AMD Radeon Drivers May Cause Constant Background SSD Writes

AMD Radeon GPU users are reporting an issue with the latest Adrenalin drivers that may cause unnecessary background SSD writes, even when the PC is idle. The issue has been linked to AMD's External Events Utility, which appears to generate continuous write activity and could reduce SSD health over time.

Reports indicate that some users have experienced significant drive wear, with one user reporting approximately 1% SSD health loss every month. According to a report shared on the PC Master Race subreddit, the latest AMD Adrenalin update may be causing continuous writes to SSDs, potentially reducing their lifespan. The activity can continue even when the PC is idle, with no applications running or files being transferred.

AMD Adrenalin Drivers Reportedly Causing Continuous SSD Writes

In some cases, the reported write activity can reach 432GB throughout an entire day. Since these writes come from GPU-related software, this isn't the type of SSD activity you would normally expect when the system isn't doing anything. We expect SSDs to work when installing games, transferring files, downloading updates, or recording gameplay.

However, unnecessary background writes are a different matter, especially because SSDs have a limited write endurance. One user reported that their SSD lost about 1% of its health every month for 16 months, raising concerns about the impact on drive lifespan. AMD representatives have acknowledged the issue, and a fix is reportedly being targeted for Adrenalin 26.11.1.

Radeon users should watch for upcoming driver updates and check whether the issue has been addressed. Reports suggest the issue doesn't affect every Radeon system in the same way. Write activity varies by hardware configuration, including the GPU and SSD.

The component associated with the issue is AMD External Events Utility. Reports indicate that its associated process can generate persistent background write activity, including when the computer is idle. One reported workaround is to turn off the AMD External Events Utility service. However, doing so may affect display-related functionality.

Disabling Resizable BAR Could Be Another Workaround

Another workaround users have reported involves disabling Resizable BAR. According to one report, turning off ReBAR stopped the excessive SSD write activity. However, disabling ReBAR can introduce other issues, so we would not recommend changing this setting without first checking whether the problem is actually affecting your system.

If you are downloading a game, installing Windows updates, transferring files, or recording gameplay, SSD activity is expected. However, if you close everything and your system keeps writing data in the background, it is worth investigating which process is responsible. You can use HWiNFO to monitor SSD activity and Task Manager to identify background processes using your storage.

Some users report relatively low activity, while others have experienced write speeds of about 5MB/s. The actual amount varies between systems. Users have shared another workaround, but it takes more steps and shouldn't be the first option. The process involves extracting AMD driver files and replacing specific files associated with the AMD External Events Utility.

The reported method involves downloading the AMD 26.3.1 driver and using a program such as 7-Zip to extract the driver contents and installer. After extracting the files, users need to locate the three required files mentioned in the report. The workaround involves placing those three files in the relevant location, setting AMD External Events Utility back to Automatic, and restarting the program.

Users have reported testing this method with Adrenalin 26.10.1 and 26.10.2.

However, this workaround is specifically intended for users with AMD chipsets. If you have an Intel motherboard or another chipset, you should not attempt these steps. We recommend checking the associated AMD External Events Utility file and monitoring background activity before attempting more complex changes.

AMD has already acknowledged the issue, so the upcoming Adrenalin 26.11.1 update remains the expected fix. If you are concerned about your SSD health, there are several ways to check its condition. Samsung users can use Samsung Magician, while Sabrent provides its own software for monitoring drive health. Gigabyte also offers a way to check SSD health.

Regularly monitor the health indicator to see whether it changes. If you notice a reduction in SSD health without any unusual workload, check the background write activity. For example, a reported write speed of 5MB/s translates to approximately 300MB of data every minute. If that activity continues throughout the day, it can result in a considerable amount of unnecessary writes.

FAQ

Q. What is the AMD Adrenalin SSD write issue?

A. The issue reportedly causes AMD Adrenalin software to generate continuous background writes to SSDs, even when the PC is idle, potentially reducing drive lifespan.

Q. How much SSD data can AMD drivers write in a day?

A. Some reports indicate that the background activity can generate up to 432GB of SSD writes in a single day, depending on the system.

Q. Which AMD component is linked to excessive SSD writes?

A. AMD External Events Utility has been identified as a possible source of persistent background write activity, including when the computer is idle.

Q. Will AMD fix the SSD write issue?

A. AMD representatives have acknowledged the issue, with a fix reportedly targeted for the Adrenalin 26.11.1 driver update.