Will updating to the newest driver fix it?

Not as of 26.9.1, released 3 September 2026. That release fixed only an intermittent crash in Starfield and Apex Legends on Radeon RX 9000 series cards, and it still carries the Smart Access Memory entry in its known-issues list. Updating is not a fix for this — check the toggle after you update.

Does this affect Windows 11?

AMD's known issue names Windows 10 systems specifically, and does not mention Windows 11. That is not proof it cannot happen elsewhere, but it does mean AMD has only acknowledged it on Windows 10.

How much performance does this actually cost?

It depends entirely on the game — Smart Access Memory helps in some titles and does very little in others, so there is no single number. Reports of this bug describe lost performance in supported games along with inconsistent behaviour and, in some cases, crashes. The honest answer is to compare the same game before and after switching it back on.

Do I need to change anything in the BIOS?

Probably not. Reports of this issue describe Re-Size BAR Support and Above 4G Decoding still being enabled in the BIOS while AMD Software showed the feature as off, which points at the driver rather than the firmware. If Smart Access Memory has worked on this machine before, start in AMD Software.

Smart Access Memory Turns Itself Off After an AMD Driver Update on Windows 10

Last verified September 2026Tested against AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.7.1 (28 July 2026), AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.8.1 (20 August 2026), AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.9.1 (3 September 2026), AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.9.2 (29 September 2026), Windows 10Good evidence

This is an open bug AMD has acknowledged in its own release notes, and it is still open in the latest driver: on Windows 10, installing an Adrenalin driver can leave Smart Access Memory switched off, even though the BIOS settings it depends on are untouched. Nothing tells you it happened — you simply lose the performance SAM was giving you. Open AMD Software, search for "Tuning", and check whether the Smart Access Memory toggle is still on. If it is off, switch it back on.

Start here

Check whether Smart Access Memory is actually on
Switch Smart Access Memory back on

Smart Access Memory is normally enabled automatically when the driver installs, so almost nobody checks it afterwards. That is what makes this bug worth knowing about: it is silent, it costs frame rate in supported games, and it survives right up to the current driver. AMD has listed it as an open known issue since at least 26.7.1 (28 July 2026) and it is still listed in 26.9.1 (3 September 2026).

Symptoms

Games run measurably slower than they did before an AMD driver update, with no other change to the system
AMD Software shows Smart Access Memory as off, even though you never turned it off
Re-Size BAR Support and Above 4G Decoding are still enabled in the BIOS, so the BIOS looks correct
The machine runs Windows 10
It happened straight after installing or reinstalling an Adrenalin driver
Nothing in AMD Software warned you that the setting had changed

Why this happens

The driver install does not leave Smart Access Memory enabled on Windows 10

AMD documents that Smart Access Memory is enabled automatically on compatible systems during driver installation. Separately, AMD's release notes list "AMD Smart Access Memory may become disabled after driver installation on Windows 10 systems" as an open known issue. Taken together, those two statements describe the failure: the step that should switch SAM on during installation does not take effect on Windows 10, and the driver leaves it off without reporting anything. AMD has not published a cause or a fix for this, only the acknowledgement that it happens.

Check whether Smart Access Memory is actually on · Switch Smart Access Memory back on

It is not your BIOS settings

The obvious suspect is the firmware, because Smart Access Memory depends on Re-Size BAR Support and Above 4G Decoding being enabled there. Reports of this problem consistently describe the opposite: those options were still enabled in the BIOS while AMD Software showed the feature as disabled. That matters because it saves you a trip into firmware settings you did not need to change. If SAM has worked on this machine before and nothing about the firmware changed, start in AMD Software rather than the BIOS.

Check whether Smart Access Memory is actually on

about 2 min

The bug is silent, so the first job is simply establishing whether you are affected. This changes nothing on the machine.

Applies to: AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, Windows 10, Systems that meet AMD's Smart Access Memory requirements

From the taskbar, click Start, type "AMD Software" and open the app from the best match.
Type "Tuning" into the search box in AMD Software and click the Performance Tuning result.
If you have more than one GPU, select the one you game on first — tuning settings are applied per GPU.
Find the Smart Access Memory control and read its state. If it is off and you did not turn it off, you have hit this issue.

Confirmed by the vendor.

Source: AMD, AMD, AMD

Switch Smart Access Memory back on

about 5 min

The toggle is the documented control for the feature, so turning it back on restores what the installer should have left enabled.

Applies to: AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, Windows 10

Close any running games first. AMD notes that changing this setting restarts AMD Software and the screen may go black for a moment.
In Performance Tuning, switch Smart Access Memory on.
Let AMD Software restart itself, then reopen Performance Tuning and confirm the toggle stayed on.
Launch the game you noticed the drop in and compare frame rate against what you had before the driver update.

Confirmed by the vendor.

Source: AMD, AMD

Restart the PC and check the toggle again

about 5 min

Some people report the setting coming back on its own after a restart. It is cheap to try and tells you whether the state is sticking.

