AMD has suggested a workaround for the frustrating stuttering issues in Windows 10 and 11 computers powered by Ryzen CPUs and promised to roll out an update to fix the problem later this year. Bugs and security issues are a problem on most platforms, including Windows. However, while the vast majority of issues on the platform relates to the OS itself, this is one instance where Microsoft cannot be blamed.
AMD Ryzen CPUs are preferred by gamers looking for relatively affordable gaming hardware, as well as by users with heavy multi-threaded workloads. This month, the company is fixing to launch at least three new Alder lake rivals, including the Ryzen 7 5700X, Ryzen 5 5600 and 5500. Alongside them, the Ryzen 7 58ooX3D is also said to go on sale by the end of March.
In a post on its official support site, AMD confirmed reports that some Ryzen-powered Windows 11 and Windows 10 machines are experiencing intermittent performance issues, including stutters and lag when running with fTPM (firmware TPM) enabled. According to the company, the problems are caused by "extended fTPM-related memory transactions in SPI flash memory ("SPIROM") located on the motherboard," leading to freezing of the entire system or reduced responsiveness until the transactions are completed. Thankfully, users could solve the issues with a firmware update, but it will take some time. According to the company, the affected PCs will require a motherboard system BIOS (sBIOS) update, which will be available by early May 2022. For folks who cannot wait that long, the company suggests a workaround involving spending some money.
As part of its suggested workaround, AMD said users could switch off the fTPM and install a discrete TPM module (dTPM) in the dedicated TMP 2.0 header on the motherboard instead. However, external TPM 2.0 modules typically cost between $50-$100 online, which means it will be an additional expense for people wanting an immediate remedy. In addition, it is worth noting that not all motherboards support dTPM modules, so it's imperative that users opting for the workaround check their system compatibility before spending the money. Meanwhile, people who have decided to go through with the workaround will also have to disable Bitlocker encryption before switching between fTPM and dTPM.
The news of the new bugs in AMD's firmware comes several months after the company admitted to severe flaws slowing down Ryzen-powered computers by up to 15 percent for a range of popular games. While the issue impacted most applications, the worst affected were a series of eSports games that were noticeably slower on Ryzen PCs compared to their Intel counterparts. AMD eventually rolled out updates to fix the issue, but the company now wants to catch a break after these new performance issues are once again negatively affecting the user experience on AMD-powered PCs.
Source: AMD
