This new patch improves Ryzen 9000 latency by over 50%
A month after release, the Ryzen 9000 lineup receives another patch that improves performance.
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Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
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.
domdtxdissar / Overlock.netNow, 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.
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
AMD’s new Ryzen 9000 CPUs are only cheaper in spirit
Following up on reviews for the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X, a flurry of reports are coming out about AMD's pricing for its new Zen 5 CPUs. Across the lineup, which is sure to earn some spots among the best processors, AMD reduced prices compared to the previous generation. That's great. But it's not exactly an accurate picture of pricing right now.
First, the prices. You can see in the picture below the prices for the main four Zen 5 CPUs. Both Ryzen 9 models are $50 cheaper compared to their last-gen counterparts, the Ryzen 7 9700X is $40 cheaper, and the Ryzen 5 9600X is $20 cheaper. That's only true if you compare the list prices that AMD set. Ultimately, it's up to retailers to dictate the final price, which is something we saw in full effect with AMD's last-gen CPUs.
AMD’s Ryzen 9000 CPUs were delayed for the most ridiculous reason
It came as a shock last week when AMD revealed that it would be delaying its Ryzen 9000 CPUs by up to two weeks. We might have some insight into why AMD made that last-minute decision now. A review posted on BilliBilli shows the Ryzen 7 9700X labeled as a Ryzen 9 9700X -- a typo that also affected the Ryzen 5 7600X, which carried the same Ryzen 9 branding, according to Tom's Hardware.
AMD has yet to confirm why the chips were delayed, outside of an issue with packaging. The range of four CPUs was supposed to arrive on July 31, but AMD is splitting the launch now. The Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X are arriving on August 8, while the Ryzen 9 9900X and Ryzen 9 9950X are arriving on August 15. The fact that AMD is splitting up the launch lends some credibility to the idea that the delay was due to a typo on the lower-end models.
AMD’s new flagship chip just did something unprecedented
AMD's upcoming flagship desktop chip, the Ryzen 9 9950X, hasn't even hit the market yet, but early benchmark results are already showing promising performance. According to a recently shared benchmark score, the 9950X can reach impressive boost clock speeds of up to 6GHz.
X (formerly Twitter) user @9950pro posted a screenshot of a Geekbench 6 result for a Ryzen 9 9950X engineering sample. The CPU was paired with an Asus ROG Crosshair X670E motherboard and 32GB of DDR5 memory. Notably, the clock speeds reached 5.95GHz — nearly 300 MHz above its stock maximum boost clock. In these tests, the overclocked chip scored 3,706 points in single-core performance and 26,047 points in multi-core performance, highlighting its substantial capability.
