MSI might (again) be late to launch new RX 7000 GPUs
The company is not listed as Navi 32 launch partner.
MSI not listed as RX 7800 launch partner, Source: AMD
Last week, AMD unveiled its latest additions to the RDNA3 desktop family, namely the Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT graphics cards. These new GPUs are squarely aimed at the sub $500 price range, currently dominated by NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4060 series. With the RX 7800 XT, AMD is targeting RTX 4070 which retails at $600+, presenting a clear opportunity for AMD to prompt swift pricing adjustments from NVIDIA.
Interestingly, MSI seems to be sitting this launch out. AMD had announced nine launch partners for the Radeon RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT, some of which are exclusively focused on the Chinese market (Yeston/Vastarmor). Strikingly absent from this list is MSI, which was once considered a key partner for AMD but now appears to be shifting its focus towards GeForce.
MSI listed as RX 7600 launch partner, Source: AMD
During the launch of the Radeon RX 7600 GPU in May, MSI was among the mentioned brands, and they promptly introduced their RX 7600 Ventus GPUs. However, with the RX 7900 series, MSI hesitated to introduce their Gaming models. Moreover, these cards featured cooling solutions from the previous generation and arrived two months later.
In the case of the new Navi 32 GPUs, MSI appears to be in no hurry to make any announcements. They are notably absent as a launch partner on September 6th. This doesn’t mean that MSI won’t release any cards for these GPUs; it simply suggests that they will be arriving later than others.
Radeon RX 7000 GPUs from MSI, Source: MSI
While other brands have already announced their custom models based on Navi 32 ASIC, these are in a limited number. ASUS has unveiled three TUF Gaming cards in two different colors, while Gigabyte has introduced just two. In contrast, for NVIDIA’s RTX 4070, ASUS offers seven models, and Gigabyte has six (excluding overclocked variants).
Source: AMD
