AMD FSR 4 Boosts RDNA 3 GPUs to 100+ FPS at 1440p

A new report reveals that AMD’s current RDNA 3 graphics cards can run the upcoming FSR 4 upscaling technology. This finding challenges the belief that the feature is exclusive to next-generation RDNA 4 hardware. Early testing on an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT shows promising, albeit early, results.

The tests were conducted using a community-developed workaround on Linux. This development offers a potential glimpse into the future of upscaling for existing GPU owners.

Technical Workaround Enables FSR 4 on Older Hardware

Officially, AMD FSR 4 requires the new FP8 AI hardware present in RDNA 4 GPUs. According to Wccftech, a technical solution on Linux bypasses this limitation. The Mesa driver can emulate the necessary FP8 instructions using the FP16 hardware available on RDNA 3 chips.

This emulation process allows the Radeon RX 7800 XT to process FSR 4. The test was performed using the game Clair Obscur. The tool OptiScaler was used to swap in the new upscaling technology for direct comparison.

Performance Holds Up Against Native and Other Upscalers

The results demonstrate clear performance gains. Running at 1440p resolution without any upscaling, the RX 7800 XT achieved approximately 95 frames per second. Engaging FSR 4 boosted performance to over 100 FPS on the Ultra Quality preset.

This shows a measurable improvement over native rendering. However, the emulation process comes with a minor performance cost compared to other technologies. FSR 3.1 and Intel’s XeSS delivered higher frame rates in the same test scenario.

Both competing technologies reached between 120 and 130 FPS. This indicates that while functional, the FP8 emulation on RDNA 3 is not as efficient as native support. The performance delta highlights the architectural advantage designed for RDNA 4.

This early test confirms that AMD’s current GPUs possess untapped potential. The community’s ability to enable FSR 4 provides a fascinating look at cross-generational compatibility. While not officially supported, this breakthrough suggests a broader possible application for AMD’s latest upscaling tech.

Info at your fingertips

What is FSR 4?

FSR 4 is AMD’s next-generation upscaling and frame generation technology. It is designed to use dedicated AI hardware on new GPUs to boost game performance and image quality significantly.

Can I use FSR 4 on my AMD RDNA 3 GPU now?

No, this is not a consumer-ready feature. The test was conducted under specific Linux conditions using developer-level workarounds. It is not available for general use on Windows systems.

Why does FSR 4 perform slightly worse than FSR 3.1 in this test?

The RDNA 3 architecture lacks native FP8 support. It must emulate the instructions using FP16, which requires more processing power and creates a slight performance overhead compared to other upscalers.

Will AMD officially support FSR 4 on RDNA 3?

AMD has not announced any plans for official RDNA 3 support. The company has consistently stated that FSR 4 is designed for its RDNA 4 graphics architecture and its new AI accelerators.

What was the test setup for this report?

The tester used an AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU running on Linux. The game Clair Obscur was tested at 1440p resolution using the OptiScaler tool to enable FSR 4.

Trusted Sources: Wccftech, Reuters