How To Install AMD Radeon Drivers on Fedora 43

AMD Radeon graphics cards work exceptionally well with Fedora 43 right out of the box, thanks to the robust open-source AMDGPU driver stack integrated directly into the Linux kernel. Unlike proprietary graphics solutions that require complex manual installations, most AMD GPU users can enjoy optimal performance without additional driver configuration. This comprehensive guide explores when and how to optimize, configure, or enhance your AMD Radeon graphics experience on Fedora 43, released on October 28, 2025.

Fedora 43 ships with Linux kernel 6.17 and Mesa 25.2.5, providing cutting-edge support for the latest Radeon RX 7000 series and earlier generations. Whether you’re a casual desktop user, passionate gamer, content creator, or machine learning developer, understanding your graphics driver options ensures you maximize your hardware’s potential while maintaining system stability.

Understanding AMD Graphics Support in Fedora 43

The Default AMDGPU Driver Stack

Fedora 43 includes comprehensive AMD graphics support through the AMDGPU kernel module and Mesa userspace drivers, which work together seamlessly to deliver hardware-accelerated graphics. The AMDGPU driver has matured significantly over the years and now serves as the unified driver solution for all modern AMD graphics cards based on the Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture and newer RDNA designs.

The Mesa 3D Graphics Library provides the OpenGL, Vulkan, and OpenCL implementations that applications use to communicate with your GPU. Fedora 43’s Mesa 25.2.5 delivers substantial performance improvements, especially for Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 series cards. This driver stack automatically detects your AMD hardware during system boot and loads the appropriate drivers without any manual intervention.

The architecture consists of several layers working in harmony. The kernel module handles low-level hardware communication, memory management, and power control. Mesa drivers translate graphics API calls into GPU commands. This separation allows for regular driver updates through standard system updates without requiring kernel recompilation.

When You DON’T Need Additional Drivers

The vast majority of AMD GPU users on Fedora 43 can skip manual driver installation entirely. Your system automatically configures optimal settings for everyday computing tasks, including web browsing with hardware-accelerated video playback, office productivity applications, and multimedia consumption. Standard desktop environments like GNOME 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4.5 included in Fedora 43 run flawlessly on default AMD drivers.

Gaming represents another scenario where default drivers excel. Steam games, including Windows titles running through Proton compatibility layer, work remarkably well with Mesa’s open-source drivers. Popular gaming platforms like Lutris and Heroic Games Launcher also leverage the default AMDGPU stack effectively. Multi-monitor configurations with mixed refresh rates are fully supported through both X11 and Wayland display servers.

Content creation workflows involving video editing, photo manipulation, and 3D modeling generally perform excellently with stock drivers. Applications like GIMP, Kdenlive, and Blender utilize hardware acceleration through Mesa’s OpenGL and Vulkan implementations. For most creative professionals, the default configuration provides everything needed without additional complexity.

When You SHOULD Consider Additional Components

Specific workloads benefit from supplementary packages beyond the default installation. Machine learning and artificial intelligence development require ROCm (Radeon Open Compute), AMD’s platform for GPU-accelerated computing tasks. Deep learning frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow leverage ROCm for training neural networks significantly faster than CPU-only processing.

Professional CAD and engineering applications sometimes demand OpenCL runtime libraries not included in minimal installations. Scientific computing workflows involving computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, or molecular modeling often require these additional components. Cryptocurrency mining and blockchain validation also necessitate specific compute drivers.

Video production professionals working with applications like DaVinci Resolve need properly configured OpenCL support and hardware acceleration libraries. Advanced gaming enthusiasts seeking every possible performance optimization might install additional Vulkan layers and shader compilers. Performance monitoring and overclocking tools require specific kernel parameters and utilities not enabled by default.

Prerequisites and System Assessment

Hardware Compatibility Check

Before proceeding with any driver modifications, verify your GPU model and confirm driver compatibility. Open a terminal window and execute the following command to identify your graphics hardware:

lspci | grep -i vga

This displays your GPU information, showing manufacturer, model, and bus address. For more detailed information including the driver currently in use, run:

lspci -nnk | grep -A3 VGA

AMD Radeon cards from the HD 7000 series forward (GCN 1.0 and newer architectures) receive full AMDGPU driver support. This includes all Radeon RX 400, 500, 5000, 6000, and 7000 series cards. Older hardware like HD 6000 series and earlier use the legacy radeon kernel driver instead.

