MSI has made a radical decision: the brand will not manufacture any Radeon RX 9000 graphics cards based on the RDNA 4 architecture. A surprising choice given that these GPUs are enjoying commercial success. Profitability problem, brand strategy or lack of confidence in AMD?
AMD continues to fight to gain ground against Nvidia in the graphics card market. With the RDNA 4 architecture and the Radeon RX 9000, the brand hopes to attract gamers with improved performance and good value for money. However, a major player in the sector, MSI, has decided not to produce these new models, an absence that leads us to ask some questions.
MSI has officially confirmed that it will not be integrating the Radeon RX 9000 range into its catalog. While the Taiwanese brand has long manufactured AMD cards, its commitment has significantly diminished in recent years. With RDNA 3, the latter already only offered four custom models, a clear step back from previous generations. This phasing out suggests that the manufacturer could now refocus on Nvidia, of which it is one of the main partners.
Is MSI right to be wary of the Radeon RX 9000?
Why did MSI decide to turn its back on this generation of AMD cards? Several reasons are possible. Profitability could be at issue, as the manufacturer may have judged that the RX 9000 market would not offer a sufficient return on investment. In addition, the brand could seek to strengthen its partnership with Nvidia, like EVGA in the past. By allocating all its resources to the future GeForce RTX 50 range, the latter could negotiate better commercial terms. Another factor could be AMD's lack of transparency regarding sales prices. Some sources claim that the partners were not informed of the final price of the Radeon RX 9000 before their official announcement, which could have slowed down MSI.
On the same subject – The RTX 3060 is no longer the preferred graphics card for PC gamers, here is the new queen
Furthermore, new players like Acer are positioning themselves on the manufacturer's graphics card market, taking the place of former historical partners. For the moment, MSI has not announced whether it will return with the RDNA 5 architecture, but its current withdrawal could well change the balance between AMD and Nvidia for years to come.
0 Comments