Mesa 26.3 Adds Support for Unannounced AMD GFX1171 'RDNA 4m'
The Linux open-source graphics stack Mesa has added support for the unannounced AMD GFX1171 graphics target, linked to the RDNA 4m architecture. The update confirms driver readiness for future APU releases.
The open-source graphics stack for Linux, Mesa, has added support for another unannounced AMD graphics target: GFX1171. This core is associated with the RDNA 4m architecture. The code was merged into the Mesa 26.3 branch, scheduled for release in Q4 2026.
What changed in the code?
GFX1171 support has been added to the Vulkan (RADV) and OpenGL (RadeonSI) drivers. Similar support for GFX1170 arrived in April, and code for both cores was previously integrated into the Linux kernel AMDGPU driver and the LLVM compiler backend.
From a technical standpoint, the implementation is minimal: the new core uses the same driver paths as the previous generation GFX115x, which is used in RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics. This means that programmatically, GFX1171 operates like a modified version of RDNA 3.5 with specific instruction additions.
Important note: support for GFX1172 is not yet present in Mesa. Developers note that different enablement schedules may point to several hardware variants, but patches do not reveal product names, specifications, or launch dates.
Is RDNA 4m a mobile version of RDNA 4?
Many expected the 'm' in RDNA 4m to stand for a mobile version of the full RDNA 4 architecture. However, analysis of the code and developer comments suggests a different picture.
GFX1170/71/72 are likely APU variants rather than desktop cards or purely mobile GPUs in the traditional sense. They most probably belong to future chip series such as Gorgon Halo or Medusa Point, which also feature RDNA 3.5.
The RDNA 4m architecture is best understood as RDNA 3.5 with selected RDNA 4-style instruction changes. It is not a full architectural overhaul but an evolutionary update for machine learning tasks and FSR acceleration.
The Myth of FSR 4.1 Hardware Requirements
Previously, there was a theory that supporting the new upscaler FSR 4.1 would require specific machine learning instructions (FP8) available only in new RDNA 4m cores. This raised doubts about using FSR 4.1 on older APUs.
The situation has changed: AMD confirmed that integrated graphics will receive FSR 4.1 support through lighter machine learning models. Consequently, existing hardware based on RDNA 3 and RDNA 3.5 can run the upscaler without new RDNA 4m instructions, although performance may be lower.
When to expect Mesa 26.3?
The Mesa 26.3 update is planned for release in Q4 2026. For now, this confirms only that the open-source Linux graphics ecosystem is preparing for new hardware solutions from AMD, but specific details about which cards or processors will use these cores remain unknown.
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