Applies to: Windows 10

Restart Windows normally.
Reopen AMD Software, search for "Tuning" and check the Smart Access Memory state again.
If it has switched itself off again, turn it back on and note that you will need to re-check after each driver update until AMD ships a fix.

Reported to work by 2 users; not confirmed by the vendor.

Source: Wccftech

Known issues

AMD lists "AMD Smart Access Memory may become disabled after driver installation on Windows 10 systems" as an open known issue in four consecutive releases: 26.7.1 (28 July 2026), 26.8.1 (20 August 2026), 26.9.1 (3 September 2026) and 26.9.2 (29 September 2026). It is not in the 26.6.4 notes of 29 June 2026. AMD has published no fix and no cause, so re-check the setting after each driver install.
Affects 26.7.1, 26.8.1, 26.9.1, 26.9.2 · Status: workaround only

If none of this worked

If the Smart Access Memory control is not there at all, this is probably not your problem — the feature only appears on systems that meet AMD's requirements for it, and a machine that never had it will not show the toggle. AMD's known issue is written specifically about Windows 10, so on Windows 11 a performance drop after a driver update is more likely to be something else. And if SAM is on and a game is still slow, the cause is elsewhere: check whether your in-game or driver-level settings survived the update before assuming this bug.

Common questions

Will updating to the newest driver fix it?: Not as of 26.9.1, released 3 September 2026. That release fixed only an intermittent crash in Starfield and Apex Legends on Radeon RX 9000 series cards, and it still carries the Smart Access Memory entry in its known-issues list. Updating is not a fix for this — check the toggle after you update.
Does this affect Windows 11?: AMD's known issue names Windows 10 systems specifically, and does not mention Windows 11. That is not proof it cannot happen elsewhere, but it does mean AMD has only acknowledged it on Windows 10.
How much performance does this actually cost?: It depends entirely on the game — Smart Access Memory helps in some titles and does very little in others, so there is no single number. Reports of this bug describe lost performance in supported games along with inconsistent behaviour and, in some cases, crashes. The honest answer is to compare the same game before and after switching it back on.
Do I need to change anything in the BIOS?: Probably not. Reports of this issue describe Re-Size BAR Support and Above 4G Decoding still being enabled in the BIOS while AMD Software showed the feature as off, which points at the driver rather than the firmware. If Smart Access Memory has worked on this machine before, start in AMD Software.

Did this fix work?

If a step is wrong, outdated, or did not help, telling us is the fastest way to get it corrected. Reports are reviewed before new articles.

Report a problem with this page

Sources

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.9.1 Release NotesOfficial
AMD · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- AMD lists "AMD Smart Access Memory may become disabled after driver installation on Windows 10 systems" as an open known issue in Adrenalin Edition 26.9.1, dated 3 September 2026
- The only fixed issue listed in 26.9.1 is an intermittent game crash in Starfield and Apex Legends on Radeon RX 9000 series products, so the Smart Access Memory issue is still open in the current driver
- AMD recommends the AMD Cleanup Utility when downgrading to a previous version of Adrenalin Edition
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.7.1 Release NotesOfficial
AMD · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- The same Smart Access Memory known issue is listed in Adrenalin Edition 26.7.1, dated 28 July 2026, the earliest release in which this check found it
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.8.1 Release NotesOfficial
AMD · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- The Smart Access Memory known issue is also listed in Adrenalin Edition 26.8.1, dated 20 August 2026, so it has been carried unresolved across consecutive releases
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.6.4 Release NotesOfficial
AMD · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- The 26.6.4 release notes, dated 29 June 2026, do not list the Smart Access Memory known issue, so the entry was added to AMD's known-issues list at some point after that date
Customize GPU Performance Tuning with AMD Software: Adrenalin EditionOfficial
AMD · Knowledge base · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Smart Access Memory is automatically enabled on compatible systems during driver installation
- The Smart Access Memory control is found by opening AMD Software, typing "Tuning" into the search box and selecting the Performance Tuning result
- Toggling Smart Access Memory on or off automatically restarts AMD Software and the screen may go black temporarily, so AMD recommends exiting any games first
- Global tuning settings are applied on a per-GPU basis, so the desired GPU must be selected first in multi-GPU configurations
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.9.2 Optional Driver Release NotesOfficial
AMD · Release notes · checked Sep 30, 2026
- 26.9.2 is an optional driver release last updated 29 September 2026.
- Its Known Issues list still contains "AMD Smart Access Memory may become disabled after driver installation on Windows 10 systems", so the bug is unfixed as of the 29 September 2026 driver.
- Its Fixed Issues list does not mention Smart Access Memory.
AMD Driver Bug Silently Disables Smart Access Memory On Windows 10, Tanking Gaming Performance And Triggering CrashesReputable
Wccftech · News · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Users reported Smart Access Memory or Resizable BAR showing as disabled in AMD Software while Resizable BAR and Above 4G Decoding remained enabled in the system BIOS
- The reported consequences are lower performance in supported games, inconsistent behaviour and in some cases crashes
- Some users reported that restarting the system several times restored the feature
- Users encountered the disabled state after removing the driver with DDU in safe mode and performing a clean offline installation