AMD RDNA 5 Delay Rumors Emerge Alongside Zen 6 Leaks

The graphics card market is entering a period where the typical two-year upgrade cycle has been disrupted, and what you can buy today depends as much on what's unavailable as on what's available. Conflicting reports of a postponed next-generation Radeon graphics card release, Nvidia's shift in graphics card marketing approach, and the unexpected revival of older graphics cards all point to the same thing: a clash between waiting and buying now.

According to reports from board partners, the next generation of gaming chips, namely RDNA 5, could be available only towards the end of 2027 or even in early 2028. This timeline means AMD will have RDNA 4 much longer than expected, and that delay matters for buyers waiting for a new Radeon generation, who might be stuck with it for over a year beyond the typical cycle.

AMD's Next Generation Delay

RX 9070 GRE is already available in more regions than originally advertised; it has 12GB of GDDR6 and is rated at 220W of board power. It's positioned above the RX 9070 but still in the high-end 1440p gaming range. The latest tests show it delivers around 120 fps at 1080p and around 87 fps at 1440p in "rasterized" games.

The output looks solid on paper, but in many games, ray tracing also gives Nvidia an advantage, and 4K gaming requires upscaling to ensure smooth play. Below that, a report suggests a budget card option with 8GB of storage, which gives AMD another reason to rely on until RDNA 5 arrives.

AMD might keep the current generation alive, but Nvidia is reportedly working on super versions of its RTX 50 series, and the biggest upgrade might not be clock speed; it could be memory capacity. Reports suggest a 12 GB RTX 5060, along with 8GB and 24GB versions of the RTX 5070 Super and an RTX 5080 Super,

The next-generation battle is not the only one between AMD and Nvidia. One manufacturer has gone even further by reintroducing a graphics card that supports 12GB of VRAM, DLSS, ray tracing, and CUDA. Its memory capacity can also be more valuable than other newer 8GB cards for creators or those using local AI, though it requires a 550W power supply. The problem is that the chip was originally designed 5 years ago.

5-year-old GPU Comes Back to the Market

The card in question is the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB. Palit has resurrected it as the RTX 3060 Infinity 2 OC, and it's re-releasing it in 2026. Its basic specifications remain unchanged: 3584 CUDA cores, 12GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, a boost clock of nearly 1.8 GHz, and about 170W of power consumption.

Beyond the familiar internals, Palit's new cooler adds a compact dual-fan design, a zero-RPM fan mode, and a top-mounted backplate. The RTX 3060 averages around 62 fps at 1080p on ultra and around 42 fps at 1440p on ultra. In those same tests, the RTX 4050 reaches about 69 and 45 fps, and the RTX 4060 reaches about 89 and 60 fps.

While the RTX 3060 is playable for 1080p gaming, the RTX 4060 offers the same amount of memory. Still, it delivers outdated performance and should be viewed as an upgraded 1080p gaming chip. 12GB can prevent texture and stutter issues caused by memory limits when the 8GB card fills up, and it can also handle larger video projects, 3D scenes, and local AI models.

VRAM doesn't necessarily equal raw power, and a lower GPU speed doesn't mean it's fast just because of the memory. More importantly, the RTX 3060 lacks newer Blackwell-era features like multi-frame generation, and it consumes more power than the RTX 5060, both of which point to the ultimate determinant of success: price.

RTX 3060 is an interesting option for budget-conscious creators, CUDA users, and gamers.

The comeback doesn't really make much sense for gaming, as the RTX 5060 is much faster and has newer features; however, official pricing hasn't been announced, though it's expected to be around $330. Intel's Arc B580 also offers 12GB of memory, but AMD's newer cards deliver more powerful rasterized performance at similar prices.

There's reason to be optimistic: AMD might wait for the next big generation, Nvidia may counter with new VRAM-super cards, and the return of the RTX 3060 shows memory capacity still drives sales, even on older cards.

But the basic rule remains: VRAM isn't the best indicator of which graphics card to buy. Comparing them by price, features, power consumption, and performance will give the most accurate way to compare any build to these options.