AMD Adrenalin 26.11.1 fixes the SSD excessive writes bug

AMD Adrenalin 26.11.1 fixes excessive SSD writes on RX 7000 series cards and newer. What the optional driver fixes, known issues and install tips.

FireGhost

November 13, 2026, 08:30 PM4 min read

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AMD Adrenalin 26.11.1 is out, and it fixes the bug that caused excessive SSD writes. AMD's official 26.11.1 release notes say the issue hit Radeon RX 7000 series cards and above while the system was idle.

The release notes are dated November 12. PC Gamer's report on the AMD driver bug says some users saw their SSD health drop by up to 1% per month. AMD has been busy on other fronts too, with FSR 4.1 opening up to Xbox developers.

What does AMD Adrenalin 26.11.1 fix?

AMD lists two fixed issues in this release. Both are about needless writes to the system drive. Over time, that kind of activity can wear down an SSD.

Idle writes: excessive writes to the system drive while idle on RX 7000 series cards and above.
Window movement: excessive writes while moving or resizing application windows.

PC Gamer notes that AMD's wording suggests older GPUs are not affected. However, some user reports mention RX 6000 series cards. It is not yet clear whether a fix for those models is in the works.

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition (Source: AMD)

What known issues remain in the driver?

Version 26.11.1 is an interim release, and AMD is upfront that some games may still have problems. The main known issues are:

Known issues at a glance

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: occasional crashes or driver timeouts on RX 7000 series
War Thunder: driver timeouts on RX 5000 series, with AMD suggesting version 26.9.1
Cyberpunk 2077: crashes on some RX 9000 cards with FSR, Anti-Lag and frame generation on during video playback on a second screen
Phantom Blade Zero: hair corruption on RX 9000 series; AMD suggests turning off High-Quality Hair
Windows 10: Smart Access Memory may turn off after install

A note for War Thunder players: that timeout only affects older RX 5000 series cards. The game also appears in our DLSS 5 games roundup.

There is more. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered may show black corruption on RX 9000 cards. Gears of War: Reloaded may launch to a black screen on some Ryzen AI 9 400 series systems.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card on a black background — AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (Source: AMD)

What does it mean for players?

If you have an RX 7000 or RX 9000 series card, this update is worth installing. SSDs are not cheap, so stopping needless writes helps your drive last longer.

Because the update is optional, it may not arrive on its own. You can grab it through AMD Software or from AMD's support site. If you want to roll back later, AMD recommends using the AMD Cleanup Utility.

How to install AMD Adrenalin 26.11.1

Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
Check for updates and pick the optional release.
If it does not show up, use the RDNA series download link on AMD's 26.11.1 release notes page.
Restart your PC after installing.

If you play one of the games above, keep an eye out for issues and try AMD's suggested settings. For the wider GPU picture, see the Steam hardware survey for October 2026 and our report on RTX 5080 prices hitting $2,000.

Drivers are not AMD's only gaming story this week. Its Project Amethyst partnership with Sony is behind QSSR upscaling on the base PS5.

Frequently asked questions

What does AMD Adrenalin 26.11.1 fix?

It fixes excessive writes to the system drive while the PC is idle on Radeon RX 7000 series cards and above. It also fixes excessive writes when moving or resizing application windows.

Is AMD Adrenalin 26.11.1 an automatic update?

No. PC Gamer reports it is an optional driver, so you need to download and install it yourself from AMD's site or through AMD Software.

Are RX 6000 series cards affected?

AMD's notes only mention RX 7000 series and above. PC Gamer says some user reports mention RX 6000 cards, and it is unclear whether a fix for older models is coming.