AMD Announces Gradual Release of FSR 4.1 for Older Graphics Cards
Introduction
AMD is making its latest hardware-accelerated upscaling technology, FSR 4.1, available for older graphics processing units.
Main Body
The first release of FSR 4.1 is planned for July and will target RDNA 3 and 3.5 architectures, including the Radeon RX 7000 series and certain integrated GPUs. Furthermore, AMD expects to expand this support to RDNA 2 architecture by early 2027. This will include the Radeon RX 6000 series and the hardware used in the Steam Deck, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. To make this work, engineers had to change the data format from the FP8 used in newer RDNA 4 chips to the INT8 format found in older hardware. Jack Huynh, SVP of Computing and Graphics, emphasized that this process required a lot of optimization and testing across different PC setups. Although official data is not yet available, some unofficial reports suggest that performance might be 10 to 20 percent lower than FSR 3.1 on the same hardware. This move is a strategic decision to compete with Nvidia's DLSS, which has traditionally been more advanced in hardware acceleration. While older versions of FSR worked on almost any graphics card, version 4.1 only works on specific AMD architectures. Users can access the update via driver installations in July, which will provide support for more than 300 games, such as Cyberpunk 2077.
Conclusion
By slowly adding FSR 4.1 support to RDNA 3 and RDNA 2 hardware, AMD aims to keep its older products useful and competitive.
Learning
⚡ The 'Bridge' to B2: Mastering Contrast & Transition
An A2 student says: "AMD is making FSR 4.1. It is for old cards. But it is slower than FSR 3.1."
A B2 student says: "Although official data is not available, reports suggest performance might be lower. Furthermore, AMD expects to expand support by 2027."
🛠 The Linguistic Tool: 'The Complex Linker'
To move from A2 to B2, you must stop using only 'and', 'but', and 'because'. You need Complex Linkers to connect ideas professionally.
1. The "Adding More" Linker:
- A2 style: "AMD supports RX 7000. Also, they support Steam Deck."
- B2 style: "AMD supports RX 7000; furthermore, they expect to expand this to the Steam Deck."
- Why? It signals that you are building a logical argument, not just listing facts.
2. The "Surprise/Contrast" Linker:
- A2 style: "It is for old cards. But it is slower."
- B2 style: "Although it is for older cards, performance might be lower."
- Why? Using Although at the start of a sentence shows you can handle complex sentence structures (subordinate clauses).
📉 Nuance: Moving from 'Certainty' to 'Possibility'
Notice the shift in the text: "performance might be 10 to 20 percent lower".
- A2 Level: "Performance is lower." (Too direct, often incorrect in business/tech).
- B2 Level: "Performance might be lower." (This is called hedging. It protects the speaker when they aren't 100% sure).
Quick Shift Guide:
| A2 (Simple) | B2 (Nuanced) | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| It is... | It appears to be... | More professional |
| It will... | It is expected to... | More realistic |
| It is slow. | It might be lower. | More academic |