Latest AMD AGESA Firmware Inadvertently Disables Cores On Some Ryzen 5 7600X CPUs
AMD’s latest AGESA ComboAM5PI 1.0.0.4 firmware seems to do more harm than good.Pointed out by a hardware leaker chi11eddog (opens in new tab)the firmware is reported to disable some cores on the Ryzen 5 7600X, prompting various motherboard vendors to pull updates from their websites.
The faulty firmware doesn’t affect all of the Ryzen 5 7600X, one of the best CPUs out there. Only affects samples utilizing a dual CCD design. Given the Ryzen 5 7600X’s hexa-core, 12-thread configuration, a single CCD is enough. However, some Ryzen 5 7600X processors have two CCDs inside. Clearly AMD fused an extra CCD so it can’t magically unlock the core.
Chip makers like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia habitually aim to maximize silicon production and recycle dies that don’t meet the requirements of a particular model into lower-tier products. That’s how the dual CCD got to the Ryzen 5 7600X. In retrospect, AMD used the same strategy for his previous Ryzen 7 5800X and Ryzen 5 5600X processors.
The AGESA ComboAM5PI 1.0.0.4 firmware seems to have difficulty distinguishing between a single CCD Ryzen 5 7600X sample and a dual CCD sample. It may not recognize the CCD correctly and as a result disable one of the processor’s cores. According to chi11eddog, the firmware locks down Core0.
MSI and ASRock have removed the firmware from their X670 and B650 motherboard product pages. Gigabyte, on the other hand, offers firmware downloads on some of their support pages for the brand’s 600-series motherboards, which you should avoid at all costs.
If you recently upgraded your motherboard’s firmware and noticed a noticeable performance drop on your Ryzen 5 7600X, you should roll back to the previous firmware. A fix is reportedly in the works, and the new firmware should arrive in the next few weeks.
