What to Do if a Bug in Your AMD GPU Is Wearing Down Your SSD - CNET
AMD is developing a software update to fix a driver issue causing excessive data writes to SSDs across its Radeon GPU lineup.
The bug has been traced to two software components: AMD External Events Client Module and Utility, known as atieclxx.exe or atiesrxx.exe under Windows processes. This background service handles monitoring functions but is also writing a large amount of data to SSDs.
This excessive data writing can accelerate SSD wear and tear, potentially shortening drive lifespan. According to reports, this could mean losing 1% of the drive's health in just a month.
Affected Products
Contrary to initial reports suggesting various AMD GPU models could be affected, AMD's help article indicates only Radeon RX 7000 and 9000 series products are impacted. The company acknowledges the issue as 'excessive SSD write activity' that occurs when systems are idle.
AMD is actively working toward a fix and that its knowledge base article will be updated once there's a resolution.
Temporary Solutions
Users experiencing the issue can check Windows Resource Monitor (accessed via Windows key + R and typing 'resmon') to see if atieclxx.exe or atiesrxx.exe processes are writing excessive data to their SSD.
Some users have disabled the External Events software entirely through Windows services (services.msc), though this could affect display functions and game performance. Others have tried disabling Resizable Bar (ReBAR) or switched to alternative AMD drivers compatible only with AMD chipsets.
AMD has indicated a fix is coming potentially as early as the next Adrenalin Edition release, 26.11.1. The cost of SSDs has spiked dramatically in recent years, making this an expensive problem if it causes significant drive wear.
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