When Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) introduced its RDNA 4 architecture, it wasn’t just another incremental GPU refresh. According to AMD, RDNA 4 is the result of a multi-generation evolution that began with the original RDNA design — refined, optimized, and reengineered to meet today’s gaming demands while preparing for the titles of tomorrow.

At the heart of this new architecture are the Radeon RX 9000 Series, including the highly anticipated Radeon RX 9070 lineup. AMD is targeting the high-performance mainstream segment, aiming to deliver next-generation features at an MSRP under $600 — a critical price point for U.S. gamers in 2026.

Let’s break down what makes RDNA 4 a major leap forward.

RDNA 4 Architecture: Built for Modern Gaming Workloads

RDNA 4 focuses on improving performance across several key domains:

• Rasterization (traditional rendering)
• Ray tracing
• AI acceleration
• Media encoding and streaming
• Higher boost frequencies approaching 3 GHz

Even as real-time rendering evolves with hybrid pipelines and ray tracing, traditional raster performance remains foundational for most gaming experiences. RDNA 4 strengthens this core while expanding AI and ray tracing capabilities.

Compute Units: Smarter, Faster, More Efficient

The Compute Unit (CU) remains the building block of AMD’s GPU architecture.

In RDNA 4, AMD has optimized:

• The memory subsystem
• Scalar processing units
• Register allocation (now dynamically managed)
• Clock speeds (significantly higher than RDNA 3)

These changes collectively increase performance per CU, meaning the Radeon RX 9070 series can compete with previous high-end GPUs like the Radeon RX 7900 Series — despite having fewer total Compute Units.

That’s efficiency through smarter architecture, not brute-force scaling.

3rd Generation Ray Tracing Accelerators: Closing the Gap

Ray tracing has historically been AMD’s weakest area compared to NVIDIA. RDNA 4 changes that.

The 3rd generation Ray Tracing Accelerators promise up to 2× ray tracing performance compared to RDNA 3.

Why Ray Tracing Is So Demanding

Ray tracing simulates realistic lighting by tracing light rays and calculating their interactions with scene geometry. However, testing every triangle in a scene would be computationally overwhelming.

That’s where Bounding Volume Hierarchies (BVH) come in.

BVH organizes objects into hierarchical bounding boxes, allowing the GPU to:

• Quickly eliminate large parts of a scene
• Reduce unnecessary collision tests
• Improve rendering efficiency dramatically

Oriented Bounding Boxes: A Smarter BVH Approach

RDNA 4 introduces a refined BVH method using Oriented Bounding Boxes (OBB).

Unlike traditional axis-aligned bounding boxes, OBBs better match object geometry, reducing:

• BVH data size
• Traversal complexity
• VRAM consumption

This improves ray traversal efficiency while lowering memory bandwidth demands — critical for high-resolution gaming.

Dual Ray Intersection Engines

AMD has also introduced:

• A second ray intersection engine per RT accelerator
• A dedicated ray transformation block

This effectively doubles performance in Ray/Box and Ray/Triangle intersection tests and boosts performance in lower BVH traversal levels.

For gamers, this translates to:

• Higher ray tracing frame rates
• Better lighting fidelity
• Less performance penalty when enabling RT

2nd Generation AI Accelerators: Ready for AI Gaming

Artificial intelligence is no longer optional in modern GPUs. RDNA 4 includes 2nd generation AI accelerators that enhance:

• AI upscaling
• Inference workloads
• Advanced gaming effects

Key improvements include:

• Additional AI math pipelines
• Support for FP8 data types
• Structured sparsity acceleration

What Is Structured Sparsity?

Structured sparsity removes redundant values in neural networks, reducing computational overhead while preserving accuracy.

Benefits include:

• Fewer multiplications
• Lower memory bandwidth usage
• Faster inference speeds
• More AI tasks per second

This is particularly beneficial for:

• Image recognition
• Real-time scene enhancement
• Language processing in AI-driven applications

Media Engine Improvements: Streaming and Content Creation

Streaming and content creation continue to grow in importance for U.S. gamers.

RDNA 4 enhances encoding and decoding quality across major codecs:

Supported Decode Formats

• VP9: Up to 8K
• H.264: High frame rate 4K
• H.265 (HEVC): Up to 8K
• AV1: Up to 8K60

Supported Encode Formats

• H.264
• H.265
• AV1

Improved AV1 encoding quality is especially important for Twitch, YouTube, and live streaming workflows, offering better quality at lower bitrates.

FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4)

One of the most significant advancements tied to RDNA 4 is FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4).

Unlike earlier versions, FSR 4 is powered by machine learning.

How FSR 4 Works

The process starts with:

• Low-resolution frame input
• Depth information
• Motion vectors
• Color data

These inputs feed into an AI model accelerated by RDNA 4’s AI cores.

The result?

• Sharper image reconstruction
• Reduced artifacts
• Higher effective resolution
• Real-time performance at high refresh rates

This makes it ideal for competitive gaming and immersive AAA titles.

Frame Generation and Advanced Upscaling

FSR 4 can also integrate frame generation techniques that insert AI-generated intermediate frames.

Benefits include:

• Higher perceived FPS
• Smoother gameplay
• Better responsiveness

However, FSR 4 requires RDNA 4 GPUs, limiting it to the Radeon RX 9000 series and games supporting FSR 3.1 or newer.

How RDNA 4 Compares to NVIDIA DLSS

FSR 4 positions AMD closer to NVIDIA’s AI-driven approach, similar to DLSS from NVIDIA.

While DLSS has long relied on AI acceleration, AMD’s newer AI-focused RDNA 4 architecture narrows the gap in:

• Upscaling quality
• Frame generation
• AI-assisted rendering

Competition here is excellent news for consumers.

RDNA 4 Gaming Support (2025–2026 Titles)

As of early 2025, many modern titles support advanced upscaling technologies and next-gen rendering pipelines, including:

• The Alters
• Bellwright
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Dragonkin: The Banished
• God of War: Ragnarok
• Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Remnant 2
• Civilization 7
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

With more AAA titles adopting AI-based rendering, RDNA 4 is positioned for long-term compatibility.

Final Verdict: Is RDNA 4 a Turning Point for AMD?

RDNA 4 is more than just a performance refresh. It represents:

• Major ray tracing upgrades
• Real AI acceleration improvements
• Enhanced media engine capabilities
• Competitive AI upscaling with FSR 4
• High clock speeds nearing 3 GHz
• Strong performance under $600

For U.S. gamers looking for high-end features without stepping into ultra-premium price territory, the Radeon RX 9000 series could hit a sweet spot.

AMD’s strategy is clear: deliver smarter architecture, not just more silicon.

If RDNA 4 performs in real-world benchmarks the way AMD claims, it may mark one of the most important competitive moments in the GPU market since the original RDNA launch.