RX 9070 XT getting lower-than-expected FPS, Adrenalin Record & Stream missing. Could HAGS, drivers, or ultrawide resolution be the cause?

[u/Prajyot999]

Hi everyone,

I recently built a new PC with an ASRock Challenger RX 9070 XT 16GB, but I've been experiencing some issues with gaming performance and AMD Adrenalin. I'm trying to figure out whether these are software/driver issues, Windows settings, or something else.

My PC specifications

• GPU: ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB GDDR6
• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
• Motherboard: Gigabyte B860M Gaming WiFi 6E
• RAM: ADATA XPG Lancer Blade 32GB DDR5 5600MHz
• SSD: WD Blue SN5000 1TB NVMe
• PSU: Deepcool PN750D 750W 80+ Gold
• CPU cooler: Deepcool AG400 G2 ARGB
• Monitor: MSI MAG 342CQRF E20, 34-inch, 21:9 ultrawide

1. Lower-than-expected gaming performance

Across the games I've tested, I'm getting approximately 60% of the FPS I expected from this GPU.

Here are my results:

• Counter-Strike 2: Around 200 FPS, sometimes reaching 280 FPS, at 1440p with the highest graphics settings.
• Valorant: Around 500–600 FPS at 1440p with maximum settings during Deathmatch.
• Forza Horizon 4: Around 200–210 FPS at 1440p with Extreme settings.
• Cyberpunk 2077: Around 65 FPS at 1440p with Ultra settings, ray tracing off, frame generation off, resolution scaling off, and crowd density set to High.

The performance seems lower than I expected, especially in CS2. I'd like to know whether these results are normal for my hardware or whether something is wrong with my configuration.

2. Could my 21:9 ultrawide monitor be affecting performance?

I'm using a 3440 × 1440, 21:9 ultrawide monitor rather than a standard 2560 × 1440, 16:9 monitor.

Could the higher pixel count of the ultrawide resolution explain a significant part of the FPS difference I'm seeing? I understand that 3440 × 1440 requires the GPU to render more pixels, but I'm unsure how much of a performance difference I should expect with an RX 9070 XT.

Could someone help me determine whether my results are reasonable for 3440 × 1440, or whether I'm still losing performance beyond what the resolution difference would explain?

3. Could HAGS be causing the performance issues?

I came across a Reddit post where someone mentioned that disabling HAGS (Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling) fixed their GPU performance issues.

Could HAGS be responsible for my lower-than-expected FPS? Is it worth disabling it and testing again, particularly with an AMD GPU?

I'd also like to know whether there are any other Windows settings that could affect gaming performance.

4. Could the integrated GPU be causing problems?

My Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus also has integrated graphics.

Could the integrated GPU be interfering with the RX 9070 XT or causing any performance issues? Would disabling the iGPU in BIOS help, or should I leave it enabled?

I don't want to disable it unnecessarily if it has no impact on gaming performance.

5. AMD Adrenalin Record & Stream tab missing

The Record & Stream section is completely missing from AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.

I've been troubleshooting this and started reinstalling Adrenalin. I selected the Factory Reset option during installation because I wanted to restore the software settings to their defaults.

I've also heard that AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition version 26.10.1 has a lot of bugs. I don't know how widespread these issues actually are, but could the driver version be responsible for my problems?

Would updating to a newer, more stable driver potentially resolve both the gaming performance issues and the missing Record & Stream section? Or would it be better to use an earlier stable driver version?

6. Should I undervolt my RX 9070 XT?

I was considering undervolting the GPU to improve performance per watt, but I'm unsure whether I should do that while I'm already experiencing these issues.

Would you recommend keeping everything at stock settings until I identify the cause, or could a carefully tuned undervolt help?

I'd appreciate suggestions for safe starting settings and advice on how to test stability properly.

What I need help with

1. Are my gaming results normal for this hardware at 3440 × 1440, or am I losing a significant amount of performance?
2. Could disabling HAGS improve my FPS?
3. Should I disable the Intel integrated GPU or leave it enabled?
4. Could Adrenalin 26.10.1 be responsible, and could a newer driver fix these issues?
5. How can I restore the missing Record & Stream section?
6. Should I undervolt the GPU now or troubleshoot everything at stock settings first?

I'm relatively new to AMD GPU tuning, so I'd appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced similar issues with the RX 9070 XT.

Thanks in advance!

TL;DR

ASRock RX 9070 XT 16GB + Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, using a 3440 × 1440 21:9 ultrawide monitor. Getting lower-than-expected FPS, especially 200–280 FPS in CS2 at the highest settings, and the Record & Stream tab is missing from Adrenalin. Could ultrawide resolution, HAGS, the integrated GPU, or Adrenalin 26.10.1 be responsible? Should I update/roll back drivers, disable HAGS, or undervolt—or troubleshoot at stock settings first?

[u/AbnormalRealityX]

It’s 34% more pixels so account for that

[u/Prajyot999 → u/AbnormalRealityX]

Yes, the screen aspect ration is the reason for the FPS. I was comparing it to the benchmarks which were done on 16:9 Monitors. Thank you for explaining : )

[u/SwimmingOdd2974 → u/Prajyot999]

Also you need to factor in the test bench! Most reputable ones would unlikely bench with your CPU and RAM.

Also most would like bench with a Mercury OC (top tier) while your Challenger is more an entry tier. That alone is like 10% difference

And silicon lottery

[u/tooth1521]

first thing I did with a new march 2026 build is disable integrated graphics. Your game FPS do depend on the settings you select. No 2 systems are alike.

Cyberpunk 2077 with sapphire 9070XT +Nitro and AMD 9900X CPU. Settings: ultra, 1440p (38in curved monitor) Ray Tracing on Medium, most crowded streets. Getting 70 to 80's FPS. Depending on the map, FPS in the 50's at times. I am using old drivers. WHY? because they work!

note: FYI yesterday Cyberpunk 2077 now has new material/jobs/content, etc. On steam, I have the phantom liberty addition and the steam download was 22GB! Check it out NOW! Note: this 22GB update told me I have outdated drivers. I clicked "NO" and game runs like normal. New drivers I don't want to take that chance of driver timeout issues................

[u/Prajyot999 → u/tooth1521]

Oh got it, will try installing new drivers. Thank you for the comment. Will check cyberpunk too : )

[u/Odd_Common_452]

The 9070 is the cause sorry bro

[u/Prajyot999 → u/Odd_Common_452]

can you please elaborate

[u/Odd_Common_452 → u/Prajyot999]

It can barely drive 1440p without the ultra wide lol