Verifying Current Driver Configuration

Confirm your system is using the correct graphics driver stack by checking multiple indicators. First, verify which kernel driver modules are loaded:

lsmod | grep amdgpu

You should see amdgpu and related modules listed if your driver is active. Next, check your OpenGL renderer string:

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

This should display your GPU model name rather than software rendering. For Vulkan support verification, install vulkan-tools if not already present, then run:

vulkaninfo | grep "deviceName"

Examine kernel messages for any driver initialization errors:

dmesg | grep amdgpu

Save this output for comparison after making any changes. Review your current Mesa version:

dnf list installed | grep mesa

Fedora 43 should show Mesa 25.2.x packages.

Pre-Installation Preparation

Create a system backup before modifying graphics drivers. Install Timeshift for easy system snapshots:

sudo dnf install timeshift

Launch Timeshift and create a restore point you can boot into if issues arise. Update your Fedora 43 system to ensure all packages reflect the latest versions:

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

This prevents compatibility conflicts between outdated system libraries and newer driver components. Reboot after completing system updates to load the latest kernel version:

sudo reboot

Document your current configuration by saving relevant system information:

dmesg | grep amdgpu > ~/amdgpu-before.log
glxinfo > ~/glxinfo-before.log
vulkaninfo > ~/vulkaninfo-before.log

These reference files help troubleshoot if problems develop later.

Method 1: Optimizing Built-In Open-Source Drivers

Why This Method is Recommended for Most Users

The open-source AMDGPU and Mesa driver combination offers the optimal balance between performance, stability, and ease of maintenance for the overwhelming majority of use cases. These drivers receive regular updates through Fedora’s standard package management system, ensuring you automatically benefit from bug fixes, performance improvements, and new feature support.

Community support for open-source AMD drivers is extensive and responsive. The Fedora community forums, Reddit communities, and AMD’s own documentation provide comprehensive troubleshooting resources. You avoid proprietary driver complications like DKMS rebuilds after kernel updates or conflicts with Wayland compositors.

Performance with open-source drivers now matches or exceeds proprietary alternatives for nearly all workloads. Gaming benchmarks demonstrate Mesa’s Radeon drivers competing favorably with Windows performance in many titles. Professional applications increasingly optimize for open-source Linux graphics stacks.

Ensuring Core Mesa Packages Are Installed

While Fedora 43 includes Mesa drivers by default, verifying complete installation prevents potential issues. Check your current Mesa packages:

dnf list installed | grep mesa

Install or update essential Mesa components:

sudo dnf install mesa-dri-drivers mesa-libGL mesa-vulkan-drivers mesa-vdpau-drivers

These packages provide Direct Rendering Infrastructure drivers, OpenGL libraries, Vulkan support, and video decode acceleration. For 32-bit application compatibility necessary for gaming, install multilib packages:

sudo dnf install mesa-dri-drivers.i686 mesa-libGL.i686 mesa-vulkan-drivers.i686

This enables older Windows games running through Wine or Steam Proton to access GPU acceleration properly. Add video acceleration packages for enhanced multimedia performance:

sudo dnf install mesa-va-drivers mesa-vdpau-drivers

These components enable hardware-accelerated video encoding and decoding in browsers and media players.

Installing Additional Graphics Packages

Enhance your graphics experience with supplementary utilities and libraries. OpenGL development headers are useful for compiling graphics applications:

sudo dnf install mesa-libGLU-devel mesa-libEGL-devel mesa-libGLES-devel

Install Vulkan development tools and validation layers for troubleshooting and game compatibility:

sudo dnf install vulkan-tools vulkan-loader vulkan-validation-layers

Add OpenCL support for GPU compute applications:

sudo dnf install mesa-libOpenCL ocl-icd clinfo

Verify OpenCL functionality after installation:

clinfo

This displays detected OpenCL platforms and devices.

