Windows 11’s first cumulative update makes AMD CPU issues worse, but a fix is coming
AMD CPUs are slowed down even more by the first cumulative update to Windows 11.
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Update October 15, 2021 at 2:15 p.m. ET:The latest Windows 11 Release Preview and Beta Channel build hasaddressed the L3 caching issue.
Shortly after the launch ofWindows 11, two issues were discovered that affected the performance of AMD processors. One problem caused a performance drop of 10-15%. Those issues got even worse following thefirst cumulative update to Windows 11, according to a report byTechPowerUp. People with affected AMD systems may want to wait to upgrade to Windows 11 as fixes for these issues are expected later this month.
One of thepreviously discovered issuescan cause L3 cache latency to increase dramatically. The other issue involves AMD’s preferred core technology, which shifts threads to the fastest core on a processor. TechPowerUp’s findings relate to the first issue.
“In our own testing, a Ryzen 7 2700X “Pinnacle Ridge” processor, which typically posts an L3 cache latency of 10 ns, was tested to show a latency of 17 ns,” said TechPowerUp. “This was made much worse with the October 12 “patch Tuesday” update, driving up the latency to 31.9 ns.”
AMD reportedly shared a statement on social media, which has since appeared onReddit, about fixes for these issues. A patch for the preferred core bug will come in an AMD driver update on October 21, 2021, according to the post. A Windows Update said to be on the way for October 19, 2021 will address the L3 cache latency issue.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.