The graphics card market seems to be entering a quiet phase this year. According to recent leaks, AMD’s RDNA 5 GPUs will not be released until mid or late 2027 — following the launch of Nvidia’s RTX 60 series.
Traditionally, both AMD and Nvidia have maintained a roughly two-year upgrade cycle. However, after the introduction of their current architectures (Nvidia’s Blackwell and AMD’s RDNA 4), both companies appear to be adjusting their timelines. Sources suggest that 2026 will serve as a transition year, likely focused on minor updates or “refreshes” of existing chips, while the true generational leap is being reserved for 2027.
AMD RDNA 5
AMD expects its RDNA 5 architecture to have the same groundbreaking effect that the Zen architecture had on Ryzen CPUs. It’s said to be a complete redesign aimed at competing at the highest end of the market — an area AMD chose not to target with RDNA 4.
Rumors indicate that these GPUs will use TSMC’s N3P process node and could integrate an ambitious chiplet design. However, the complexity of development and AMD’s focus on profitability may have pushed the launch back to 2027.
This strategic delay could allow AMD to refine its design and potentially deliver stronger performance and efficiency compared to its competitors. Yet, the postponement might also give Nvidia more room to dominate the high-end gaming market in the meantime.
Nvidia RTX 60 (Rubin)
Nvidia, on the other hand, is reportedly planning its RTX 60 lineup — based on the Rubin architecture — for late 2027 as well. The competition between AMD and Nvidia is expected to be fierce, though Nvidia might have the advantage of launching earlier.
For gamers and enthusiasts, this likely means almost three years without major hardware leaps. If these predictions hold true, players will need to rely on upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR to maintain high performance until 2027, when the next big wave of GPU innovation finally arrives.