Gaming Optimization Packages

Serious gamers benefit from additional performance and compatibility tools. Install GameMode, which temporarily optimizes system resources for gaming sessions:

sudo dnf install gamemode gamemoded

Add MangoHud for in-game performance monitoring overlays:

sudo dnf install mangohud

Enable MangoHud for Steam games by adding mangohud %command% to launch options. Install DXVK for improved DirectX to Vulkan translation:

sudo dnf install dxvk

Steam Proton includes DXVK, but standalone installation helps with Lutris and other launchers. Consider installing Feral GameMode for additional optimizations:

sudo dnf install gamemode-devel

Verify GameMode functionality:

gamemoded -t

Verifying the Installation

Test your graphics configuration to confirm everything functions correctly. Verify OpenGL support and direct rendering:

glxinfo | grep "direct rendering"
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

Both commands should indicate your AMD GPU. Test Vulkan functionality:

vulkaninfo | head -n 20

Check for your GPU under device sections. Verify video acceleration support:

vainfo

This shows available video codec profiles your hardware accelerates. Ensure your user belongs to necessary groups for GPU access:

groups

You should see video and render groups listed. If not, add yourself:

sudo usermod -a -G render,video $USER

Log out and back in for group changes to take effect.

Method 2: Installing ROCm for Compute Workloads

Understanding ROCm on Fedora 43

ROCm (Radeon Open Compute) provides AMD’s platform for GPU-accelerated computing, enabling machine learning, scientific computing, and other parallel processing workloads. Unlike gaming-focused graphics drivers, ROCm exposes compute capabilities through HIP (Heterogeneous-compute Interface for Portability), OpenCL, and other programming interfaces.

Fedora 43 includes ROCm packages in official repositories, simplifying installation compared to manually building from source or using AMD’s proprietary packages. The Fedora-packaged ROCm version 6.4.1 supports RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 architectures well, though compatibility varies by specific GPU model.

Machine learning frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow have ROCm variants enabling GPU training and inference. Data scientists use ROCm for accelerating pandas operations, NumPy computations, and other numerical workloads. Computational scientists leverage ROCm for molecular dynamics simulations, climate modeling, and quantum chemistry calculations.

Installing ROCm from Fedora Repositories

Begin by confirming your GPU supports ROCm. AMD officially supports select GPU models, though community members report success with additional cards using workarounds. Install ROCm core components from Fedora repositories:

sudo dnf install rocm-hip rocm-opencl rocm-runtime rocm-smi rocminfo

This provides HIP runtime, OpenCL support, ROCm system management utilities, and information tools. Add development packages if you plan to compile GPU-accelerated applications:

sudo dnf install rocm-devel rocm-hip-devel rocm-opencl-devel

For the complete ROCm stack including all utilities:

sudo dnf install rocm

This meta-package installs the comprehensive ROCm development environment. Add your user to required groups:

sudo usermod -a -G render,video $LOGNAME

Log out and log back in for group membership changes to take effect.

Verifying ROCm Installation

Confirm ROCm recognizes your GPU using the system management interface:

rocm-smi

This displays GPU temperature, utilization, memory usage, and clock speeds. Run rocminfo for detailed device information:

rocminfo

Look for your GPU model listed under agents. Test HIP compiler functionality:

hipconfig --version

Verify OpenCL platform detection:

clinfo | grep "Platform Name"

You should see AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing listed. If rocm-smi fails to detect your GPU, you may need to set hardware override environment variables.

Configuring ROCm for Machine Learning Frameworks

Install PyTorch with ROCm support for deep learning:

pip3 install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/rocm6.0

Verify PyTorch GPU access:

python3 -c "import torch; print(torch.cuda.is_available())"

This should return True if ROCm is properly configured. For unsupported GPU architectures, set the override environment variable:

export HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=10.3.0

Adjust the version number to match your GPU architecture. Add this to your .bashrc file for persistence:

echo 'export HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=10.3.0' >> ~/.bashrc

TensorFlow ROCm installation follows similar patterns:

pip3 install tensorflow-rocm

Container-based workflows isolate ROCm dependencies. Docker images with pre-configured ROCm environments simplify deployment.

