Linux developers are still working to provide driver updates to 17-18 year old AMD Radeon GPUs, and as per the latest patches, the Radeon HD 2000, 3000, and 4000 series.
Linux Developers Deliver New Driver Fixes for Nearly 20-Year-Old Radeon GPU Series, Offering Improved OpenGL Conformance Just Before Mesa 25.2 Code Freeze
It's rare to see ancient GPUs receive driver updates, and even though the world has transitioned to newer RDNA 4 GPUs, there might be thousands of people who are likely using the late 2000s Radeon GPUs. As reported by Phoronix, just before the Mesa 25.2 code freeze, open-source developers have delivered newer patches for nearly two-decade-old GPUs such as the Radeon HD 2000.
The patches are contributed by the developer Patrick Lerda to the R600 Gallium3D driver, which is a Mesa component responsible for supporting Radeon HD 2000, 3000, and 4000 GPUs. As we move closer to the Mesa 25.2 code freeze, these patches will deliver the polished drivers and various bug fixes for these GPUs.
One of the merged patches is for ensuring the Depth Compare Function is set to "NEVER" when the Depth Comparison is disabled. This behavior has already long existed in Mesa's support for newer AMD GPUs via the RadeonSI driver, but it was never implemented for the R600 Gallium3D driver. This essentially resolves the OpenGL conformance test failures on the Radeon HD 2000/3000/4000 series, resulting in better compatibility with 3D applications and games.
The new patches also contain a Border Color Handling fix for OpenGL on the RV770-based GPUs, such as Radeon HD 4850 and HD 4870. As per the report, this fix resolves around 120 OpenGL regression test failures in Pilgit test suite. Moreover, this patch covers the fixes for all the pre-Radeon HD 5000 series GPUs, enhancing the OpenGL standards adherence for the complete R600-era family.
There are some more fixes pending for review in the form of merge requests. These are likely going to be backported to the Mesa 25.1 stable release so that users don't have the wait for Mesa 25.2. These are, however, bug fixes and not new features. All in all, the open-source community seems very dedicated to supporting aging hardware, and while these GPUs won't be able to play modern titles, they are still great for retro gaming or keeping them alive in systems for a while.
News Source: Phoronix
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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