Windows 11 bug could reduce Ryzen CPU performance by up to 15%, says AMD

Most people shouldn’t be rushing to install brand new versions of the operating system on day one, and Windows 11 is no exception. AMD has released information on a pair of bugs that can reduce the performance of Ryzen processors running Windows 11 by up to 15%, although the slowdown you see will vary depending on what you’re doing and what processor you’re using. AMD expects both bugs to be fixed later this month.

The first issue AMD identified increases L3 cache latency up to three times, affecting applications that rely on fast memory performance. AMD says most affected apps will slow down 3 to 5 percent, but some “commonly used games for esports” could experience drops of 10 to 15 percent. AMD says a Windows Update will fix this issue later this month, so as long as you check for and install Windows Updates on a regular basis, you won’t have to do anything special to fix the issue.

The second bug is related to an AMD processor feature that tries to use your fastest individual processor cores when performing lightly threaded tasks rather than treating all cores the same. AMD doesn’t give a number on this one, but says the problem “may be more detectable” in processors with eight or more cores and a TDP of 65W or more. This would include most Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 series desktop processors and APUs. AMD says that a “software update”, not a Windows update, will be released to resolve the issue. problem later in October. So you may need to install new AMD chipset drivers or other software to get the fix.

AMD Ryzen’s issues are distinct from performance slowdowns caused by some of Windows’ virtualization-based security features. In particular, tests by outlets like Tom’s Hardware have shown that the Memory Integrity Security feature can reduce performance by a few percentage points in some general computer games and tasks, although results vary widely. depending on the software you are using and the processor you are using. have. The feature is included in both Windows 10 and Windows 11, but is disabled by default in both operating systems for all newer laptops and desktops sold by major PC manufacturers.