A new BIOS update brings a much-needed fix for some of AMD’s best processors. Since the launch of Ryzen 9000 over a month ago, some users and reviewers alike noticed that the core-to-core latency on these CPUs was significantly higher than on the last-gen Ryzen 7000. Trying new firmware proves that AMD addressed this issue, reducing latency by over 50% in some cases.
The problems affect inter-CCD (core complex die) latency, which refers to how quickly instructions can be transferred between two CCDs. CPUs that have more than one CCD, such as the Ryzen 9 9950X or the Ryzen 9 9900X, were suffering from really high inter-CCD latencies that were twice as high as those on their Ryzen 7000 counterparts. The latency sometimes surpassed 200 nanoseconds when data was being sent from one CCD to another.
Fortunately, a fix is on the way — and in some cases, it’s already here. Asus rolled out a new AGESA 1.2.0.2 firmware update for its 600-series motherboards, including the X670E, B650E, and B650, and this seems to include a solution to the latency problems faced by Zen 5. As spotted by a member of the Overclock forum, domdtxdissar, the new AGESA update addresses the latency issues in a major way.
The user used the CapFrameX core-to-core latency tool to measure performance before downloading the new patch and after. With the previous AGESA release (1.2.0.1), the cross-CCD latency was at around 180ns. After downloading and flashing the new BIOS, things are looking much better, with cross-CCD latency now at around 75s. Wccftech notes that several users now also report gains in synthetic benchmarks after the new BIOS update, with Zen 5 CPUs now scoring around 400 to 600 points higher in Cinebench R23.
Now, how will this translate to real-world performance? Most users are unlikely to see much of a difference. Even a gain of 600 points in Cinebench R23 is just a bit over 1% for the top chip in the lineup. However, it’s good to see AMD address what seems to have been an issue with Zen 5 CPUs since launch.
This isn’t the first patch to improve Ryzen 9000 performance since launch. The Windows 24H2 update was a bigger deal for both Zen 5 and Zen 4, boosting gaming performance by up to 13%. While the gains here are unlikely to be anywhere near as significant, it’s still an over 50% improvement in latency.
Unfortunately, the Asus patch is still in beta, so if you want to be extra safe, wait to download it until later. Other motherboard manufacturers are still yet to roll out the new BIOS, so we’ll have to see whether the latency improves across the board.
