Some Big Navi cards (that's the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series for those not familiar with GPU jargon) have received a surprise update that allows them to run cooler and quieter.

TechPowerUp has discovered that the new Radeon Software Adrenaline 21.4.1 WHQL driver brings previously undisclosed improvements to the power consumption of AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, RX 6800, and RX 6900 XT (aka AMD Big Navi) cards. We found that it brings an improvement that has not been announced. The problem? These efficiency gains do not apply to gaming, which is the raison d'etre of all three GPUs.

The Radeon RX 6700 XT, which was already more efficient than its affected brethren, did not seem to benefit either. Low power consumption is good for graphics card health, even when the PC is idle or running only very low-load software. [Indeed, TechPowerUp found that all three RX 6000 GPUs reduced power consumption from over 25W to less than 10W when idling and from over 45W to less than 30W when playing media.

Lower power usage means that the GPUs are likely running cooler, which means the card's fan does not need to spin up as fast or as often. Also, if the card is quieter when idling or watching video, there will be fewer distractions.

AMD does not mention these improvements in the Adrenaline 21.4.1 changelog, presumably to focus on additional features such as the new remote play feature in the AMD Link app. This is similar to Valve's Steam Link, which allows users to stream games from their PCs to their mobile devices, allowing them to play AAA games on their phones.

Of course, to take advantage of the Big Navi GPU improvements, one must first obtain a GPU, but with the global GPU shortage, that is easier said than done; for more information on where to buy the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT and the AMD Radeon RX 6800XT, re See our guide to the best retailers to check for incoming shipments.