AMD has clarified its stance on old graphics cards, stating that even though it's moving some support to "maintenance mode", many older models will still receive updates. The company recently released version 25.10.2 of its Adrenalin driver package for Radeon GPUs and made an announcement about shifting support for RX 5000- and 6000-series GPUs to a new, separate branch.
The move was seen as a surprise and caused some backlash from users who were concerned that older models would lose access to fresh fixes and performance optimizations. AMD initially stated that these GPUs would still receive "new features, bug fixes, and game optimizations" based on market needs, but later confirmed that the 25.10.2 driver release was not the end of support for RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 architectures.
In fact, AMD says its older GPU products now have a dedicated, stable driver branch built on years of tuning and optimization, which helps deliver a smoother gaming experience while isolating previous generation GPUs from rapid changes designed for newer architectures. This approach allows engineers to move faster with new features for RDNA 3 and RDNA 4-based GPUs.
The decision has also been influenced by the fact that Nvidia continues to support GeForce RTX 20- and 30-series graphics cards launched around the same time as AMD's Radeon 5000- and 6000-series models. By moving some support to maintenance mode, AMD aims to insulate older GPUs from changes that could break them.
The release notes for the 25.10.2 Adrenalin driver also dropped Windows 10 from the list of compatible operating systems, listing only Windows 11 21H2 and later. However, AMD confirmed to Windows Latest that it would still support Windows 10 in its driver packages for the foreseeable future.
While some users were concerned about the move, others welcome it as a sign that AMD is committed to supporting older GPUs, particularly those with integrated graphics. The company's decision is likely to have a minimal impact on gaming handhelds and lower-end PCs with integrated graphics, which are often not targeted by new games.
The move was seen as a surprise and caused some backlash from users who were concerned that older models would lose access to fresh fixes and performance optimizations. AMD initially stated that these GPUs would still receive "new features, bug fixes, and game optimizations" based on market needs, but later confirmed that the 25.10.2 driver release was not the end of support for RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 architectures.
In fact, AMD says its older GPU products now have a dedicated, stable driver branch built on years of tuning and optimization, which helps deliver a smoother gaming experience while isolating previous generation GPUs from rapid changes designed for newer architectures. This approach allows engineers to move faster with new features for RDNA 3 and RDNA 4-based GPUs.
The decision has also been influenced by the fact that Nvidia continues to support GeForce RTX 20- and 30-series graphics cards launched around the same time as AMD's Radeon 5000- and 6000-series models. By moving some support to maintenance mode, AMD aims to insulate older GPUs from changes that could break them.
The release notes for the 25.10.2 Adrenalin driver also dropped Windows 10 from the list of compatible operating systems, listing only Windows 11 21H2 and later. However, AMD confirmed to Windows Latest that it would still support Windows 10 in its driver packages for the foreseeable future.
While some users were concerned about the move, others welcome it as a sign that AMD is committed to supporting older GPUs, particularly those with integrated graphics. The company's decision is likely to have a minimal impact on gaming handhelds and lower-end PCs with integrated graphics, which are often not targeted by new games.
. Older GPU models getting updates might seem like less support, but really its more about prioritizing stability & performance for gamers who still run those cards 
. The new branch they're building is actually a good thing - it means AMD can focus on optimizing new features without breaking older systems 
. Also, moving some support to maintenance mode helps prevent breaks with Nvidia's RTX 20/30 series, which are still widely used 
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! amd's decision to move some support to "maintenance mode" was totally understandable 
. the fact that they're keeping windows 10 supported for driver packages is a major win 
, and it's awesome that they're committing to supporting older gpus, esp integrated graphics 
! it's not like they're abandoning anyone 
. btw, who else is hyped about the new rdna 3 & 4-based gpu releases 
?!
It's like they're saying, "Don't worry, grandma, we've got you covered 
". And it's cool that they're moving to a separate branch for the older models - it's like they're giving them their own little driver party 
! I'm all about gaming and PC stuff, and this change doesn't really affect me too much... but I know some of my friends might be worried 
. Still, I think AMD is doing what's right by supporting our old GPUs, even if it means moving on to new tech eventually 
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so we can still play our fave games without worrying about our rigs breaking lol and yeah its cool that amd is moving some support to maintenance mode cuz they can focus on making new features for their newer GPUs now 
i also heard nvidia is still supporting those old rtx cards too, so like theres no need to feel left out 
lets just chill and enjoy our gaming sessions 
. But at the same time, I get why AMD would wanna do this - Nvidia is still kicking out updates for older models too 
, so it's only fair that they take care of their own too 
. Guess AMD just wants to make sure they're not breaking their own older stuff when they're moving forward with new tech 
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. So, kudos to AMD for keeping the support going 
, AMD's move to isolate older gpu models from new updates seems like a smart decision for them tho 