ROCm Limitations and Considerations

ROCm support varies significantly by GPU model. Officially supported cards include Radeon RX Vega series, Radeon VII, and select RX 6000 and 7000 series models. Community workarounds extend support but may exhibit instability or reduced performance.

Performance comparisons with NVIDIA CUDA show ROCm catching up but still trailing in some applications. Framework support continues improving, though CUDA maintains broader adoption in the machine learning community. Documentation quality and debugging tools for ROCm lag behind NVIDIA’s mature ecosystem.

Fedora packages sometimes trail behind AMD’s latest ROCm releases. Bleeding-edge features may require manual compilation or waiting for Fedora packagers to update repositories. Community support through forums and issue trackers helps navigate these challenges.

Method 3: Using AMD’s AMDGPU-Install Tool

When to Use This Method (And When Not To)

AMD provides amdgpu-install, a proprietary installer tool for users requiring official professional driver certification or components unavailable in open-source packages. Enterprise environments with vendor support requirements may mandate this approach. Certain professional CAD applications explicitly require AMD’s Pro drivers for certification.

However, this method introduces complications on Fedora systems. AMD primarily targets Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), treating Fedora as best-effort compatible. Repository mismatches, dependency conflicts, and package signature issues frequently arise. Kernel updates can break proprietary driver components requiring manual reinstallation.

For most Fedora 43 users, the repository-provided open-source drivers offer superior stability and compatibility. Reserve this method for specialized professional workflows with explicit proprietary driver requirements.

Download and Preparation

Visit AMD’s official driver download page and locate RHEL 9-compatible packages, as Fedora 43 shares similar base packages with RHEL 9. Download the amdgpu-install package:

wget https://repo.radeon.com/amdgpu-install/latest/rhel/9.4/amdgpu-install-latest.noarch.rpm

Verify the package integrity by checking AMD’s published checksums. Create a system restore point:

sudo dnf history

Note the current transaction ID for potential rollback. Disable Secure Boot if enabled, as proprietary drivers may conflict with signature verification:

mokutil --disable-validation

Installation Process

Install the downloaded amdgpu-install package:

sudo dnf install ./amdgpu-install-*.rpm

This adds AMD’s package repositories to your system. Run the installer with appropriate use case flags:

sudo amdgpu-install --usecase=graphics,opencl

Alternative use cases include workstation for professional graphics or rocm for compute workloads. Add your user to necessary groups:

sudo usermod -a -G render,video $USER

Reboot to activate the new drivers:

sudo reboot

Potential Issues and Workarounds

Repository metadata failures commonly occur due to package version mismatches. If installation fails, try disabling AMD repositories temporarily:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-disabled amdgpu

Dependency conflicts with existing Mesa packages may arise. Resolution typically requires removing conflicting packages before reinstalling. Check for errors in the installation log:

sudo journalctl -xe | grep amdgpu

Roll back to previous state if issues persist:

sudo dnf history undo <transaction_id>

Replace <transaction_id> with the number noted before installation.

Professional Graphics Components

Professional workflows benefit from additional components. Install OpenCL development packages:

sudo dnf install opencl-headers ocl-icd-devel clinfo

Hardware video encoding support for content creation:

sudo dnf install libva-utils vdpauinfo

Verify video acceleration functionality:

vainfo
vdpauinfo

CAD software configurations vary by application requirements. Consult specific software documentation for recommended driver settings.

Advanced Configuration and Optimization

Kernel Parameter Optimization

Customize kernel parameters for enhanced performance or compatibility. Edit GRUB configuration:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Add AMD-specific parameters to the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX line. Enable display core (DC) for better multi-monitor support:

amdgpu.dc=1

Increase virtual memory map limit for demanding games:

vm.max_map_count=2147483642

Disable legacy radeon driver to prevent conflicts:

radeon.modeset=0 amdgpu.modeset=1

Save the file and regenerate GRUB configuration:

sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

Reboot for changes to take effect.

