Introduction: AMD recently released the AGESA ComboAM5PI 1.0.0.4 firmware update that was intended to improve performance and stability. Unfortunately, the update caused some Ryzen 5 7600X processors to experience a drop in performance or even fail to boot. MSI and Asrock quickly removed the update from their support pages, and AMD shipped a fixed version of the software. Although the mistake was strange, AMD was quick to respond and make sure users were not affected by the bug.
What just happened? From time to time, AMD releases a new AGESA firmware update that improves performance, improves stability, adds additional CPU support, etc. for AMD motherboards. As a rule, these updates come out without problems and work flawlessly. Unfortunately, AGESA’s latest software update was far from flawless.
Last week AMD released AGESA ComboAM5PI 1.0.0.4, the latest software update for motherboard manufacturers, boasting typical stability improvements. Crucially, it also added support for recently released non-X Ryzen processors and future X3D processors due to hit store shelves in February.
Unfortunately for AMD, hardware source “chi11eddog” reported that the new software accidentally disabled one or two cores on certain Ryzen 5 7600X processors. 7600X processors with a single complex core crystal (CCD) were not affected by this bug, but dual CCD processors were less fortunate.
Dual processor users CCD arrays that updated their BIOS during the short period when downloads were available either experienced a significant drop in performance or, even worse, the computer simply wouldn’t boot.
Some motherboards initialize the boot process strictly through one core, usually the first one known as Core 0. The biggest problem is that Core 0 was a disabled core, which meant the computer wouldn’t boot. There are no specific figures for performance losses, but disabling an entire core (or two) is guaranteed to result in a noticeable drop.
MSI & ASRock removed X670/B650 AGESA 1.0.0.4 (SMU 84.79.204) BIOS from websites.
Rumor has it that some 7600X are downcore from the 2-CCD SKU with Core0 disabled that 1.0.0.4 cannot boot with. AGESA 1003 is good.
New SMU 84.79.210 will be fixed. The 1.0.0.4 BIOS is still on Gigabyte’s website. pic.twitter.com/N8wnryyXgg— chi11eddog (@g01d3nm4ng0) January 7, 2023
As shown above, MSI and Asrock quickly pulled all BIOS updates containing the new firmware from their respective support pages after the reports surfaced. When chi11eddog’s tweet was posted, Gigabyte had not yet removed the download of BIOS updates with the vulnerable software. However, the connections were no longer available on the same day.
Fortunately AMD quickly shipped a fixed AGESA ComboAM5PI 1.0.0.4 firmware version that doesn’t accidentally disable any cores. There are no bad reviews of the new software so far, so I hope the second time around will be successful. As of this writing, MSI has already released BIOS updates with fixed firmware. However, Asrock and Gigabyte have not done so at this time.
All in all, it was a weird mistake of AMD part and it’s quite strange how this bug made it through testing and beta BIOS updates with the firmware. The problem was not discovered until the official versions of the BIOS were released, but, fortunately, the manufacturers promptly made sure that users did not download it and did not suffer any consequences. Thanks to AMD for the quick fix.
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