A wave of failed AMD RDNA 2 graphics cards is drawing attention again, and this time a board partner is publicly acknowledging what many PC gamers and GPU buyers have only heard through scattered reports: a noticeable number of Radeon RX 6800 and RX 6900 XT cards have been coming in with dead GPU cores.
What makes this situation stand out isn’t that graphics cards fail—hardware defects happen across every brand and generation. The unusual part is the focus on dead GPU dies themselves. Instead of a typical “card won’t boot” complaint with unclear root cause, the failures being discussed involve visibly damaged chips, including bulging, cracking, and signs of short-circuiting on the substrate. According to the Chinese GPU manufacturer Zephyr, these aren’t isolated incidents, and there has been a “large number” of cases where customers say warranty claims were rejected by other vendors in the region.
Zephyr’s after-sales team, speaking through an RMA manager, addressed skepticism about its support history but made a clear point: they claim they have not refused warranty service when the GPU core itself is defective. Specifically, they mention Navi 21-based models—best known in the market as the Radeon RX 6800 and RX 6900 XT family—and say they have continued to replace GPU cores for users even in scenarios that other brands reportedly declined, including bulging-related issues and short circuits.
To reinforce the claim, Zephyr reportedly showed trays containing numerous failed RDNA 2 GPU dies believed to come largely from these high-end Radeon models. Some chips appear cracked, while others show physical deformation consistent with “bulging.” There is also mention of footage demonstrating a bulging RDNA 2 die, suggesting the problem may be more common than many buyers assume.
In a move that also signals confidence in its support stance, Zephyr says it has retained many of the defective cores in a warehouse and receives GPUs with faulty cores on a regular basis. The company even floated the idea of working with a content creator to repurpose some of these failed chips into commemorative items for a future giveaway.
For RX 6800 and RX 6900 XT owners—or anyone shopping the used market—this is a reminder to pay close attention to warranty terms, RMA reputation, and seller return policies. And for the broader GPU market, it’s a rare moment where a manufacturer is openly discussing GPU die failures and committing to replacements even when the damage is physical, whether it’s bulging, cracking, or short-circuit-related defects.
