AMD GPU driver bug reportedly messes with some Ryzen CPUs, with users unaware

Date:
Mon, 04 Apr 2022 13:01:08 +0000

Description:
This is an odd one, make no mistake, with CPU overclock settings being reset when installing the Radeon driver.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

AMDs graphics driver has been observed to mess with certain CPU settings according to fresh reports, in what can only be described as a very odd affair.

This comes from Igors Lab (via Toms Hardware ), with the German tech site pointing out that the apparent problem was highlighted by a reader, and Igor subsequently managed to reproduce the issue in one case (with AMD hardware owners detailing their further findings on Reddit ).

To sum up the current speculation around this and remember, this is still just speculation, so lets be cautious about what we can conclude here the theory is that the integration of AMDs Ryzen Master tool into the Adrenalin version 22.3.1 graphics driver (or later) is causing the issue, whereby a Ryzen CPU is witnessing changes to boost settings unknown to the user.

As we said at the outset, this is certainly a strange state of affairs,
though it only happens to those who install the Radeon driver who also have
an AMD Ryzen CPU (Ryzen Master is an overclocking module designed to allow
for pepping up the processors performance in a user-friendly manner, in case you werent aware).

Whats supposedly happening is that when the new Adrenalin graphics driver is installed on a system, when applying a GPU profile the software can
apparently change the PBO (precision boost, or overclocking) setting in the BIOS, putting it back to the default (if the user previously altered it).

Or so the theorizing runs, anyway, and this could obviously be problematic in some situations, and as Igor points out, could lead to the PC crashing. As mentioned, a further issue is that the user isnt told about these changes being applied, so they could end up pretty confused as to why theyre suddenly having trouble with their system. Analysis: Multiple workarounds have been floated

This is an unfortunate situation, of course, and hopefully, AMD will now be investigating these reports, and Team Red will subsequently be able to take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, there are a few ways that you can work around the problem. The first and most obvious is simply to head back to your BIOS post-installation of the new graphics driver, and reconfigure your old settings (or for those who run default settings anyway, just disable PBO).

Another suggestion in the above Reddit thread is not to load older profiles, but to create a new tuning profile for the graphics card instead. Electrical-Bobcat435 advises: Its a small headache, reproducing clocks and
fan curves, but once done, it wont reboot/change bios PBO settings. It's absurd that AMD did this but theres the workaround.

Finally, as Igors Lab and again someone else on Reddit suggests, theres the Radeon Software Slimmer utility which can be used to remove Ryzen Master from the Adrenalin driver, thereby stopping the tool from interfering with the
CPU. However, this is a third-party program, so its installed entirely at
your own risk. Want better GPU performance for free? Well show you how to overclock your graphics card



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/amd-gpu-driver-bug-reportedly-messes-with-some- ryzen-cpus-with-users-unaware/


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