AMD leak suggests RDNA 3.5 extended to 2029 — RDNA 5 reserved for "premium" devices, raising big questions for future laptops and handhelds

AMD’s GPU roadmap chatter just took an interesting turn, with early RDNA 3.5 being used up to 2028 and beyond. None of this is locked in — and the details are still foggy at best, but the leaks line up with AMD’s slower, more deliberate cadence in recent years.

Recently, AMD has had a lot of success in the gaming market thanks to the rather wide adoption of its RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture. Laptops, sure, but the gaming handheld sector is where it's really noticeable. From the ROG Xbox Ally to the Legion Go 2 to the MSI Claw A8, an AMD Ryzen CPU and RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU are working behind the scenes to deliver solid performance.

RDNA 3.5 graphics arrived with Strix Point and Strix Halo in 2024, and it's going forward with the upcoming Gorgon Point Ryzen AI 400 series of chips revealed at CES 2026. As with any chip, GPU included, you can usually expect at least plans for an upgrade in the near future.

That might not be the case for AMD if a recent leak turns out to be true, and the AMD laptop or gaming handheld you buy a few years down the line could have the same graphics as one you purchased in 2024.

The rumor stems from known leaker Golden Pig Upgrade and was picked up by @Kepler_L2 on X, who added some extra information. As always, treat this information with caution.

An unofficial, AI-generated chart shows that AMD plans to keep RDNA 3.5 going beyond 2028. In contrast, the chart shows how much progress Intel is making with its Xe integrated graphics, eventually ending in an NVIDIA collaboration that is the result of a partnership announced in 2025 to build x86 CPUs fused with RTX GPUs.

Kepler_L2 adds that AMD plans to divide its APUs into two forks. One fork will continue to use RDNA 3.5 for the next few years in products that don't require high-performance integrated graphics. Think regular consumer laptops where the iGPU isn't doing much more than power a display, or gaming laptops that have a separate and discrete GPU.

The other fork involves "premium" iGPU products that will get the new RDNA 5 architecture. What exactly those "premium" products entail remains unclear. They could be AMD's rumored Medusa Halo platform expected in 2027, or they could be something else entirely.

Keep in mind that the next Xbox platform is said to be a "premium" experience running Windows, albeit with the feel of a console, thanks to features like Xbox Full Screen Experience. It's hard to imagine the next Xbox not arriving with FSR 4, AMD's upscaling equivalent to NVIDIA DLSS and Intel XeSS, which is so far only available on RDNA 4 hardware but will continue with RDNA 5.

On another note, seeing the word "premium" and thinking "gaming handheld" doesn't really sit right, especially when Intel just blew everyone away with graphics performance in its Panther Lake mobile chips.

As I've suggested in the past, gaming handhelds are quickly going the way of netbooks in that they're climbing in price to the point that you're almost better off buying a gaming laptop instead. If AMD is indeed reserving RDNA 5 for more expensive products, Intel has a major opportunity to nab the handheld market.

It’s still far too early to treat any of this as more than directional noise, but the emerging picture suggests AMD is thinking well beyond its current lineup. The rumors offer a glimpse at how long and complex the GPU development cycle has become. As always, the real story will unfold in the gaps between these leaks — and AMD’s next official roadmap update

(via 128KB)

Do you think these leaks will turn out to be true? If so, how will AMD's decision affect the handheld and laptop markets? Let me know in the comments section!

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