-
When AMD’s RDNA 3 graphics cards were released last month, they received mostly positive feedback. However, a recent series of RMAs resulted in the discovery of a faulty vapour chamber, which caused thermal throttling. Load temperatures on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX reached 110 degrees Celsius. To make matters worse, AMD and its partners appear to lack sufficient warehouse stock to replace the faulty units.
Igor from Igor’s Lab is among those looking for a replacement for their $1,000 RDNA 3 flagship. He was initially assured that a replacement would be provided within two weeks, but when the deadline passed, he received the following response:
We recognise that you require a replacement for your RX 7900 XTX. It is critical to understand that we are currently unable to replace your card due to a lack of stock in our warehouses. We can begin the process as soon as the inventory is replenished, but we don’t have an estimated date for replenishment at this time. If you prefer a refund, we can process it immediately and provide you with a return label so you can return the card to our warehouse.
AMD clearly states that its warehouses are empty, and users looking for a replacement Radeon RX 7900 XTX will have to wait an unspecified amount of time. Gamers who are on the clock can apply for a refund, which will be processed immediately.
According to Igor’s Lab, the lengthy manufacturing process of a graphics card makes quality testing and troubleshooting extremely difficult. The majority of GPUs are tested with the PCB and memory at AIB (or their partner) factories, with the heatsink installed later. Quality testing for the Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics cards is primarily done using an in-house prototype in the early stages (without the aftermarket heatsink). This is why the faulty reference heatsink was never detected during quality testing.
According to Radeon Head Scott Herkelman in an interview with PCWorld, only a small number of GPUs are affected. According to Igor’s sources, 9% to 11% of RMA cases have already been reported, and AIBs simply do not have enough units to replace them.
Igor believes that the Radeon RX 7900 XTX shipments and, consequently, availability will be limited for the time being due to this manufacturing blunder. Channel inventory will most likely remain low until AMD removes the defective units from circulation.
Source