How to Enable AMD Smart Access Memory | Free Performance Boost

On compatible hardware, enable AMD Smart Access Memory by updating BIOS, turning on Above 4G Decoding and Re-Size BAR, then check in Radeon Software.

Most Ryzen and Radeon owners leave this free boost on the table because the setting is buried in BIOS and the requirements aren’t always clear. A free gaming performance lift is three BIOS toggles away if you know how to enable AMD Smart Access Memory. The feature lets your Ryzen CPU access the full video memory of your Radeon GPU—no more 256 MB bottleneck—and enabling it takes about ten minutes. Below are the exact steps, the hardware you need, and the verification tricks that confirm SAM is running.

What Is AMD Smart Access Memory?

AMD Smart Access Memory is a technology that gives a Ryzen processor direct access to the entire frame buffer of a Radeon RX 6000 GPU. Traditional PC architecture limits the CPU to accessing GPU memory in 256 MB chunks through the PCIe bus, which creates a bottleneck when games need to shuttle large textures and assets between the two. SAM removes that cap, letting the CPU fetch assets in larger batches and reducing latency in supported titles. AMD positions SAM as part of its broader AMD Smart Technologies suite, which also includes Smart Shift and Smart Access Storage.

Hardware Requirements for AMD Smart Access Memory

Not every AMD PC can run SAM. The feature requires a specific combination of motherboard chipset, CPU, GPU, and firmware. The table below lays out exactly what you need.

Laptop owners with Ryzen 5000H and Radeon RX 6000M graphics get SAM enabled from the factory on most MSI models. No BIOS changes are needed—just verify it is active using Device Manager.

Enabling AMD Smart Access Memory: Step-by-Step BIOS Guide

The actual enablement happens in the motherboard BIOS and takes about five minutes. The exact menu labels vary by manufacturer—ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, and ASRock each use slightly different names—but the core settings are consistent across all of them. If you cannot find an option, search your board manual for the exact term.

1. Update your BIOS. Outdated firmware is the number one reason SAM options are missing. Download the latest BIOS for your board from the manufacturer’s support page and flash it before proceeding.
2. Enter BIOS. Restart your PC and press Del or F2 repeatedly during the initial boot screen.
3. Enable Above 4G Decoding. Look under Advanced, PCIe Subsystem, or a similarly named menu. On some ASUS boards it lives under PCI Subsystem Settings.
4. Enable Re-Size BAR Support. The same menu typically holds this option. Some boards offer Auto instead of Enabled—either works if it activates the feature.
5. Disable CSM. Turn off Launch CSM or Compatibility Support Module if your board requires it. CSM can suppress the Re-Size BAR option entirely.
6. Save and exit. Press F10 to save changes and reboot into Windows.

If the system fails to boot after these changes, clear the CMOS using the motherboard’s jumper or by removing the coin-cell battery for thirty seconds. This reverts BIOS to defaults and lets you start over.

Is SAM Active on Your System?

Once you have enabled the BIOS settings and booted back into Windows, it is time to confirm the feature is active. You can check in AMD Radeon Software by opening the app and navigating to Performance > Tuning. Look for the Smart Access Memory status—it should read Enabled. For a second check, download GPU-Z; the main screen shows a Re-Size BAR field that reports Active if SAM is running. On MSI laptops with Ryzen 5000H and Radeon RX 6000M, SAM is enabled by default and can also be confirmed in Device Manager under Display Adapters > Properties > Resources, where a Large Memory Range entry signals SAM is active.

When SAM Won’t Turn On

The most common reasons SAM refuses to enable are an outdated BIOS, CSM still active, or a hardware combination that does not meet the requirements. The table below covers each problem and the fix that resolves it. AMD’s official Smart Technologies page lists compatible hardware configurations, and your motherboard manual may offer board-specific guidance.

Making Sure You See the Gain

SAM is not a blanket performance boost—it helps most in games that load large textures and assets, where the wider memory path lets the CPU feed the GPU faster. Titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 5, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla have shown measurable gains in AMD’s testing and in user benchmarks. In games that aren’t optimized for SAM, frame rates stay the same. The feature costs nothing to enable and carries no power or heat penalty, so there is no reason to leave it off once the hardware qualifies. Even a 5-10% improvement in your most-played titles adds up to a meaningful experience gain over time.

The short version: update BIOS, enable Above 4G Decoding and Re-Size BAR, disable CSM, save, reboot, and verify in Radeon Software. If SAM shows Enabled, you are done—the system is running with the wider memory access path active.