AMD Smart Access Memory issue on Windows 10 may be hurting Radeon gaming performance
New user reports suggest that a recent AMD driver conflict may be disabling Smart Access Memory on some Windows 10 systems, potentially reducing gaming performance and causing instability for Radeon GPU owners.
AMD Smart Access Memory, often shortened to AMD SAM, is the company’s implementation of Resizable BAR. The feature allows a compatible Ryzen processor to access the full VRAM capacity of a supported Radeon graphics card instead of being limited to smaller memory segments. In supported games, this can help reduce bottlenecks and improve frame rates, especially in titles that benefit from faster CPU-to-GPU memory access.
According to community feedback, some Windows 10 users have noticed that Smart Access Memory becomes disabled inside AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, even when the correct BIOS settings are still enabled. This includes Resizable BAR and Above 4G Decoding, both of which are required for SAM to function properly. Because these settings appear unchanged at the motherboard level, users believe the issue may be related to the AMD graphics driver rather than a system configuration problem.
The reports follow another AMD driver-related problem where Windows 10 failed to properly detect certain Radeon graphics cards. Some affected users were able to restore normal GPU detection by removing the AMD driver with Display Driver Uninstaller in Safe Mode and then performing a clean offline installation. However, for some, that process appears to have led to a new issue: Smart Access Memory no longer being active in the Adrenalin software.
For gamers, the impact can be noticeable. If AMD SAM is unexpectedly turned off, supported games may deliver lower frame rates, more inconsistent performance, or unusual instability. Some users have also reported crashes and strange system behavior after the driver conflict appeared.
Another clue pointing toward a Windows 10 and AMD driver conflict is the repeated appearance of hardware-change notifications. Users have linked this behavior to AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.1.1, suggesting that the driver may not be communicating correctly with the operating system or Radeon hardware in some configurations.
AMD is reportedly looking into the problem, but a final fix has not yet been released. In the meantime, users have shared a few temporary workarounds. Some say checking the monitor refresh rate and re-enabling Variable Refresh Rate inside Radeon software helped restore normal behavior. Others claim that restarting the PC several times eventually brought Smart Access Memory back.
This is not the first recent compatibility issue involving AMD drivers and Windows 10. AMD has also reissued a preview driver, version 26.6.3, to address problems affecting some Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards on Windows 10.
For now, Radeon users who notice sudden performance drops should check whether Smart Access Memory is still enabled in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition. It may also be worth confirming that Resizable BAR and Above 4G Decoding remain enabled in the BIOS. If SAM is disabled despite the correct BIOS setup, the issue may be driver-related, and users may need to wait for AMD to release an official update.
