If your SSD stays busy after you close your games and downloads, Windows Resource Monitor can show which process is writing. AMD has acknowledged an issue involving its External Events Client Module, atieclxx.exe, on some Radeon PCs. Start with a short idle check to see whether your system shows the same pattern.
What AMD has confirmed
AMD traced the reported activity to an interaction between its External Events utility and Microsoft's PCIe filter driver. As of 9 November 2026, AMD says the fix missed Adrenalin 26.10.2 and is planned for the next release. Adrenalin 26.11.1 is the expected version. Check the published release notes for your GPU before treating an update as the fix. The full range of affected drivers and hardware is still unclear.
Check Radeon disk writes in Resource Monitor
- Note your GPU model and installed Adrenalin version. In AMD Software, search for System and open System Settings to find the version.
- Close your game and let downloads, updates and file transfers finish. Press Win + R, enter resmon, and open the Disk tab.
- Under Processes with Disk Activity, sort by Write (B/sec). Look for atieclxx.exe, the AMD External Events Client Module. If it appears, tick its checkbox to filter Disk Activity, then note the file path or drive letter shown in the File column where available.
- Watch the write rate for five minutes and jot down the approximate range and whether it returns to zero. Repeat after a restart once startup activity settles. Use the same wait and observation window both times.
| What you see at idle | What to do next |
|---|---|
| atieclxx.exe is absent or shows no writes | The symptom did not appear during that check. If it comes and goes, repeat when the drive is busy again. |
| Brief bursts that settle | Check again after background jobs finish. The reported pattern is sustained activity. |
| atieclxx.exe keeps writing across both checks | Save the driver version, rate and file path if shown. Use those details for the update comparison or an AMD bug report. |
| Another process accounts for most writes | Clear the filter and sort by Write (B/sec) again to investigate that process. |
The same approach works for other background activity. Start with the process doing the work, then pick a counter that measures the resource you care about.
The Process Count Myth: What Actually Slows Down Your Windows PC
Compare before and after the driver update
Once the release notes list the disk-write fix for a driver compatible with your GPU, install that package and restart. Verify the installed version in AMD Software, then repeat the idle check with the same apps closed and the same observation window. A steady write rate that disappears across repeat checks is evidence the symptom cleared on your PC. If it persists, report it to AMD with the before-and-after versions and a Resource Monitor screenshot.
Leave AMD External Events Utility and Resizable BAR as they are for the baseline and retest. Stopping the service can affect Adrenalin hotkeys, and changing Resizable BAR adds another variable to any game comparison. Results from those workarounds vary by system.
Check SSD health and game stutter separately
Resource Monitor shows a write rate in Windows. For an NVMe drive, the drive's SMART log can report data written by the host and a separate Percentage Used estimate from the drive manufacturer. Compare the same drive's readings over time if your SSD utility exposes them. The host-write total covers all activity on the drive, so it cannot tell you how much flash wear came from the Radeon process.
If you also get hitches, record frame times on the same repeatable route before and after the driver update. Use the same graphics settings and compare runs after an equivalent warm-up. If the idle writes stop but hitches persist, continue troubleshooting frame times separately.
High FPS but Game Still Stutters? How to Fix Frame Time Spikes
FAQ
The process is part of AMD External Events. Check its Write (B/sec) column at idle and repeat after a restart. Sustained writes across both checks match the reported symptom.
AMD says the fix missed 26.10.2. Adrenalin 26.11.1 is the expected release. Check the Fixed Issues section and confirm the package supports your GPU before updating.
It shows the rate of activity observed in Windows. An NVMe SMART Percentage Used reading is a drive-level estimate, and the host-write counter includes all sources of writes. Neither provides a wear figure attributable to this process.
