In a rare move for hardware this old, AMD has released new driver updates for its Radeon HD 2000, 3000, and 4000 series GPUs. While these GPUs were released almost two decades ago, the open-source community continues to support them with new patches, thanks to the dedication of developers like Patrick Lerda. These updates, made just before the Mesa 25.2 code freeze, address long-standing issues and bring bug fixes, ensuring that these aging GPUs remain functional for users who still rely on them.
One of the key improvements is a fix for the Depth Compare Function, which ensures that the Depth Comparison is set to ‘NEVER’ when disabled. 
This fix, which was already implemented for newer AMD GPUs through the RadeonSI driver, had been missing for the R600 Gallium3D driver. With this fix, OpenGL conformance test failures are resolved, improving compatibility with 3D applications and games on the Radeon HD 2000, 3000, and 4000 series.
Another major update tackles Border Color Handling issues for OpenGL on RV770-based GPUs like the Radeon HD 4850 and HD 4870. This patch resolves over 120 OpenGL regression test failures in the Pilgit test suite, enhancing the overall OpenGL performance and standards compliance for the entire R600-era family.
While these GPUs may not be able to handle modern titles, they continue to be a great option for retro gaming enthusiasts or users looking to keep older systems alive. The ongoing support from the open-source community proves that even the oldest hardware can have a second life with the right care. For those still using these GPUs, these updates offer a breath of life and a reminder of the power of community-driven development.