Soon after the first Windows 11 Update was released to the public, several users with AMD processors complained that they experienced a drop in the level of their PC’s performance by up to 15%. The chipset maker confirmed that the L3 caching issue impacted its SoCs, and that it was working with Microsoft for resolving the problem.
The much awaited Windows 11 AMD Performance fix has arrived, with the KB5006746 Update. The Redmond company began testing a patch for Ryzen processors last week, for the Beta and Release Preview channels. After positive feedback from users, the fix is now being seeded as an optional update to users in the Stable channel.
AMD’s support article PA-400 acknowledges that the KB5006746 Update fully resolves the performance related issue.
Head on to the Settings app, to check for updates. The new patch will appear as a Cumulative Update, click the Download and Install button to apply the fixes. The AMD Performance fix is just one of many solutions that the patch brings, so the update is also available for Intel users. Microsoft terms it the October 2021 Windows non-security preview “C” release, but it is available for all users, even if you are not on the Insider Preview Program. The update also fixes an issue that prevented the Start Menu and Taskbar from working, after upgrading to Windows 11.
AMD has also addressed a second problem with the release of the AMD Ryzen Chipset Driver 3.10.08.506 package. It patches an issue related to the UEFI CPPC2 preferred core, which was negatively impacting the performance of CPU threads. AMD is suggesting users with Zen+ and Zen2 processors to activate the Ryzen Balanced power plan. That basically applies to Ryzen 1000 to 3000 series CPUs. It is not available from Windows 11’s Settings, so you will need to select it from the Control Panel > Power Options. The AMD 3.10.08.506 driver is available for download on the support portal, along with a full list of supported AMD chipsets and processors. The Ryzen 5000 series is Zen 3 and does not need power plans.
If you experience an error that says “AMD Chipset Software installation failed.”, you can try the following fix suggested by reddit user TheSarrum. Download the AMD_Chipset_Software.exe from AMD’s website. Run the AMD_Chipset_Drivers.exe from your Program Files folder, install the driver, and reboot the system when prompted. Run the application again, but this time, uninstall the drivers, and execute the AMD_Chipset_Software.exe that you downloaded. It should proceed with the installation of the new drivers.
This is optional, but you can run a tool like AIDA64, to benchmark your computer’s performance, before and after installing the Windows Update and the drivers, to check if it makes a difference. But really, the only way to actually measure the impact is to use your computer as you would normally, play games, and run some heavy tasks.
Image courtesy: Reddit user OJDille
Many users are reporting that the KB5006746 and the new AMD drivers have fixed the issue on their computers, while a few claim that the Read/Write speeds are still bad.
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