AMD is the second-largest manufacturer of consumer graphics cards (after Nvidia) and at the same time the most important alternative to Intel for desktop and laptop CPUs. Whoever owns a Ryzen processor or a Radeon graphics card therefore deals with two AMD driver families that have to work together: the Adrenalin Edition for graphics and the Chipset Driver for CPU and motherboard.
AMD at a glance
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. was founded in 1969 in Sunnyvale, California. AMD is currently the only manufacturer producing competitive x86 CPUs (Ryzen, EPYC) and modern GPUs (Radeon RX) for end customers. After the takeover of ATI in 2006, the GPU business was integrated; the ATI brand was retired in 2010.
Contact and driver sources
AMD Inc.
2485 Augustine Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA
Driver download: amd.com/de/support
Adrenalin Edition (current GPU driver): Auto-detect via the AMD download page
Chipset driver: separate download in the same area
Driver archive: Previous Drivers section, dating back to Catalyst 15.7.1
Current AMD product lines
Radeon graphics cards (GPU)
- Radeon RX 9000 — current top class (RDNA 4, 2025)
- Radeon RX 7000 — RDNA 3, 2022/2023, still widespread
- Radeon RX 6000 — RDNA 2, 2020/2021
- Radeon RX 5000 and older — RDNA 1, GCN — limited driver support
- Radeon Pro — workstation cards (counterpart to Nvidia RTX/Quadro)
Ryzen processors (CPU)
- Ryzen 9000 — Zen 5, 2024/2025, current generation
- Ryzen 8000 — Zen 4 with NPU for AI workloads
- Ryzen 7000 — Zen 4, 2022/2023
- Ryzen 5000 and older — Zen 3 / Zen 2, still widespread
AVG Driver Updater detects both Adrenalin (GPU) and Chipset (CPU/Motherboard) drivers and updates them in one go.
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
The AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition is the central driver and configuration software for Radeon graphics cards. Released roughly monthly with WHQL certification, plus occasional Beta and Optional versions for specific game launches.
Functions:
- Driver management — installation, rollback, version overview
- Performance metrics — FPS, frame times, GPU temperature, VRAM usage
- Tuning — overclocking, undervolting, fan curves
- Streaming and recording — comparable to Nvidia ShadowPlay
- FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) — upscaling technology, AMD's counterpart to DLSS
- HYPR-RX / AFMF — frame generation for selected games
Installing AMD drivers correctly
- Open amd.com/de/support.
- Run auto-detect (small utility), or select hardware manually.
- Download the Adrenalin Edition (typically 600–800 MB).
- Run as administrator. The installer handles uninstalling the old driver automatically.
- For repeated issues: optional Factory Reset in the installer.
Don't forget: install the chipset driver too
For Ryzen systems the AMD Chipset Driver is mandatory. It contains:
- CPU Power Management (essential for Zen 4/5 — without it the CPU runs in a degraded state)
- SMBus controllers
- USB controllers (some new platforms)
- NVMe driver optimisations
The chipset driver is downloaded separately from the AMD support page — choose the matching socket (AM4, AM5) and chipset model (X670, B650, X870, etc.).
Common problems with AMD drivers
Screen tearing despite FreeSync
If FreeSync is enabled but you still see screen tearing: in Adrenalin under Display → AMD FreeSync set the mode to Always-on instead of On. In some games FreeSync only works in fullscreen — change the game to borderless windowed mode if needed.
Driver Timeout / Black Screen during gaming
Classic AMD problem after specific Adrenalin versions. Often related to insufficient PSU output during dynamic load peaks (especially RX 7900 XTX, 9070 XT). Solutions:
- Check PSU output — AMD recommends at least 850W for RX 9000 series
- Set Power Limit in Adrenalin to -10% as a test
- Roll back to a previous driver version
- Disable HYPR-RX — it can cause instability in some games
Ryzen runs too hot, throttles too quickly
Ryzen 7000 and 9000 use aggressive Boost Clocks, which often push the CPU to 95°C under load — that's normal! AMD calls it thermal headroom. If the CPU repeatedly reaches the boost ceiling: install the latest chipset driver, update BIOS, and check that Precision Boost Overdrive is set sensibly.
Anti-Lag+ Anti-Cheat ban (older issue)
An Anti-Lag+ feature that was active for a brief period in 2023 caused VAC bans in CS2 and ban-flags in other titles. AMD removed the feature and replaced it with a safer Anti-Lag 2 in 2024. Check whether you have an old Adrenalin version (24.x or earlier) — update.
Which Windows versions are supported?
- Windows 11 — fully supported, all current cards.
- Windows 10 — fully supported.
- Windows 7 / 8.1 — discontinued. Last Adrenalin: 22.6.1 (June 2022).
- Linux — Open-source amdgpu driver works for almost all RDNA generations and is often more stable than the proprietary version. Wayland support good.
Current version and version history
Note: AMD versions are now formatted as Year.Quarter.Patch. Earlier versions used the format YY.M.X.
Adrenalin Edition — last 12 months
| Version | Date | Key changes |
|---|---|---|
| 26.3.1 WHQL | 19.03.2026 | Star Wars: Eclipse, Hellblade III; bugfixes HYPR-RX |
| 26.2.2 WHQL | 11.02.2026 | Avowed, Civilization VII; FSR 4.0 first wave |
| 26.1.1 WHQL | 15.01.2026 | Reactor, Pacific Drive 2 launch; new game streaming |
| 25.12.1 WHQL | 10.12.2025 | December games; AMD Hypr-RX expansion |
| 25.11.2 WHQL | 26.11.2025 | Stalker 2 launch driver |
| 25.10.2 WHQL | 23.10.2025 | Call of Duty BO6, Assassin's Creed Shadows |
| 25.9.1 WHQL | 11.09.2025 | Star Wars Outlaws optimisations |
| 25.8.1 WHQL | 21.08.2025 | Black Myth: Wukong RX 9000 series support |
| 24.7.1 WHQL | 17.07.2024 | Last release before format change |
Further sources
Authoritative sources for deeper information:
- AMD on Wikipedia
- FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) — Wikipedia
- AMD Adrenalin Edition Release Notes (official)
- CVE database: AMD driver vulnerabilities
Frequently asked questions
Yes! For Ryzen systems the chipset driver is essential. It controls CPU power management — without it the CPU runs less efficiently and lacks important Boost states.
FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) is AMD's upscaling technology — counterpart to Nvidia DLSS. The current FSR 4 (RDNA 4) uses an AI-driven model and is comparable to DLSS in quality. The decisive difference: FSR works on AMD, Nvidia, and Intel — DLSS only on Nvidia.
No, that's normal for Zen 4 and Zen 5 CPUs. AMD has explicitly designed the cooling concept for it (thermal headroom). The CPU automatically throttles before damage occurs. Permanent 95°C does not mean a defect.
Catalyst was the older AMD driver software (until 2015). Crimson followed (2015–2017), and Adrenalin since 2017. Today only Adrenalin is current. ATI Catalyst is only relevant for very old graphics cards (HD 5000–8000).
Often a known issue with high-end RDNA 3 cards: insufficient PSU output during load peaks. Even certified 1000W PSUs can be too little for poorly designed transient response. Test: lower power limit in Adrenalin by 10%, or test a stronger PSU.
Yes, by a clear margin. The open-source amdgpu driver is part of the Linux kernel and works for almost all RDNA generations. Wayland support, multi-monitor setup, and HDR work better than with Nvidia. For a Linux gaming setup, AMD is the easier choice.