AMD confirms that various Ryzen CPUs have problems with Windows 10 / 11 on certain systems. The solution is near.
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AMD wants to solve stuttering problems in Windows 10/11 with BIOS updates
© AMD
For months now, some Windows 11 devices with AMD chips have been experiencing performance losses under Windows 10 and Windows 11, which manifest themselves in the systems stuttering or freezing at times. We already reported about this in this report in January: Again problems with AMD devices.
AMD has apparently now determined the exact cause of the problems. In this support article, AMD explains the background and announces a remedy. It was already clear beforehand that there were compatibility issues between AMD’s TPM (known as fTPM) and Windows, and that no error in the operating system itself was to blame. In the support article that has now been published, AMD explains:
“AMD has determined that certain AMD Ryzen system configurations may intermittently perform extended fTPM-related memory transactions in SPI flash memory (“SPIROM”) on the motherboard, which may result in temporary pauses in system interactivity or responsiveness until the transaction is complete .”
BIOS updates available from May 2022
A BIOS update of the motherboards is necessary to solve the problems on the affected PCs, which will contain improvements in the fTPM interaction with SPIRON. AMD will deliver these updates to users from the beginning of May 2022. The exact timing of the availability of the BIOS updates depends on the motherboard vendors. “Flashable updates (…) will be based on AMD AGESA 1207 (or newer),” explains AMD.
As a temporary solution, AMD says users can switch from fTPM to hardware TPM (dTPM). However, users should check with their mainboard or PC manufacturer whether their platform supports dTPM modules at all. Additionally, AMD also warns:
“If you are migrating an active system from fTPM to dTPM, be sure to disable TPM-based encryption systems (e.g. BitLocker Drive Encryption) and/or back up important system data before migrating TPM devices. You must have full administrative access to the system or get assistance from your IT administrator if the system is managed. For more information on transferring ownership to a new TPM device, visit this Microsoft webpage.”