AMD's Newest BIOS Code Reportedly Wreaks Havoc on Performance, Stability

silversurfer

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AMD's recently released AGESA 1.2.0.5 code for modern AMD Ryzen and Athlon CPUs has been plagued with issues. According to multiple reports, BIOS updates packing the new AGESA code have been prone to serious problems, including CPU performance losses, memory instability, overclocking bugs, and much more.

As a reminder, AGESA code is used to create a BIOS. According to complaints on Reddit, multiple Ryzen users have noted their CPU performance has dropped with the new AGESA code in benchmarks such as Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R20. Some also report higher CPU temperatures and possible WHEA 19 errors when compared to the previous AGESA 1.2.0.3c patch.

But the problems get worse -- according to DeskModder, AGESA 1.2.0.5 is prone to serious PBO and memory bugs as well. High-frequency memory kits such as DDR4 3600MHz are no longer running stably with a rated XMP profile for some users.

The news outlet also confirmed further Reddit reports about reduced CPU performance, with CPU frequency drops of up to 100MHz in single-core and multi-core workloads. Additionally, 5900X and 5950X users have complained about the 2nd CCD "collapsing" with the new AGEA update.

Overclocking capabilities have also been handicapped in 1.2.0.5, with certain voltage values being more limited than before. AMD's PBO menu was also trimmed down with fewer customizations, according to Deskmodder.

DeskModder notes that most of these issues have been a problem since AGESA 1.2.0.4 -- with the exception of the CPU-related performance bugs. Somehow, AGESA 1.2.0.5 inherited all the issues found in the previous version while adding bugs of its own.
 

SeriousHoax

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DeskModder notes that most of these issues have been a problem since AGESA 1.2.0.4
I was thinking about updating my BIOS yesterday after seeing this on Gigabyte's driver download page, "Major vulnerabilities updates, customers are strongly encouraged to update to this release at the earliest." This particular update is based on AGESA 1.2.0.4 A. So, looks like I dodged a bullet by not updating.
 

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