AMD Introduces RDNA 4m GPUs for Medusa Point APUs

Two new AMD software IDs have emerged, shaking up the iGPU landscape. The “Medusa Point” APU is heading towards a pragmatic RDNA 4m, designed for FSR 4.

RDNA 4m: Integration of GFX1171 and GFX1172 into the GFX11 family

A merge request in LLVM adds two AMD GPU targets: GFX1171 and GFX1172. These IDs extend the GFX11 generation (RDNA 3) and do not belong to the “true” RDNA 4 branch, confirming an incremental evolution now designated as RDNA 4m.

AMD initially positioned GFX1170 as the RDNA 4m target. The new GFX1171/1172 solidify this strategy for the Ryzen 500 “Medusa Point”, while the “Medusa Halo” will transition to the next microarchitecture RDNA 5 / UDNA. The software focus includes WMMA and SWMMAC instruction set extensions, signaling support for matrix operations within the GFX11 framework.

FSR 4, INT8/FP8, and Extended Lifecycle

The porting of INT8 and FP8 formats targets FSR 4 compatibility, a logical priority for 2026 APUs. AMD plans to maintain the iGPU RDNA 3.5 / RDNA 4m until 2029, aligning integrated graphic capabilities with current Ryzen AI 300/400 while adding components necessary for ML-based upscaling functions associated with the IP RDNA 4.

The introduction of a desktop RDNA 4m for Medusa Point is presented as an RDNA 3 enhanced with RDNA 4 modules. The aim is clear: to guarantee FSR 4 on less powerful iGPUs, ahead of the arrival of “Medusa Halo” and RDNA 5.

The choice of a tagged and sustainable RDNA 4m suggests a refocusing of AMD on software coherence and IP amortization in iGPUs, with a differential of features reserved for higher segments in RDNA 5. For end-users, the longevity of FSR 4 on entry-level and mid-range mobile as well as desktop platforms ensures a common upscaling foundation across multiple generations.

Source: TechPowerUp