When shopping for an entry-level graphics card, you will now need to be quite careful when picking out an AMD RX 560. As of today, there is now a second version of the RX 560 that has appeared with slightly different specifications compared to the original card.
The new RX 560 ships with 896 stream processors, down from the original 1,024 cores. Additionally, only 14 compute units are on the revision instead of 16. Lower performance and power consumption should be expected with the new RX 560.
An interesting note is that the previous generation RX 460 GPUs also had 896 stream processors. It is unclear whether this is going to be rebranded hardware from the previous generation or if it is being made from binned chips that may have disabled hardware units.
No matter how the new model is being produced, it is concerning that there is no clearly identifiable moniker to differentiate between the new and original model. AMD may rely exclusively on board partners to disclose the final specs of aftermarket graphics cards.
Choosing between 2GB or 4GB of memory already can be a challenge for non-enthusiasts. Adding additional specifications to the mix further complicates the hardware selection process for novice system builders. Performance figures are likely to vary by a noticeable amount, making it difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are buying.