War Thunder and Adrenalin 26.9.2: check your Radeon generation first

Two generations, two decisions

AMD’s September 29 release notes distinguish these cases:

RX 6000 · Stated fix

War Thunder in DirectX 12 with Instant Replay and Borderless Region Capture enabled: the driver timeout is listed as fixed.

RX 5000 · Known issue

Timeouts remain listed. AMD recommends 26.9.1 for affected users; that entry is not restricted to DX12 or capture settings.

If your setup matches the RX 6000 fix, an update has a specific symptom to test. If it matches the RX 5000 issue, prepare the recommended rollback instead. If the game is stable or your situation differs, these two entries alone do not establish a reason to change versions.

Before changing anything, make a symptom record

Search for “System” in AMD Software to find hardware and installed driver details. AMD’s identification guide shows where to look; labels can vary with the application language.

Also record the game’s graphics API, resolution, preset, capture options and the scene that triggers the problem. Distinguish a game closing, a driver-timeout message and a complete system freeze. That short record gives you something useful to compare after restarting.

Choose one change to evaluate. Updating the driver, BIOS, overclock and several game settings together would make it difficult to identify what helped.

Prepare a rollback you can actually verify

Version 26.9.1 is dated September 3 and lists RX 5000 compatibility. Still check your exact model and Windows version before downloading. AMD’s previous-driver instructions start from the product page; keep the intended installer before removing the current driver.

AMD recommends its cleanup utility when downgrading. The AMD Cleanup Utility guide recommends Safe Mode and requires a restart. It removes AMD graphics and audio components while leaving chipset drivers intact. Let any active Windows Update finish and make sure you can reach the PC directly.

Then follow AMD’s installation instructions. Take care with Factory Reset: AMD says it removes previous packages and prevents rolling back to the previously installed driver through that mechanism. Do not select it automatically. For a laptop or all-in-one PC, also check the system manufacturer’s guidance.

Afterward, repeat the same scenario

Confirm the version actually installed, then revisit the same scene using the settings you recorded. Use a comparable session length, especially if the problem appeared only after extended play. One successful session cannot establish that an intermittent crash is gone.

On Windows 10, also inspect Smart Access Memory: AMD warns that installation can disable it. Its graphics-settings guide shows the SAM control where supported. Record the before-and-after state; this check does not require a BIOS change.

If the fault remains reproducible, keep your versions, settings and reproduction steps for support. A persistent crash alone is insufficient evidence that the card needs replacing. For a genuine performance limit, our CPU-or-GPU upgrade method helps prepare a separate buying decision.