Symptoms & Diagnosis
If you are experiencing sudden lag bursts while gaming, you might be dealing with AMD Radeon Software causing ping spikes. This issue often manifests as “jitter,” where your latency jumps from 30ms to 500ms for a split second before returning to normal.
To confirm the diagnosis, you should run a continuous ping test to your router or a stable DNS server like Google. This will help determine if the spikes are local or ISP-related.
ping 8.8.8.8 -tWatch the results for several minutes. if you see “Request timed out” or significant spikes every 10 to 60 seconds while the Radeon Adrenalin software is active, the software’s background scanning is likely the culprit.
Troubleshooting Guide
The primary cause of these spikes is often the “AMD Link” feature or the software’s internal “User Experience Program” which periodically pings servers or scans the network.
Disable AMD Link
AMD Link allows you to stream games to other devices, but its discovery service can interfere with WiFi stability. Open Radeon Software, go to Settings (Gear Icon) > Devices, and ensure AMD Link is toggled to “Disabled.”
Modify Registry for Network Throttling
Windows sometimes throttles network traffic when multimedia applications are running. You can adjust this via the Registry Editor, though this is for advanced users.
| Feature | Default State | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Link | Enabled/Standby | Disable completely |
| In-Game Overlay | Enabled | Disable for testing |
| Factory Reset Install | Optional | Highly Recommended |
Perform a Minimal Driver Installation
If the spikes persist, the “Full Install” of the Adrenalin suite may be too bloated for your network configuration. You can reinstall the drivers without the extra software utilities.
Download the latest driver package, run the installer, and when prompted for “Install Type,” select “Minimal Install” or “Driver Only.” This removes the background services that typically cause WiFi drops.
Prevention
To prevent future ping spikes, avoid using the “Record & Stream” features over a wireless connection. These features require constant bandwidth and can trigger aggressive packet prioritizing in the driver.
Keep your Windows “Location Services” turned off. AMD software sometimes triggers a location refresh which forces the WiFi card to scan for nearby access points, causing a momentary drop in data transmission.
Finally, always use the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) when switching driver versions. Leftover files from previous versions are a common source of software conflicts that result in network instability.