Updated Your AMD Driver? Make Sure Your GPU Fans Haven't "Died" After the Screen Turns Off

AMD Radeon users have run into an unpleasant surprise after installing the May graphics driver, Adrenalin 26.5.1. It turns out the update contains a bug that, under certain conditions, completely stops the cooling system's fans — even when the GPU is under serious load.

The root of the issue lies in how the Zero RPM technology works — an AMD‑exclusive feature that automatically turns off the GPU fans when idle or under low load (like when you're working with documents or watching video). This helps reduce noise levels and prevents dust buildup inside the case. Funny enough, a few months back, NVIDIA drivers had a similar problem.

Now AMD has released a driver, Adrenalin 26.5.2 WHQL, with official support for Forza Horizon 6 and 007 First Light. The fix list for the new version includes crashes in RoadCraft on RX 9000 series cards and graphical artifacts in Satisfactory, but not a word about the Zero RPM situation.

Worth noting that the fan issue isn't mentioned in the general known problems list for version 26.5.2 either. That could mean one of two things: either the company's engineers haven't gotten around to fixing it yet, or they think the bug affects too limited a number of configurations to put it on the public list. AMD itself hasn't officially commented on the situation so far.

Also, just yesterday, AMD officially announced that it's expanding support for the FidelityFX Super Resolution 4.1 upscaling technology to previous‑generation graphics cards. Owners of Radeon RX 7000 (RDNA 3 architecture) will get access to the updated upscaling as early as July this year, while RX 6000 (RDNA 2) owners have been promised a release in early 2027.

So, have you updated to Adrenalin 26.5.1 or 26.5.2 yet? Have you noticed your GPU fans not spinning up after waking the monitor, and what steps did you take? Share in the comments.