AMD Investigates Windows 10 Smart Access Memory Bug

AMD is investigating a driver bug on Windows 10 that disables Smart Access Memory, causing performance drops and system crashes for users.

AMD is currently investigating a driver issue affecting Windows 10 users where Smart Access Memory (SAM) is being disabled, preventing the CPU from accessing the full GPU VRAM pool. Reports indicate that a conflict between AMD Adrenalin Edition 26.1.1 and Windows 10 causes the OS to stop detecting Radeon graphics cards correctly, triggering hardware change notifications. Even with BIOS settings unchanged, SAM appears disabled in the Adrenalin software, leading to significant performance drops and gaming crashes. In response, AMD released preview driver 26.6.3 to address compatibility for RX 7000 series owners. While a permanent fix is pending, some users have resolved the issue by rebooting multiple times or by verifying monitor refresh rates and re-enabling Variable Refresh Rate settings in the Radeon software.