Multi-Monitor Configuration

Fedora 43’s Wayland compositor handles most multi-monitor setups automatically. For manual configuration, use display settings GUI or command-line tools. With X11, xrandr provides flexible control:

xrandr --output HDMI-A-1 --mode 1920x1080 --rate 144 --output DisplayPort-1 --mode 2560x1440 --rate 165 --right-of HDMI-A-1

Replace output names and resolutions to match your setup. List available outputs:

xrandr --listmonitors

Wayland users configure displays through GNOME Settings or KDE Display Configuration without needing command-line tools. Mixed refresh rates work seamlessly with modern AMD drivers.

Performance Tuning

Advanced users can adjust power profiles and clock speeds. Enable GPU performance tuning capabilities:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Add to kernel parameters:

amdgpu.ppfeaturemask=0xffffffff

Update GRUB and reboot. Install CoreCtrl for GUI-based performance tuning:

sudo dnf install corectl

Launch CoreCtrl and configure fan curves, power limits, and clock speeds. Monitor GPU statistics with radeontop:

sudo dnf install radeontop
radeontop

Alternative monitoring with nvtop provides prettier output:

sudo dnf install nvtop
nvtop

Specialized NPU Support (Ryzen AI)

Ryzen AI processors include Neural Processing Units (NPUs) for AI acceleration. Fedora 43 includes basic NPU driver support for AMD Ryzen AI 300 series. Enable NPU in BIOS settings under AMD Platform configuration.

Install XRT and XDNA drivers from community repository:

sudo dnf copr enable xanderlent/amd-npu-driver
sudo dnf install xrt xdna-driver

Verify NPU detection:

ls -la /dev/accel/

NPU devices should appear as accel entries. Framework support for NPU acceleration is emerging but not yet mainstream.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Boot and Display Issues

Black screens after driver installation typically indicate configuration problems. Boot into recovery mode by selecting an older kernel from GRUB menu during startup. Add nomodeset kernel parameter temporarily to disable kernel mode setting, allowing basic graphics.

Once booted, review driver configuration and correct errors. Secure Boot incompatibilities with proprietary components require disabling Secure Boot in UEFI firmware.

Switch between Wayland and X11 if display server causes problems. Select session type at login screen before entering password. Some AMD GPUs exhibit better stability with one or the other.

Performance Problems

Graphical glitches in Firefox on Strix Point (Ryzen AI 300 series) processors are known issues being addressed in Mesa updates. Disable hardware acceleration temporarily in Firefox settings as a workaround. Excessive GPU usage in desktop applications suggests compositor issues. Check running processes:

ps aux | grep -i gpu

Kill problematic processes consuming GPU resources unnecessarily. Review Mesa driver version:

glxinfo | grep "Mesa"

Update to latest available Mesa packages if outdated:

sudo dnf upgrade mesa-*

Kernel and driver version mismatches cause instability. Ensure kernel modules match installed kernel:

uname -r
dmesg | grep amdgpu | grep version

Driver Loading Failures

Verify amdgpu kernel module loaded successfully:

lsmod | grep amdgpu

If missing, manually load the module:

sudo modprobe amdgpu

Check dmesg for error messages explaining why automatic loading failed:

dmesg | grep amdgpu | grep -i error

Missing firmware files prevent driver initialization. Install firmware packages:

sudo dnf install linux-firmware

Conflicting modules like nouveau (NVIDIA) or legacy radeon interfere with amdgpu. Blacklist conflicting modules:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Add lines:

blacklist nouveau
blacklist radeon

Rebuild initramfs:

sudo dracut --force

Reboot to apply changes.

Application-Specific Issues

Steam games failing to launch often relate to missing 32-bit libraries. Install 32-bit Mesa packages:

sudo dnf install mesa-dri-drivers.i686 mesa-vulkan-drivers.i686

OpenCL applications not detecting GPU require proper runtime libraries:

sudo dnf install ocl-icd rocm-opencl

Vulkan initialization failures suggest missing validation layers or loader issues:

sudo dnf install vulkan-loader vulkan-validation-layers

Video playback stuttering indicates hardware acceleration problems. Verify VA-API functionality:

vainfo

Install missing video acceleration drivers if needed.

