AMD is preparing its next-generation UDNA GPU architecture, with a strong emphasis on ray tracing efficiency and real-time rendering performance. In a recent GPUOpen blog post, AMD introduced support for Dense Geometry Format (DGF) animation, a potential game-changer that could be integrated directly into future hardware.
For gamers, creators, and developers, DGF represents more than just another optimization—it could mark a structural shift in how GPUs handle geometry-heavy workloads.
What is Dense Geometry Format (DGF)? #
Traditional rendering pipelines require GPUs to process complex triangle meshes. This becomes especially resource-intensive during animation and ray tracing, where constant updates demand significant bandwidth and compute cycles.
DGF addresses this bottleneck by:
- Segmenting geometric data into compact blocks stored in a GPU-native format.
- Allowing per-frame quantization and localized transformations instead of rebuilding entire meshes.
- Enabling compute shaders—and eventually fixed-function units—to process geometry more efficiently.
For the GPU, these DGF blocks act as directly usable geometry units, reducing update overhead and memory bandwidth usage.
Ray Tracing Performance Benefits #
Ray tracing workloads are particularly demanding due to the Bounding Volume Hierarchy (BVH) build and update process. DGF provides a direct advantage:
- BVHs can be generated or updated directly from compressed DGF blocks.
- This reduces both memory traffic and latency.
- Real-time ray tracing becomes faster and more power-efficient.
AMD notes that while DGF currently relies on compute shaders, migrating it to dedicated fixed-function hardware could further accelerate performance and energy savings.
Faster Animation Processing #
Beyond ray tracing, DGF also enhances animation pipelines:
- More geometry data fits into on-chip cache, reducing memory reads and writes.
- Keyframe updates and complex scene animations become smoother and less resource-intensive.
- Large-scale environments and character models benefit from lower latency and faster frame updates.
For modern gaming and digital content creation, this means higher frame rates, smoother animations, and reduced GPU workload.
AMD’s Architectural Strategy #
The introduction of DGF highlights AMD’s philosophy: performance gains should come not only from more compute units or higher bandwidth, but also from architectural-level innovations.
Combined with early leaks of RDNA 5/UDNA SKU configurations (ranging from 12 to 96 Compute Units), it’s clear that AMD intends to:
- Scale these improvements across mainstream, enthusiast, and professional GPUs.
- Target diverse markets: gaming, workstations, animation, and rendering.
What This Means for Gamers and Creators #
As ray tracing and real-time animation become standard in games, films, and AI-driven graphics, AMD’s DGF-based approach could deliver:
- Higher ray tracing frame rates without excessive power draw.
- Faster rendering speeds for animation-heavy workloads.
- More expressive visuals thanks to improved geometry processing.
In short, AMD’s next-gen UDNA GPUs are designed to make ray tracing and advanced animation more accessible—not just to enthusiasts, but across the mainstream GPU market as well.
Bottom Line #
AMD’s integration of Dense Geometry Format (DGF) into future UDNA GPUs signals a major leap in ray tracing and animation performance. By reducing geometry overhead and improving BVH efficiency, AMD is preparing GPUs that will deliver faster, smoother, and more visually impressive experiences in gaming and professional rendering.
The next battle between AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel won’t just be about raw compute—it will be about architectural innovation that redefines what real-time graphics can achieve.