CES 2025 is finally here, and we’ve been seeing some big announcements from AMD. One of the biggest highlight for us was the announcement of the next two 9000X3D CPUs, but the fun doesn’t stop here. AMD is taking a big step forward with its new RDNA 4 graphics architecture, officially revealed during the event. This new architecture aims to improve performance in several key areas, especially Ray Tracing, where AMD has been behind Nvidia for years. With RDNA 4, AMD hopes to close that gap and give gamers a more competitive option.
RDNA 4 promises better Ray Tracing performance
RDNA 4 is AMD’s next-generation graphics architecture. It was first hinted at during AMD’s Q3 2024 earnings call when CEO Lisa Su confirmed the company was transitioning to a new architecture. At the time, AMD teased “significantly faster Ray Tracing performance” and “new AI capabilities.” Now, with the official reveal at CES 2025, we have a clearer picture of what RDNA 4 brings to the table.
- Optimized compute units
- Enhanced AI computing (third-generation AI acceleration cores)
- Better media encoding
- Improved Ray Tracing per CU
Ray Tracing is a technology that makes lighting, shadows, and reflections look more realistic in games. Nvidia has always been ahead in this area, thanks to its RTX series GPUs. But with RDNA 4, AMD is going to try to catch up with the competition. The architecture promises better Ray Tracing performance per compute unit, which should result in smoother gameplay and better visuals. In other words, it should be able to deliver better visuals without sacrificing the performance.
Another exciting announcement at CES 2025 was FSR 4, a new technology exclusive to two RDNA 4 GPUs: the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. RDNA 4 introduces third-generation AI acceleration cores, which may be essential for FSR 4 to function. Unfortunately, users with previous-generation GPUs won’t be able to take advantage of FSR 4’s benefits and will have to continue using FSR 3 (or 3.1) for now.
Keep in mind that while AMD promises better ray tracing performance, we’ll have to wait for real-world benchmarks to see how it performs on a game-to-game basis. The RTX 50 series GPUs are also expected to launch with DLSS 4, so we’re keen to see whether AMD has significantly improved its architecture to compete with Nvidia, or if they’re just playing catch-up.