System Updates Breaking Drivers

Kernel updates with proprietary driver components require driver reinstallation. Monitor kernel updates:

sudo dnf history list kernel

Reinstall proprietary components after kernel changes:

sudo amdgpu-install --usecase=graphics

Consider pinning kernel versions during critical projects to prevent unexpected breakage. Open-source Mesa drivers update automatically without manual intervention, providing superior long-term maintainability.

Performance Testing and Benchmarking

Basic Performance Verification

Simple OpenGL testing with glxgears provides baseline functionality confirmation:

glxgears

Note frames per second output. Unigine benchmarks offer more comprehensive testing:

sudo dnf install unigine-heaven
unigine-heaven

Geekbench includes OpenCL and Vulkan compute tests. Download from Geekbench website and run:

./geekbench6

Blender’s benchmark suite tests real-world rendering performance for content creators. Install Blender and run benchmark scenes:

sudo dnf install blender
blender --background --python benchmark.py

Gaming Performance Testing

Steam includes built-in FPS counters and performance overlays. Enable in Steam Settings under In-Game options. MangoHud provides detailed real-time statistics:

mangohud glxgears

For Steam games, add to launch options:

mangohud %command%

Game-specific benchmarks offer standardized performance comparisons. Total War, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and other titles include benchmark modes. Monitor GPU utilization to verify proper hardware acceleration:

radeontop

Low utilization despite low frame rates suggests bottlenecks elsewhere in the system.

Compute Performance Testing

ROCm bandwidth tests evaluate memory transfer speeds:

rocm-bandwidth-test

PyTorch training benchmarks measure machine learning performance. Create simple test script:

import torch
import time
tensor = torch.randn(10000, 10000).cuda()
start = time.time()
result = torch.matmul(tensor, tensor)
print(f"Time: {time.time()-start} seconds")

Hashcat password cracking benchmarks demonstrate cryptographic performance:

sudo dnf install hashcat
hashcat -b

OpenCL benchmarking with clpeak:

sudo dnf install clpeak
clpeak

Monitoring Tools Setup

Install comprehensive monitoring utilities:

sudo dnf install radeontop nvtop htop

Radeontop displays AMD-specific metrics in real-time. Nvtop provides prettier interface supporting AMD GPUs despite its name. Htop monitors overall system resources. Temperature and power monitoring through sensors:

sudo dnf install lm_sensors
sensors

Log performance data for analysis:

radeontop -d - -l 1 > gpu_log.txt

Maintenance and Updates

Keeping Drivers Updated

Standard system updates maintain Mesa drivers automatically:

sudo dnf upgrade

This updates Mesa, kernel, and all system components. Enable automatic updates for convenience:

sudo dnf install dnf-automatic
sudo systemctl enable --now dnf-automatic.timer

Monitor Mesa package updates specifically:

dnf check-update mesa-*

Subscribe to Fedora announcements mailing list for important driver updates. AMD releases new graphics drivers monthly on average, with Fedora typically packaging updates within weeks.

Managing Proprietary Components

Proprietary driver installations require manual maintenance after kernel updates. Monitor installed kernel versions:

rpm -qa kernel

Reinstall amdgpu-install drivers after kernel changes:

sudo amdgpu-install --usecase=graphics

Remove obsolete driver versions to reclaim disk space:

sudo dnf autoremove

Check for abandoned dependencies:

sudo dnf remove --oldinstallonly --setopt installonly_limit=2 kernel

Backup and Recovery Strategies

Maintain regular Timeshift snapshots before system changes. Schedule automatic snapshots:

sudo timeshift --create --comments "Before driver update"

Document working kernel parameters:

cat /proc/cmdline > ~/kernel-params-working.txt

Test updates on non-production systems first when possible. Keep bootable USB recovery media current:

sudo dnf install mediawriter

Recovery boot parameters to memorize include nomodeset and amdgpu.dc=0 for troubleshooting display issues.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed AMD Radeon Driver. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the AMD Radeon Drivers on Fedora 43 Linux system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official AMD website.