AMD has brought FSR 4 upscaling to compatible integrated graphics, including Z Extreme handhelds and Strix Halo laptops. Tests on an Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 and TUF Gaming A14 suggest the update is not a straightforward frame-rate upgrade at matching settings: results varied, and several games ran slower with FSR 4 in Balanced mode than with FSR 3 in the same preset.

In the comparisons, the TUF Gaming A14 recorded 68.13 frames per second in Cyberpunk 2077 with FSR 4 Balanced, versus 76.33 with FSR 2, and 76 versus 82 in Dying Light: The Beast. On the ROG Xbox Ally X20, FSR 4 Balanced reached 56 fps in Spider-Man: Miles Morales and 38 fps in God of War Ragnarök, slightly below the respective FSR 3 results of 58 and 39 fps. Forza Horizon 6 delivered 53 fps with FSR 4, compared with 54 fps on FSR 3, while showing fewer stutters in the test.

The explanation offered by the tester is that FSR 4 uses a more demanding machine-learning model, which requires additional processing compared with earlier upscaling. As a result, comparing the same preset does not show the approach that produced the strongest results in these tests.

Instead, FSR 4 in Performance mode was compared with FSR 3 in Balanced mode. On the TUF Gaming A14, FSR 4 Performance reached 79.92 fps in Cyberpunk 2077, 77 fps in Pragmata and 83 fps in Dying Light: The Beast. The corresponding FSR 3 Balanced results were 76.33, 69 and 82 fps.

The ROG Xbox Ally X20 also recorded higher frame rates with FSR 4 Performance: 63 fps in Spider-Man: Miles Morales, 43 in God of War Ragnarök and 55 in Forza Horizon 6. Those results compare with 58, 39 and 54 fps, respectively, for FSR 3 Balanced. The tester also reported sharper reconstructed details in Performance mode, including foliage and stonework in Dying Light: The Beast, clothing in Spider-Man, and reflections in Forza Horizon 6.

On the ROG Xbox Ally X20, the driver is available through Armory Crate’s Preview Updates section; the FSR upscaling tile must be enabled in Command Center before launching a game, followed by selecting an FSR option in the game’s display settings. Strix Halo laptop users need the latest AMD Adrenalin drivers.

The tests indicate that FSR 4’s benefits depend on how it is configured: switching directly from FSR 3 Balanced to FSR 4 Balanced may not raise frame rates, while FSR 4 Performance offered better results in these comparisons. The report also notes that Intel continues to have advantages in some areas, including handheld GPU silicon and multi-frame generation.

Sources: Tom's Guide.