AMD ceases driver support for pre-GCN video cards

One downside of the introduction of the new AMD Radeon Software is that this is the end of the road for many of the company's older GPUs. The new driver suite will exclusively support GPUs based on the GCN architecture, which means older VLIW-based lineups like the Radeon HD 5000/6000 series and some lower-end models of the 7000/8000 series will no longer receive updates.

This applies to VLIW-based APUs as well, models launched before Kavari like the Llano, Trinity and Richland series are no longer supported.

AMD Radeon™ HD 8000 Series (HD 8400 and below), Radeon™ HD 7000 Series (HD 7600 and below), Radeon™ HD 6000 Series, and Radeon™ HD 5000 Series Graphics products have reached peak performance optimization as of November 24th, 2015.

These products have been moved to a legacy support model and no additional driver releases are planned. This change enables us to dedicate valuable engineering resources to developing new features and enhancements for graphics products based on the GCN Architecture.

As a courtesy to our valued supporters we are providing a final “As Is” Beta driver together with the release of the AMD Radeon Software Crimson Edition. The AMD Radeon Software Crimson Edition Beta driver includes the redesigned user interface as well as some enhanced features. More information can be found in the AMD Radeon Software Crimson Edition Beta Driver Release Notes.

For users looking for a WHQL certified driver, the AMD Catalyst™ 15.7.1 driver will continue to be available for users running Windows® 10, Windows® 8.1, and Windows® 7. Users running Windows® Vista and older Microsoft® operating systems can use the AMD Catalyst™ 13.12 driver. These drivers are available for download on the Drivers + Download Center page.