A low-profile GPU found at MSRP.
It may seem counter-intuitive for AMD to release a less powerful GPU than the much maligned RX 6500 XT, but the RX 6400 has arrived anyway to suit smaller PC builds.
Originally announced back in January, the RX 6400 is now available and is holding its MSRP of $159. Partner cards are in the wild from ASRock, XFX, Gigabyte, Sapphire, Asus, and others, a couple of which uphold the comparatively meager MSRP.
Not every partner card is available off the rip and only a few listings on NewEgg are currently in stock. The ASRock Challenger and XFX Speedster SWFT105 are the sole options NewEgg has to offer, with the XFX model being priced $10 above MSRP. The site also lists the Sapphire Pulse as an inbound but out-of-stock option.
The RX 6400 is the slowest RDNA 2 GPU in AMD’s lineup but features a low-profile design that could arm small form factor PC builders with a discrete GPU option that’s in stock. Using a single-slot design makes some RX 6400 models ideal for those in need of some extra power for modest gaming. But that’s really where the value begins and ends since performance isn’t primed for gaming above 1080p.
As a low-power card of 53W, it comes in even less hungry than the RX 6500 XT. Compared to the RX 6500 XT, the RX 6400 drops the compute unit count down to 12 from 16. Likewise, its clock speeds are slower at 1,923MHz base clock, 2,039MHz game clock, and 2,321MHz boost clock. It ships with 4GB of 16Gbps GDDR6 memory and 128GB/s bandwidth, which is down from the RX 6500 XT’s 144GB/s bandwidth and not conducive to graphically intensive gaming above 1080p.
AMD (via VideoCardz) places the RX 6400 between its RX 6500 XT and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. Tom’s Hardware notes that the RX 6400 performed well enough in older games like Gears 5 and Far Cry 5 but took a turn in memory-intensive games at higher settings. Looking at an early review spotted by The Verge, performance in modern titles like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 was poor in 1080p at low settings but performed well in competitive titles like Apex Legends in the same resolution on high.
The RX 6400 may not be much, but it’s currently in stock and hovering around MSRP and that is somewhat of a win in itself. For small form factor builders who have been holding out for an affordable GPU, AMD’s RX 6400 could pull at the right strings.
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