AMD RDNA 5 AT2 GPU Rumored to Feature 70 Compute Units
AMD’s next-generation RDNA 5 graphics architecture is reportedly taking shape, with hardware leaker Kepler_L2 providing new details about a GPU codenamed AT2.
According to the latest rumor shared on the AnandTech forums, AT2 is currently targeted at 70 Compute Units (CUs). That would represent an approximately 9.4% increase over the 64 CUs found in AMD’s current RDNA 4 flagship, the Radeon RX 9070 XT.
The leaked roadmap also points to a potential 2027 launch for AT2, with other RDNA 5 GPUs potentially arriving later in 2028. If accurate, AT2 could become the first retail GPU to introduce AMD’s next-generation architecture.
However, CU count alone provides only a limited indication of performance. Clock frequencies, architectural improvements, memory bandwidth, ray-tracing capabilities, AI acceleration, and other changes to the GPU pipeline will ultimately determine how RDNA 5 performs against its predecessors.
🔍 AMD AT2: What the Latest Leak Claims #
The latest information attributed to Kepler_L2 provides several details about AMD’s potential RDNA 5 product roadmap.
70 Compute Units #
AT2 is reportedly designed around 70 CUs, assuming AMD does not make further changes before the design is finalized.
For comparison, the Radeon RX 9070 XT features 64 CUs.
| Feature | Radeon RX 9070 XT | RDNA 5 “AT2” Rumored | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 4 | RDNA 5 | Next generation |
| Compute Units | 64 | 70 | +9.37% |
| Target launch | Q1 2025 | 2027 | Approximately 2 years |
| Position | RDNA 4 flagship | Potential RDNA 5 debut | New generation |
A move from 64 to 70 CUs represents a relatively modest increase in raw parallel compute resources. The more significant performance changes, if any, would likely come from architectural improvements implemented elsewhere in the GPU.
A potential 2027 RDNA 5 debut #
The current rumor suggests that AT2 could arrive in 2027, potentially becoming the only RDNA 5 GPU introduced during that year.
Other dies in the RDNA 5 family could reportedly follow in 2028, creating a staggered product rollout rather than a simultaneous generation-wide launch.
This would make AT2 particularly important because it could provide the first consumer-facing implementation of AMD’s RDNA 5 architecture.
🧩 AT2 May Not Be the RDNA 5 Flagship #
One of the more interesting aspects of the reported roadmap is that AT2 may sit below a larger GPU design.
Earlier information attributed to Kepler_L2 pointed to a much larger die known as AT0.
AT0 reportedly targets 96 CUs #
AT0 has previously been rumored to feature:
- 96 Compute Units
- 512-bit memory interface
- A larger die configuration than AT2
- Positioning as a potential top-tier RDNA 5 GPU
If those specifications are accurate, AT2 would not represent the maximum hardware configuration of the RDNA 5 architecture.
Instead, its role could be closer to a mid-to-high-end or initial-generation die, with the larger AT0 potentially arriving later.
The reported 2027-to-2028 rollout would therefore represent a significant change from a conventional product-stack launch in which multiple GPU configurations arrive within a relatively short window.
⚙️ Compute Units Are Only Part of the Performance Equation #
A 9.37% increase in Compute Units should not be interpreted as a corresponding 9.37% increase in gaming or compute performance.
GPU performance depends on several interacting factors.
Clock frequency #
Higher operating frequencies can increase throughput even without a major increase in CU count.
Rumored AT2 clock targets have reportedly reached approximately 3.1 to 3.4 GHz. If those frequencies materialize, they could provide additional throughput beyond the increase in CU count.
Actual retail clock speeds, however, can differ significantly from early engineering targets.
Memory subsystem #
Memory bandwidth can become an important constraint as GPU compute resources increase.
RDNA 5 is rumored to incorporate GDDR7, which could provide substantially higher memory bandwidth than previous-generation GDDR6 configurations depending on the final memory bus width and memory speed.
The memory subsystem will therefore be an important factor in determining whether the additional compute resources can be effectively utilized.
IPC and pipeline improvements #
Architectural efficiency can have a greater impact than CU count alone.
Potential RDNA 5 improvements reportedly include updated ray-tracing hardware, enhanced AI acceleration, and broader pipeline optimizations.
If AMD increases the amount of work completed per clock, a 70-CU RDNA 5 GPU could deliver performance gains that are not directly reflected by its CU count.
🚀 What AT2 Could Mean for AMD’s RDNA 5 Roadmap #
If the leaked roadmap is accurate, AT2 could serve as an early introduction to AMD’s RDNA 5 architecture rather than representing the complete generation.
The reported strategy would look approximately like this:
2027: AT2 introduces RDNA 5
2028: Larger flagship and additional RDNA 5 dies potentially expand the lineup
That sequencing could allow AMD to introduce the new architecture before the full product family is ready.
The rumored AT0 configuration is particularly significant because its reported 96 CUs and 512-bit memory interface would place it substantially above AT2 in raw hardware resources.
Whether AT0 ultimately reaches the market, and how AMD positions it relative to AT2, remains uncertain.
📊 AT2 vs. the Current RDNA 4 Flagship #
Compared with the Radeon RX 9070 XT, the leaked AT2 configuration suggests a relatively conservative increase in core count:
- 64 CUs → 70 CUs
- Approximately 9.37% more CUs
- Potentially higher clock speeds
- Possible GDDR7 memory support
- New-generation ray-tracing hardware
- Potentially improved AI acceleration
- Additional RDNA 5 architectural optimizations
The comparison highlights why the number of CUs should not be used as a standalone performance metric.
A GPU with only a modest increase in CUs can still achieve substantially different performance characteristics if it combines higher clocks, greater memory bandwidth, improved instruction throughput, and more capable specialized hardware.
📝 Early Leak, Not Final AMD Specification #
All current AT2 and RDNA 5 specifications should be treated as unconfirmed pre-release information.
AMD has not officially confirmed the AT2 or AT0 codenames, the reported Compute Unit configurations, the rumored 2027/2028 launch schedule, or the final RDNA 5 product lineup.
Engineering targets can also change before production, meaning specifications reported during development may not match the hardware ultimately released to consumers.
For now, the most notable detail from the latest leak is the reported 70-CU configuration for AT2, alongside a roadmap that potentially places the first RDNA 5 GPU in 2027 and larger configurations later in the generation.