A closer look at AMD's RDNA 4 and FSR 4 Upscaling

AMD's RDNA 4 and FSR 4 improve resolution and upscaling but require further testing against competing solutions.

: AMD's RDNA 4 architecture optimizes higher resolutions, with the Radeon 9070 XT 42% faster than the 7900 GRE at 4K Ultra settings. Key to this architecture is FSR 4, which introduces AI-based upscaling, challenging Nvidia's DLSS. Initial CES demos show significant improvements over FSR 3.1, particularly at lower resolutions. While promising, AMD faces challenges like game support expansion to compete fully with Nvidia.

AMD's new RDNA 4 architecture focuses on optimizing performance for higher resolutions, with claims that the Radeon 9070 XT is 42% faster than its predecessor at 4K Ultra settings and 38% faster at 1440p. Alongside this, AMD introduces FSR 4, an ML-based upscaling solution designed to rival Nvidia's DLSS, offering significant improvements in resolution performance.

At CES, FSR 4 demonstrated considerable enhancements over earlier versions, especially in upscaling from low render resolutions, with improved image quality. AMD aims to bridge the gap with DLSS 4, but achieving parity with Nvidia's advanced TAA blur reductions and image stability enhancements remains a crucial challenge.

FSR 4 will initially upgrade FSR 3.1-supported games through a driver-level integration, but native implementation is anticipated later. The new system taps into AMD's RDNA 4 architecture's FP8 processing capabilities but requires a substantial increase in game support to compete with Nvidia. AMD is working towards expanding title availability and ecosystem support in coming years.

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