AMD Radeon RX 6400
AMD Radeon RX 6400: Budget Graphics Card for Compact Systems
April 2025
Introduction
The AMD Radeon RX 6400 is the entry-level model in the RX 6000 series, designed for budget PCs and compact systems. Despite its modest specifications, it remains popular in 2025 due to low power consumption and support for modern technologies. In this article, we'll look at who this card is suitable for and what nuances to pay attention to.
Architecture and Key Features
RDNA 2: The Foundation for Efficiency
The RX 6400 is built on the RDNA 2 architecture, which debuted in 2020. It is manufactured using a 6nm process by TSMC, providing a good balance between performance and energy efficiency.
Key Features:
- Ray Tracing (RT): Hardware support for ray tracing exists, but due to the limited number of RT cores (8), this feature is more of a checkbox. In games like Cyberpunk 2077, enabling RT reduces FPS to 15-20 frames even at low settings.
- FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR): AMD's upscaling technology. FSR 3.0 (with support for Fluid Motion Frames) can increase FPS by 40-60% in games, but image quality lags behind NVIDIA's DLSS 3.5.
- Smart Access Memory (SAM): A feature that speeds up CPU access to GPU memory. It's especially useful when paired with Ryzen 5000/7000 processors and motherboards using B550/X570 chipsets.
Memory: A Compromise Between Cost and Performance
GDDR6: The Minimum for 2025
The RX 6400 is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus. The bandwidth is 128 GB/s, which is 2-3 times less than higher models (for example, the RX 6600 has 224 GB/s).
What Does This Mean?
- In games with highly detailed textures (Horizon Forbidden West, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III), FPS drops may occur due to insufficient video memory.
- For 1080p resolution, 4 GB is the minimum acceptable amount in 2025.
Gaming Performance: Realistic Expectations
1080p: The Main Format
At medium settings in popular titles, the RX 6400 shows the following results (FSR 3.0 disabled):
- CS:GO — 120-140 FPS;
- Fortnite (Performance mode) — 90-110 FPS;
- Elden Ring — 35-45 FPS;
- Cyberpunk 2077 — 25-30 FPS.
With FSR 3.0 enabled (Quality mode), the numbers improve:
- Cyberpunk 2077 — 40-50 FPS;
- Hogwarts Legacy — 45-55 FPS.
1440p and 4K: Not for This Card
Even with FSR, games at 1440p often yield less than 30 FPS. 4K is impractical.
Professional Tasks: Only for Basic Needs
Video Editing and 3D Modeling
Thanks to support for OpenCL and Vulkan, the RX 6400 handles:
- Rendering in Blender (low complexity projects);
- Editing 1080p video in DaVinci Resolve (without effects).
Limitations:
- 4 GB of memory is a weak point for working with 4K content or heavy scenes in Maya.
- In scientific calculations (e.g., Machine Learning), the card underperforms compared to even budget NVIDIA RTX 3050 with CUDA cores.
Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation
TDP 53 W: Ideal for Compact PCs
The RX 6400 does not require additional power — a PCIe x4 slot is sufficient.
Recommendations:
- Cooling: Most models (e.g., ASRock Challenger ITX) use passive or single-slot coolers. For cases with poor ventilation, choose versions with active cooling.
- Case: Suitable for Mini-ITX builds. The optimal choice is a case with 2-3 fans (e.g., NZXT H210, Cooler Master NR200).
Comparison with Competitors
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (6 GB):
- Pros: DLSS 3.5, better ray tracing quality, 6 GB of memory.
- Cons: Higher price ($180-200), TDP 70 W.
Intel Arc A580:
- Pros: 8 GB of memory, support for XeSS.
- Cons: Higher power consumption (75 W), less stable drivers.
Conclusion: The RX 6400 ($130-150) is ideal for those who value compactness and low power consumption. For games with RT or at 1440p, it's better to pay more for an RTX 3050.
Practical Tips
Power Supply: A unit rated at 300-400 W is sufficient (e.g., be quiet! System Power 10).
Compatibility:
- Motherboards: PCIe 4.0 x4 (performance drops by 10-15% on PCIe 3.0).
- Processors: Best paired with Ryzen 5 5600 or Core i3-12100F.
Drivers:
- Adrenalin 2025 Edition is stable but may show artifacts in older games (e.g., GTA V). The solution is to revert to a previous version.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Low power consumption.
- Compact size.
- Support for FSR 3.0 and Ray Tracing.
Cons:
- Only 4 GB of memory.
- Weak performance in modern AAA titles.
- Limited memory bandwidth.
Final Conclusion: Who is the RX 6400 For?
This graphics card is an optimal choice for:
1. Budget Builds: If your limit is $150 and your goal is to play CS:GO, Dota 2, or indie projects.
2. Compact PCs: For HTPCs or office systems with the ability to run light games.
3. Upgrading Old PCs: Replacing outdated GTX 1050 Ti or RX 560 without upgrading the PSU.
However, if you plan to play new titles in 2025 like GTA VI or use the GPU for work, consider more powerful options such as the RX 6600 or RTX 4060.
Price in April 2025: $130-150 (new models).