RADEON RX560

Watch Out - AMD Is Quietly Downgrading Some RX 560s

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Published: December 6, 2017 8:30 AM

It appears that AMD has had to dial back their ambitions for their Radeon RX 560 cards - some of the cards are launching with lower-than-originally-advertised specs as reported by PC Gamer.

The AMD Radeon RX 560 was originally announced back in April of 2017. The card is meant to serve as a midrange model for video game fans looking to choose to play with the red team over the green team. The card was slated to launch with 16 computer units and 1,024 stream processors. A few months later, a lower power RADEON RX 560D SK model was launched in Asia with 14 computer units and 896 stream processors. Slight variations in graphics card models aren't all that unusual, but it appears that some cards being advertised as RX 560s are shipping with the lower RX 560D specs.

The product page for the AMD Radeon RX 560 properly indicates the range of the two models; the change from the original specs had taken place sometime after July 2017. The key difference as indicated by the product page is in the stream processors and computer units. Unfortunately, not all websites properly list these specifications and so you'll have to be careful with your purchase. For example, this RX 560 on Newegg lists 896 stream processors, but listings on Amazon and Best Buy are missing the critical bits of information that will let you know which card you're getting with your hard-earned cash. As the 560D is sold in the Asian market, it's difficult to find any Western market releases listing it explicitly as such, but PC World reports that their looks around on NewEgg and other places show a split between the two versions.

Many of these versions with 896 Stream Processors also have a lower clock speed, making them even more impacted in comparison to the original 560 release.

In short, if you're looking to go down the budget route with your AMD card for the holidays and buy a Radeon RX 560, pay close attention to the computer units and stream processors. If they're not listed on the store page, you run the risk of getting a less powerful card than you might be expecting.

What do you think of the issues with the RX 560 specifications? Do you think AMD should have ensured the distinction between the two variations is made clear by manufacturers? Let us know in the comments below!

A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N