It’s always a bummer when a driver update drops, and you find out you may be better off not updating it. This looks like it could be the case with the relatively new AMD Adrenalin 26.5.1 graphics driver, which was released last week. Some users have reported that the driver update is breaking the Zero RPM feature on graphics cards that have it.
For context, Zero RPM does what it says on the tin – turning off the fans on applicable AMD graphics cards – but only when it’s idle or under low load. The idea is so that, for situations when the passive cooling from the heatsink is sufficient, the graphics card doesn’t turn the fans on to reduce mechanical wear, as well as dust buildup. When passive cooling is insufficient, like when you’re gaming, then it has no choice but to turn the fans on again.
As for what update 26.5.1 of the AMD Adrenalin graphics driver does to the feature, a number of users on Reddit have reported that the update has introduced a bug to it. User u/Evelyne-Tourneciel claims that Zero RPM activates when the monitor turns off when the system goes idle for long enough, or when the system goes to sleep. Upon awakening, the fans stay in Zero RPM mode, even when under load later. A reboot works as a temporary measure, but only until your system goes to sleep again.
A number of other users have chimed in, claiming to also be affected by the same issue. Others have suggested rolling back to an older version of the driver as a fix, as well as using third party tools like the Display Driver Uninstaller to not only completely remove traces of all prior display driver updates, but also using the tool to install the new driver.
Tom’s Hardware also reports that AMD has released a newer version of the Adrenalin graphics driver, 26.5.2. But since there’s no mention of the Zero RPM bug, it’s unclear if it’s an issue that has been addressed, or if it’s also present in this update.
(Source: Reddit, Tom’s Hardware)
