AMD is taking cues from Nvidia to cool its next-gen graphics cards

AMD is changing the type of cooling solution it will be using for its next-gen (RDNA 2-powered) graphics cards, with reference boards moving away from the blower style cooler, and adopting axial fans – which is what Nvidia uses.

In fact, the new GPUs – which we caught a fleeting glimpse of in a presentation slide from AMD’s recent Financial Analyst Day – certainly bear a passing resemblance to Nvidia’s products at first glance.

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After that slide (see below) was spotted, AMD’s Scott Herkelman, VP and general manager of the Radeon Business Unit, confirmed to those speculating on Reddit: “There will be no blower reference fans for gamers on next-gen. So you are correct.”

The blower design – which is used on current Navi graphics cards, and indeed all models in recent times, save for the Radeon VII – means that the hot air generated by the GPU is expelled out of the back of the card, through the expansion slot, and outside of the case. But it has been roundly criticized by many for being a noisy and generally inefficient cooling system, which many enthusiasts are glad see to the back of.