Windows 11 Insider patch fixes major AMD Ryzen bug
This fix takes care of the L3 caching issue affecting some AMD Ryzen CPUs.
Microsoft released a patch for Windows 11 build for Windows Insiders that addresses several issues, most notably the L3 caching issue that reportedly hampered the performance of certain AMD Ryzens processors after upgrading to Windows 11. This caching issue causes up to a 15% performance drop-off when playing games.
Best CPU for gaming: the top chips from Intel and AMD
Best graphics card: your perfect pixel-pusher awaits
Best SSD for gaming: get into the game ahead of the rest
AMD and Microsoft have said that the two bugs for Ryzen chips linked to Windows 11 installation were resolved, and fixes were coming sometime next week. The news comes after the first official Windows 11 Update did not address the Ryzen bugs, making some AMD users understandably nervous.
AMD took to Reddit to assure users that fixes were on the way. If the fix is rolling out for Insiders, this hopefully means everything is on track for next week's update. Testing saw a functional L3 latency nearly triple which had an adverse effect on any apps that relied on memory and cache latency, like games, as soon as they made the move to Windows 11.
We are still checking to see if the CPPC (Preferred Core) bug would be getting a similar Insider release, but nothing has been announced at the time of this article. The bug in question prevents users from being able to install (?) apps to the fastest core on the chip (or your preferred core, get it?), which also caused some performance issues.
You can download and install the latest Windows 11 build under the usual Windows Update options if you're currently a Windows Insider. If you are still on the fence about making the move to Windows 11, take a look at our review before you decide to take the plunge and upgrading from Windows 10.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Jorge is a hardware writer from the enchanted lands of New Jersey. When he's not filling the office with the smell of Pop-Tarts, he's reviewing all sorts of gaming hardware, from laptops with the latest mobile GPUs to gaming chairs with built-in back massagers. He's been covering games and tech for over ten years and has written for Dualshockers, WCCFtech, Tom's Guide, and a bunch of other places on the world wide web.
The last thing I ever want to do is 'Learn more' or have you 'Remind Me Later': Microsoft is pushing fullscreen ads for Windows 11 laptops to people still using Windows 10
Despite an update 'mitigating' the problem, some Windows 11 users seemingly still can't change the date and time in settings—although there is a workaround