Spotted on Chinese forums, a mysterious AMD Radeon GPU cooler emerges, boasting a size even larger than the RX 7900 XTX. Characterized by a colossal heatsink and three 8-pin connectors, this could be the elusive RX 7950 XTX that reportedly doesn't exist.
**Leaked Prototype of AMD's Cancelled Flagship Radeon RX 7000 GPU Reveals Ambitious Plans**
A prototype cooler for an unseen AMD Radeon RX 7000 series GPU has been leaked, shedding light on the company's ambitious plans for a high-end graphics card that could have challenged NVIDIA's RTX 4090-class GPUs.
The cooler, significantly larger and more robust than the RX 7900 XTX's current cooler, was accidentally purchased on a Chinese marketplace, revealing a physical prototype previously unknown to the public. Comparatively, this cooler is much larger than the RX 7900 XTX, suggesting AMD had contemplated a more extreme design for a GPU with higher power demands or a "fully unlocked" Navi 31 GPU with higher clocks or faster memory.
The cooler boasts space for three PCIe 8-pin power connectors, indicating a design aimed at handling notably higher power and heat dissipation than current RDNA 3 GPUs. The heatsink, adorned with three painted red fins, is a centimeter longer than the RX 7900 XTX reference edition, hinting at a GPU class significantly beyond current RX 7900 XTX specifications.
The cooler's triple-fan configuration and three-slot design resemble the cooling solutions seen on NVIDIA RTX 4090-class GPUs, reflecting the need for high-end AMD GPUs to increase power delivery and cooling performance to keep up with the latest generation competition.
The prototype cooler's unique mounting pattern and lack of I/O at the back make it incompatible with retail designs, leaving its original purpose a mystery. Rumours of models like the RX 7950 XTX or RX 7990 XTX have circulated since 2022, but AMD ultimately shifted focus away from the ultra-enthusiast segment, choosing to compete on efficiency and price-to-performance rather than raw power.
The discovery of this prototype cooler offers a rare look at AMD's internal experiments and discarded plans. However, it's important to note that no official AMD statement explains or confirms this prototype cooler. The prototype cooler lacks any I/O at the back, making it impossible to accurately guess what model it was intended for.
As of now, the Radeon RX 7000 series, launched with RDNA 3 architecture targeted primarily at high performance with improved efficiency, is available up to the RX 7900 XTX model. The leak aligns with rumours about an unofficial "Navi 31 XT" or fully unlocked GPU variant that could have required enhanced cooling and power infrastructure, but it remains unclear whether such a product will ever be officially released.
The ambitious plans for the AMD Radeon RX 7000 series GPU might have included the use of advanced gadgets and technology to design a high-end graphics card capable of challenging NVIDIA's RTX 4090-class GPUs, as suggested by the prototype cooler's triple-fan configuration and three-slot design. The cooler's large size and multiple power connectors indicate a design aimed at accommodating a GPU with higher power demands or a more powerful version of the Navi 31 GPU, demonstrating AMD's pursuit of cutting-edge technology.
