GPU Wiki Architecture

RDNA 2.0

RDNA 2.0 (codenamed Navi 2x) launched in late 2020, powering the Radeon RX 6000 series desktop lineup. It introduced AMD's first hardware ray tracing through dedicated Ray Accelerators and debuted the Infinity Cache, a large on-die L3-equivalent cache that reduces GDDR6 bandwidth dependency and allows a 256-bit bus to deliver bandwidth competitive with wider designs.

Read the architecture history below the GPU list

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Launch era
2020 to 2022
Process nodes
7nm (TSMC N7)
Predecessor
RDNA 1.0
Successor
RDNA 3.0
Source review
Partial

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Architecture History

The RX 6800 XT and RX 6900 XT were competitive with NVIDIA Ampere at equivalent price points. The architecture also underpins the GPU cores of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles.

More architecture facts

Architecture name
RDNA 2.0
Important chips
Navi 21 (RX 6900 XT / 6800 XT / 6800), Navi 22 (RX 6700 XT), Navi 23 (RX 6600 XT / 6600), Navi 24 (RX 6500 XT / 6400)
Memory technologies
GDDR6; Infinity Cache (first generation, up to 128 MB on Navi 21)
Architecture feature generation
RDNA 2 Compute Units; first-generation Ray Accelerators (one per Shader Array); DirectX 12 Ultimate feature level
Consumer series
Radeon RX 6900 series, RX 6800 series, RX 6700 series, RX 6600 series, RX 6500 / 6400 series
Workstation / professional series
Radeon PRO W6000 series
Data center series
(Compute moved to separate CDNA lineage with CDNA 1/2)

What this architecture changed

First-generation Ray Accelerators: hardware-accelerated ray tracing in DX12 Ultimate and Vulkan RT titles.
Infinity Cache: on-die cache up to 128 MB on high-end Navi 21, acting as a bandwidth multiplier and compensating for a 256-bit GDDR6 bus.
Resizable BAR (Smart Access Memory): improved CPU-to-GPU throughput when paired with compatible platforms.
HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a with Display Stream Compression.
DirectX 12 Ultimate: ray tracing, mesh shaders, sampler feedback, and variable rate shading.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 1.0 launch platform.

Why it mattered

RDNA 2.0 restored AMD to genuine high-end GPU competitiveness for the first time since the R9 290X era. The Infinity Cache was a notable micro-architectural move that influenced subsequent AMD and industry cache designs. The architecture's adoption in the PS5 and Xbox Series X means its shader model and feature set defined the baseline for an entire generation of AAA game development, extending its relevance well beyond its desktop product lifespan.