Radeon RX 6900 XTX liquid: photos of a prototype pop up

On the Chinese platform Weibo, a user posted photos of an unprecedented reference video card from AMD, a Radeon RX 6900 XTX with a 120mm liquid cooling system. This is a photo of a prototype that, except for head shots of the US company or special initiatives (marketing), we will not see it coming to market.

Although called XTX, the model in question would not differ in specifications from a traditional Radeon RX 6900 XT reference, characterized by a rather generous three-fan heatsink. This prototype comes with the color scheme similar to the Radeon RX 6000 on the market, with a large silver R in the center. On the side you can see the two 8-pin power connectors. The liquid cooler is connected to a 120mm radiator.

We do not know why this solution card did not arrive on the market, but the reasons may be different: in addition to the well-known shortage that is afflicting the hi-tech industry, perhaps AMD has seen fit to leave room for partners like Sapphire and Asus and their custom liquid solutions, also accompanied by more generously sized radiators, which suggests that perhaps a 120 mm solution is not all that effective.

Second, AMD has collaborated with EK Water Blocks to create the Quantum Reaction AIO line, as well as some custom solutions. Another reason could be Navi 21 XTXH, which are the highly selected chips that are landing on the flagship cards of the partners, from PowerColor to Sapphire. At AMD, once they understand they have good yields of high-quality chips, they may have decided to change their strategy and focus on partners.

Finally, after the experiences with RX Vega 64 Liquid Edition and Radeon R9 Fury X perhaps the company has realized that a liquid model could be counterproductive: Introducing a reference card of this type is not a good manifesto for the whole series, contrary to what one might think. In this case, it erroneously reveals that the GPU heats up so much that it requires a better solution than the classic air dissipation. Human psychology is complex and often many purchasing decisions are made from the gut, by feeling, certainly not after a reasoned choice.

Finally, a card of this type would have likely cost well more than the $ 999 required by the Radeon RX 6900 XT reference, and this would have further reduced its appeal. In short, do you know what it is? The prototype is cute, but we certainly won’t shed a tear for not having seen it on the market. Today, the problems that AMD faces are quite different, namely having TSMC produce as many GPUs as possible to put as many cards in the hands of players at human prices.