diff --git a/install.ps1 b/install.ps1
index 5228c7ba30..bf279b5850 100644
--- a/install.ps1
+++ b/install.ps1
@@ -1311,23 +1311,31 @@ shell.Run cmd, 0, False
     # When the HIP SDK is present and Python 3.12 is in use, swap in the AMD wheel
     # URL and clear $TorchIndexUrl so the standard --index-url path is skipped.
     $ROCmTorchWheelUrl = $null
+    $ROCmTarballUrl    = $null
     if ($HasROCm -and -not $SkipTorch) {
         $pyMajMin = if ($DetectedPython) { ($DetectedPython.Version -split '\.')[0..1] -join '.' } else { "" }
         if ($pyMajMin -eq "3.12") {
             $amdWheelBase = if ($env:UNSLOTH_ROCM_WINDOWS_MIRROR) { $env:UNSLOTH_ROCM_WINDOWS_MIRROR.TrimEnd('/') } else { "https://repo.radeon.com/rocm/windows" }
             if ($ROCmVersion -and $ROCmVersion -match '^7\.2') {
                 $amdRelBase = "$amdWheelBase/rocm-rel-7.2.1"
+                # rocm tarball (14 KB) provides the 'rocm_sdk' Python namespace that
+                # torch/_rocm_init.py imports at startup.
+                $ROCmTarballUrl = "$amdRelBase/rocm-7.2.1.tar.gz"
                 $ROCmAllWheelUrls = @(
                     "$amdRelBase/rocm_sdk_core-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
+                    "$amdRelBase/rocm_sdk_devel-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
                     "$amdRelBase/rocm_sdk_libraries_custom-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
                     "$amdRelBase/torch-2.9.1+rocm7.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl",
                     "$amdRelBase/torchvision-0.24.1+rocm7.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl",
                     "$amdRelBase/torchaudio-2.9.1+rocm7.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl"
                 )
-                $ROCmTorchWheelUrl = $ROCmAllWheelUrls[2]
+                $ROCmTorchWheelUrl = $ROCmAllWheelUrls[3]
                 $TorchIndexUrl = $null
             } elseif ($ROCmVersion -and $ROCmVersion -match '^7\.1') {
                 $amdRelBase = "$amdWheelBase/rocm-rel-7.1.1"
+                # rocm tarball (14 KB) provides the 'rocm_sdk' Python namespace that
+                # torch/_rocm_init.py imports at startup.
+                $ROCmTarballUrl = "$amdRelBase/rocm-0.1.dev0.tar.gz"
                 $ROCmAllWheelUrls = @(
                     "$amdRelBase/rocm_sdk_core-0.1.dev0-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
                     "$amdRelBase/rocm_sdk_libraries_custom-0.1.dev0-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
@@ -1440,12 +1448,17 @@ shell.Run cmd, 0, False
         } elseif ($ROCmTorchWheelUrl) {
             Write-TauriLog "STEP" "Installing PyTorch (AMD ROCm Windows)"
             substep "installing PyTorch (AMD ROCm $ROCmVersion)..."
-            # Expand array to scalars — @array splatting requires & and doesn't
-            # work reliably inside scriptblocks passed to Invoke-InstallCommand.
-            $rw0 = $ROCmAllWheelUrls[0]; $rw1 = $ROCmAllWheelUrls[1]
-            $rw2 = $ROCmAllWheelUrls[2]; $rw3 = $ROCmAllWheelUrls[3]
-            $rw4 = $ROCmAllWheelUrls[4]
-            $torchInstallExit = Invoke-InstallCommand { uv pip install --python $VenvPython --force-reinstall --no-deps $rw0 $rw1 $rw2 $rw3 $rw4 }
+            # Install the rocm namespace tarball first (provides the 'rocm_sdk'
+            # Python package that torch/_rocm_init.py imports at startup).
+            if ($ROCmTarballUrl) {
+                $tarballExit = Invoke-InstallCommand { uv pip install --python $VenvPython --force-reinstall --no-deps $ROCmTarballUrl }
+                if ($tarballExit -ne 0) {
+                    Write-Host "[WARN] ROCm namespace tarball install failed (exit $tarballExit) -- continuing" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                }
+            }
+            # Install remaining SDK + torch wheels.  @array splatting inside a
+            # scriptblock works in PS 5.1 because & $Command runs in-scope.
