A recent driver update from AMD, version Adrenalin 26.5.1, released on May 6, appears to be causing significant issues for some Radeon GPU owners. Reports, largely emerging from platforms like Reddit, suggest that the driver interferes with the 'Zero RPM' fan feature. This malfunction means that on affected cards, the cooling fans remain inactive even when GPU temperatures rise, potentially leading to unexpected overheating. The core of the problem seems to be the Zero RPM mode failing to re-engage its fans during periods of increased temperature, particularly after waking a system from sleep or turning a monitor back on.
Owners of various AMD graphics cards have detailed their experiences, noting that after updating to Adrenalin 26.5.1, their GPU fans would stay off when they should have activated. This is a departure from the intended functionality of Zero RPM, a feature designed to keep fans still under low load for silent operation, only spinning them up when temperatures necessitate active cooling. The consequence of this bug is that the graphics card's heatsink becomes the sole means of cooling, which may prove insufficient as temperatures climb, leading to "unexpectedly high GPU temperatures."
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User Reports and Workarounds
The issue seems to manifest most noticeably after resuming from sleep mode. Instead of the fans kicking in to manage the heat generated, they reportedly remain idle. Several users have reported this specific behavior. Immediate workarounds mentioned by those affected include rebooting the system, manually disabling the Zero RPM feature altogether (though this sacrifices the silent operation benefit), or performing a clean driver installation using tools like Display Driver Uninstaller. Rolling back to an older driver, such as Adrenalin 26.3.1, has also been suggested as a viable, albeit temporary, solution.
AMD's Stance and Driver Development
As of the latest reports, AMD has not officially acknowledged or confirmed the bug. The release notes for any subsequent driver updates, such as the recently released Adrenalin 26.5.2, do not appear to explicitly list a fix for this specific Zero RPM malfunction. It's important to note that not all AMD GPU configurations seem to be affected by this issue. Factors such as specific board partner utilities or custom fan profiles configured by users could potentially influence or mask the behavior. The problem reportedly began for some users after upgrading from the Adrenalin 26.3.1 driver.
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The Adrenalin 26.5.1 driver update has generated a degree of concern within the AMD user community. While the Zero RPM feature aims to enhance user experience by reducing noise during idle periods, its failure to function correctly in this instance raises questions about the thoroughness of driver testing and the potential impact on hardware longevity if left unaddressed. Users experiencing this issue are advised to monitor their GPU temperatures closely and consider implementing one of the suggested workarounds.
