Windows 11 is finally here, but anyone rocking a PC or laptop powered by an AMD Ryzen processor would probably be best advised to hold off on pressing that update button.
AMD has issued notification of a ‘Windows 11 Performance Variation in Certain Applications on Compatible AMD Processors’ over on its support pages.
The company, along with Microsoft, has “determined that compatible AMD processors may exhibit reduced performance in certain applications when running Windows 11”. It seems Windows 11 is causing L3 cache latency to triple in Ryzen chips.
This can apparently lead to a performance hit of up to 15% in extreme cases, particularly in games commonly used for eSports.
Another issue is that, under Windows 11, Ryzen processors are failing to fully utilise the processor’s fastest core. As a result, any applications that are “sensitive to the performance of one or a few CPU threads” may suffer. AMD notes that this would be particularly noticeable in systems with more than 8 cores and above 65W TDP.
With both of these AMD Ryzen Windows 11 issues, AMD has supplied the same intended resolution: “A software update is in development to address this issue with expected availability in October of 2021”.
In the meantime, AMD is actively recommending that customers running on affected chips continue to use Windows 10.
If you’ve managed to avoid the hype surrounding Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 11 brings a MacOS-flavoured redesign, boosted performance, an all-new Microsoft Store with Android app support, integrated chat, and more.
It’s available now as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PC users, but AMD Ryzen peeps should probably hold off a while.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
