Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Download AMD’s new driver now to fix a major Windows 11 bug

By

A day after Windows 11 launched, AMD posted a notice about two severe bugs that could tank performance as much as 15%. The two issues are resolved now. One fix comes from AMD, while you can obtain the other through Windows Update.

The AMD update is focused on UEFI CPPC2, or in practical terms, AMD’s preferred core feature. The Windows 11 bug wouldn’t put the most demanding work on the fastest core, leading to decreased performance overall. You can download the chipset driver update now (revision 3.10.08.506) from AMD’s website. As a reminder, this update is relevant to all AMD processors that work with Windows 11.

AMD Ryzen 5000 with no lid.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft just released a patch for the issue that many Windows 11 users are concerned about that can reduce gaming performance as much as 15%. This bug is related to increased L3 cache latency. It’s the lowest level of cache on the CPU, and increased latency means it clogs up data flowing into the CPU and up to the higher levels of cache.

Recommended Videos

Originally, Windows 11 could nearly double the latency of the L3 cache. Microsoft issued a patch for Windows 11 on its normal Patch Tuesday, and we hoped to see the problem resolved. But the update made the L3 cache latency issue worse, more than tripling the latency in some processors.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!
Privacy Policy

Microsoft issued a patch fixing this issue to Windows Insiders on October 15. Now, the patch is rolling out to the general public. To update, use Windows Key + S, search for Windows Update, and select Check for Updates. The build that fixes this issue should be available (KB 5006476). The update is all the more important considering Intel’s upcoming 12th-gen Alder Lake launch. These processors are said to work best on Windows 11, but bugs meant AMD was entering the fight at a disadvantage.

If you have an AMD processor that works with Windows 11, you should install the new patch now. Ryzen 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 chips are affected, as well as Threadripper 2000 and 3000, select EPYC server processors, and select Athlon processors.

After downloading the update, AMD recommends users with Zen+ or Zen 2 CPUs (Ryzen 2000 and 3000) set the AMD Ryzen Balanced power plan in the power options. To do that, open the Control Panel, select Power Options, then select Choose Power Plan. You can change your plan there.

Needless to say, Windows 11 isn’t off to a perfect start. However, these two new patches fix two of the biggest problems with the operating system. Microsoft recently released Android apps to Windows Insiders, too, delivering on one of the biggest promises for the new OS.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
Windows 11 might nag you about AI requirements soon
Copilot on a laptop on a desk.

After recent reports of new hardware requirements for the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update, it is evident that Microsoft is gearing up to introduce a bunch of new AI features. A new report now suggests that the company is working on adding new code to the operating system to alert users if they fail to match the minimum requirements to run AI-based applications.

According to Albacore on X (formerly known as Twitter), systems that do not meet the requirements will display a warning message in the form of a watermark. After digging into the latest Windows 11 Insider Build 26200, he came across requirements coded in the operating system for an upcoming AI File Explorer feature. The minimum requirement includes an ARM64 processor, 16GB of memory, 225GB of total storage, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite NPU.

Read more
The next big Windows 11 update has a new hardware requirement
Windows 11 device sitting on a stool.

Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update is expected to arrive with yet another hardware requirement. Centered around SSE4.2 or Streaming SIMD Extensions 4.2, a crucial component for modern processors, the new Windows 11 24H2 with build 26080 will only boot on CPUs that support the instruction set.

This information comes from Bob Pony on X (previously known as Twitter), following earlier reports in February where he claimed that CPUs lacking support for the POPCNT instruction were no longer compatible with Windows 11. The updated requirement is essentially the same, except that they now mandate the entire SSE 4.2 instruction set instead of just the POPCNT instruction within it, as was previously required.

Read more
You’re going to hate the latest change to Windows 11
A laptop running Windows 11.

Just two weeks after rolling out a preview build to Windows Insiders, Microsoft is pushing out an update to Windows 11 that adds advertisements to the Start menu. Build KB5036980, which is now slowly rolling out to the wider Windows 11 user base, includes recommendations in the Start menu, and they sneakily sit beside your real apps.

These apps comes exclusively from the Microsoft store, and they sit in the Recommended section of the Start menu. This section includes recently used, frequent, and new apps, but one (or more) slots will now be dedicated to an ad. As the update reads: "The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps. These apps come from a small set of curated developers. This will help you to discover some of the great apps that are available."

Read more