I'm Annoyed At AMD's Latest Radeon Blunder

Summary

The video criticizes AMD for failing to release FSR4 support for older Radeon GPUs, despite clear evidence that it works well on RDNA2 and RDNA3 hardware via an INT8 implementation. Although AMD claims FSR4 requires RDNA4’s FP8 hardware, leaked source code and extensive community testing prove a functional alternative exists. The creator argues this is an easy win for AMD in terms of goodwill, longevity, and competitiveness, especially as Nvidia continues delivering new DLSS features to much older GPUs. By withholding FSR4 INT8, AMD risks damaging its reputation for long-term support, frustrating loyal users, and reinforcing the perception that Nvidia treats its customers better.

Takeaways

• 😀 FSR4, AMD's latest upscaling technology, is only supported on RDNA4 GPUs, leaving owners of older Radeon GPUs without access.
• 😀 AMD's official reason for restricting FSR4 to RDNA4 is that it relies on FP8 hardware support, which only RDNA4 GPUs have.
• 😀 FSR4 has received positive feedback, showing a significant improvement over FSR3 in terms of image quality.
• 😀 AMD accidentally published source code for an INT8 version of FSR4, which works well on older Radeon architectures like RDNA2 and RDNA3.
• 😀 Reddit user 'athlete_dependent926' compiled the INT8 version of FSR4 from the leaked source code, enabling it on RDNA3 and RDNA2 GPUs.
• 😀 Testing of FSR4 INT8 on RDNA2 and RDNA3 GPUs has shown it works well, offering improvements similar to the full FSR4 FP8 version on RDNA4 GPUs.
• 😀 Despite months of testing and proof that FSR4 INT8 works, AMD has not officially released it for older GPUs.
• 😀 AMD's recent Redstone update for FSR did not include FSR4 INT8, instead focusing on other features like frame generation and ray regeneration.
• 😀 The lack of FSR4 INT8 for older GPUs is a missed opportunity for AMD to strengthen its relationship with customers and improve its reputation for driver support.
• 😀 The absence of FSR4 INT8 for older GPUs contrasts with Nvidia's support for older GPUs, such as DLSS 4.5, which works on RTX 20 series cards from 2018.
• 😀 AMD's reluctance to release FSR4 INT8 may stem from a desire to incentivize upgrades to RDNA4 GPUs, but this strategy risks frustrating existing customers.

Q & A

Why is FSR4 currently only available on AMD's RDNA4 GPUs?

FSR4 is exclusive to RDNA4 GPUs because it uses FB8 instructions, which are only supported natively by RDNA4 hardware. Older architectures like RDNA2 and RDNA3 lack this support, which is why they cannot run FSR4 in its original form.

What is the main difference between FSR4 and previous versions like FSR3?

FSR4 offers a significant improvement in image quality compared to FSR3. It uses advanced upscaling technology that delivers better visual fidelity, making it a major step forward in comparison to FSR3.

What did AMD accidentally release that hinted at FSR4 support for older GPUs?

In August 2025, AMD accidentally released source code for an INT8 version of FSR4, which could work on older GPUs like RDNA2 and RDNA3. This was quickly removed by AMD, but it provided evidence that FSR4 could be made compatible with older architectures.

How did users manage to get FSR4 running on RDNA2 and RDNA3 GPUs?

After the source code leak, a Reddit user compiled an FSR4 INT8 DLL file, which could be swapped into the FSR 3.1 game directory, enabling FSR4 on RDNA3 and RDNA2 GPUs with a few additional driver tweaks.

What were the results of testing FSR4 INT8 on older RDNA GPUs?

The tests showed that FSR4 INT8 works well on RDNA2 and RDNA3 GPUs, delivering improved visual quality comparable to the full FSR4 implementation on RDNA4, albeit with a slightly higher performance overhead.

Has AMD released the INT8 version of FSR4 for older GPUs?

No, despite evidence that the INT8 version works well on RDNA2 and RDNA3 GPUs, AMD has not officially released it. As of February 2026, there has been no update on when or if this feature will be made available.

What feature did AMD focus on instead of FSR4 INT8 in their December 2025 update?

Instead of releasing FSR4 INT8, AMD focused on adding new features like machine learning-powered frame generation and ray regeneration in their Redstone update, which did not include FSR4 INT8 for older GPUs.

Why is the lack of FSR4 support for older GPUs seen as a problem for AMD?

The lack of FSR4 support for older GPUs is seen as a major issue because it frustrates loyal AMD users who feel neglected, and it contrasts negatively with Nvidia's approach, which offers ongoing support and feature updates for older GPUs like the RTX 20 series.

How does Nvidia's approach to GPU support compare to AMD's?

Nvidia provides long-term support for older GPUs, as demonstrated by their release of DLSS 4.5, which supports GPUs as old as the RTX 20 series. In contrast, AMD has been criticized for not providing similar support for older Radeon GPUs, like RDNA2 and RDNA3.

Why might AMD be withholding FSR4 INT8 from older GPUs, according to the script?

The script suggests that AMD may be withholding FSR4 INT8 in an effort to incentivize RDNA2 and RDNA3 owners to upgrade to RDNA4 GPUs. However, this strategy is criticized as being counterproductive, especially given the current GPU market conditions and price increases.