock and Power Efficiency
The SAPPHIRE PULSE model distinguishes itself with an out-of-the-box overclock. It features a game clock of 2,260 MHz and a boost clock of up to 2,760 MHz. This is a 160 MHz increase over the reference boost clock of 2,600 MHz. The card has a typical board power (TBP) of 100W, though AMD’s reference specification for the RX 9050 is slightly lower at 92W.
Despite its modest power consumption, the card requires a single 8-pin power connector and a 650W power supply is recommended. It uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface.
Compact Design and Connectivity
The PULSE model is built around a dual-fan, two-slot cooler. Its dimensions are 200 × 109.25 × 40.6 mm, making it suitable for space-constrained builds. The cooler incorporates Honeywell PTM7950 thermal interface material, composite heatpipes, and a metal backplate. Power delivery is handled by a seven-phase digital design. For display connectivity, the card offers two HDMI 2.1b ports and one DisplayPort 2.1a port.
Performance and Positioning
SAPPHIRE targets the RX 9050 at 1080p gaming at medium or high settings. The card supports modern AMD technologies including FSR 4, AFMF 2, Anti-Lag 2, and FSR Redstone.
AMD’s own performance figures for the RX 9050 8GB suggest it can deliver 96 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 131 FPS in Forza Horizon 6, and 60 FPS in 007: First Light at 1080p with medium settings. Manufacturer figures should be treated as guidance rather than independent benchmarks.
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Pricing and Availability
AMD has set a suggested price of $279 USD for the Radeon RX 9050 8GB. The card is expected to be available in selected regions, including Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Latin America. SAPPHIRE has not yet announced specific pricing or regional availability.
A 4GB variant of the RX 9050 has also surfaced, featuring a narrower 64-bit memory bus and 144 GB/s bandwidth. This version is expected to be limited to OEM and pre-built systems.
Source: sapphiretech