AMD apologises for 'confusion' surrounding Radeon RX 560 CU cut

AMD has apologised for 'confusion' caused by the unannounced release of a Radeon RX 560 model with 14 compute units rather than the usual 16, sold under the same model name as its more powerful equivalents.

The AMD Radeon RX 560 graphics card originally launched with 16 compute units, totalling 1,024 stream processors. Tom's Hardware, however, was among the first to note a quiet shift to the specification's listed on AMD's official German website which dropped the number of compute units to 14, for a total of 896 stream processors - a drop in specification that will directly lead to a drop in performance.

AMD's original statement to the site confirmed that there were suddenly two Radeon RX 560 variants in the market with differing specifications but the same model number, warning that 'end users will definitely need to double-check specs on variants.' In the furore that followed, however, the company issued a more robust statement to all media: 'It’s correct that 14 Compute Unit (896 stream processors) and 16 Compute Unit (1024 stream processor) versions of the Radeon RX 560 are available. We introduced the 14CU version this summer to provide AIBs [add-in board partners, manufacturers of graphics cards featuring AMD graphics processors] and the market with more RX 500-series options.

'It's come to our attention that on certain AIB and etail websites there's no clear delineation between the two variants. We're taking immediate steps to remedy this: We're working with all AIB and channel partners to make sure the product descriptions and names clarify the CU count, so that gamers and consumers know exactly what they're buying. We apologise for the confusion this may have caused.'

AMD has not offered recourse for anyone who has already mistakenly purchased a card or pre-built system featuring the reduced 14 compute unit hardware count chip to receive an upgrade to the 16 CU version or a refund.