+            $torchInstallExit = Invoke-InstallCommand { uv pip install --python $VenvPython --force-reinstall --no-deps @ROCmAllWheelUrls }
             if ($torchInstallExit -ne 0) {
                 Write-Host "[ERROR] Failed to install AMD ROCm PyTorch (exit code $torchInstallExit)" -ForegroundColor Red
                 return (Exit-InstallFailure "Failed to install AMD ROCm PyTorch (exit code $torchInstallExit)" $torchInstallExit)
diff --git a/studio/install_python_stack.py b/studio/install_python_stack.py
index 1a774e1f5c..39968ce484 100644
--- a/studio/install_python_stack.py
+++ b/studio/install_python_stack.py
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ _ROCM_WINDOWS_RELEASES: dict[tuple[int, int], tuple[str, list[str]]] = {
     (7, 2): (
         "rocm-rel-7.2.1",
         [
+            # rocm tarball provides the 'rocm_sdk' Python namespace package
+            "rocm-7.2.1.tar.gz",
             "rocm_sdk_core-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
+            "rocm_sdk_devel-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
             "rocm_sdk_libraries_custom-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
             "torch-2.9.1+rocm7.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl",
             "torchvision-0.24.1+rocm7.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl",
@@ -80,6 +83,8 @@ _ROCM_WINDOWS_RELEASES: dict[tuple[int, int], tuple[str, list[str]]] = {
     (7, 1): (
         "rocm-rel-7.1.1",
         [
+            # rocm tarball provides the 'rocm_sdk' Python namespace package
+            "rocm-0.1.dev0.tar.gz",
             "rocm_sdk_core-0.1.dev0-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
             "rocm_sdk_libraries_custom-0.1.dev0-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
             "torch-2.9.0+rocmsdk20251116-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl",
@@ -352,7 +357,6 @@ def _ensure_rocm_torch() -> None:
         pip_install(
             f"ROCm torch (Windows, {rel_tag})",
             "--force-reinstall",
-            "--no-cache-dir",
             "--no-deps",
             *wheel_urls,
             constrain = False,
diff --git a/studio/setup.ps1 b/studio/setup.ps1
index bd6a6ac101..fdffaa30b8 100644
--- a/studio/setup.ps1
+++ b/studio/setup.ps1
@@ -1855,6 +1855,7 @@ if ($HasNvidiaSmi) {
 # torch wheels instead of CPU-only PyTorch.
 $ROCmVersion = $script:ROCmVersion
 $ROCmTorchWheelUrls = $null
+$ROCmTarballUrl     = $null
 if ($HasROCm -and $CuTag -eq "cpu") {
     $pyVer = (& python --version 2>&1 | Out-String) -replace '[^0-9.]',''
     $pyMajMin = ($pyVer.Trim() -split '\.')[0..1] -join '.'
@@ -1862,8 +1863,12 @@ if ($HasROCm -and $CuTag -eq "cpu") {
     if ($pyMajMin -eq "3.12" -and $ROCmVersion) {
         if ($ROCmVersion -match '^7\.2') {
             $rb = "$amdWheelBase/rocm-rel-7.2.1"
+            # rocm tarball (14 KB) provides the 'rocm_sdk' Python namespace that
+            # torch/_rocm_init.py imports at startup.
+            $ROCmTarballUrl = "$rb/rocm-7.2.1.tar.gz"
             $ROCmTorchWheelUrls = @(
                 "$rb/rocm_sdk_core-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
+                "$rb/rocm_sdk_devel-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
                 "$rb/rocm_sdk_libraries_custom-7.2.1-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
                 "$rb/torch-2.9.1+rocm7.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl",
                 "$rb/torchvision-0.24.1+rocm7.2.1-cp312-cp312-win_amd64.whl",
@@ -1871,6 +1876,9 @@ if ($HasROCm -and $CuTag -eq "cpu") {
             )
         } elseif ($ROCmVersion -match '^7\.1') {
             $rb = "$amdWheelBase/rocm-rel-7.1.1"
+            # rocm tarball (14 KB) provides the 'rocm_sdk' Python namespace that
+            # torch/_rocm_init.py imports at startup.
+            $ROCmTarballUrl = "$rb/rocm-0.1.dev0.tar.gz"
             $ROCmTorchWheelUrls = @(
                 "$rb/rocm_sdk_core-0.1.dev0-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
                 "$rb/rocm_sdk_libraries_custom-0.1.dev0-py3-none-win_amd64.whl",
@@ -1886,9 +1894,17 @@ $PyTorchWhlBase = if ($env:UNSLOTH_PYTORCH_MIRROR) { $env:UNSLOTH_PYTORCH_MIRROR
 
 if ($ROCmTorchWheelUrls) {
     substep "installing PyTorch (AMD ROCm $ROCmVersion)..."
-    $sw0 = $ROCmTorchWheelUrls[0]; $sw1 = $ROCmTorchWheelUrls[1]
-    $sw2 = $ROCmTorchWheelUrls[2]; $sw3 = $ROCmTorchWheelUrls[3]; $sw4 = $ROCmTorchWheelUrls[4]
-    $output = Fast-Install --force-reinstall --no-deps $sw0 $sw1 $sw2 $sw3 $sw4 | Out-String
+    # Install the rocm namespace tarball first (provides the 'rocm_sdk' Python
+    # package that torch/_rocm_init.py imports at startup).
+    if ($ROCmTarballUrl) {
+        $tarballOut = Fast-Install --force-reinstall --no-deps $ROCmTarballUrl | Out-String
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+            Write-Host "[WARN] ROCm namespace tarball install failed -- continuing" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            Write-Host $tarballOut -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        }
+    }
+    # Install remaining SDK + torch wheels using array splatting.
+    $output = Fast-Install --force-reinstall --no-deps @ROCmTorchWheelUrls | Out-String
     $torchInstallExit = $LASTEXITCODE
     if ($torchInstallExit -ne 0) {
         Write-Host "[WARN] AMD ROCm PyTorch install failed -- falling back to CPU" -ForegroundColor Yellow