AMD Fixes Botched Ryzen Firmware That Accidentally Disabled CPU Cores

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Performance restored on dual-CCD Ryzen 5 7600X CPUs

Ryzen 7000
Ryzen 7000 (Image credit: AMD)

The Ryzen 5 7600X is one of the best CPUs for budget consumers. However, AMD's AGESA ComboAM5PI 1.0.0.4 firmware with SMU 84.79.204 unintentionally disabled cores on Ryzen 5 7600X chips with dual-CCD designs. The revamped AMD firmware with the new SMU 84.79.210 has seemingly fixed this problem.

The previous firmware caused a performance degradation on dual-CCD Ryzen 5 7600X samples because it deactivated Core0. In some cases, the system outright didn't post because the firmware tried to boot off a single CCD. Presumably, other Ryzen 7000 chips were also affected. In any event, AMD quickly caught on to the problem, and its partners, including ASRock, Asus and Gigabyte, removed the problematic firmware from their respective X670 and B650 motherboard support pages.

However, it looks like the issue was a walk in the park for AMD to fix. According to hardware leaker chi11eddog, the chipmaker has already distributed the updated firmware to its partners. The AGESA version remains the same; however, AMD updated the System Management Unit (SMU), which manages various aspects of the processor, such as clock speeds, voltages, and power limits.

You can distinguish the new firmware from the prior one by the version of the SMU. The old firmware had SMU 84.79.204, whereas the new firmware leverages SMU 84.79.210. MSI has deployed the latest firmware for the company's AMD 600-series motherboards. Mind you, the firmware is still in the beta phase, so upgrade at your own risk.

The AGESA 1.0.0.4 microcode is important as it supports AMD's recently-announced Ryzen 7000 non-X chips, such as the Ryzen 9 7900 and Ryzen 7000 X3D parts with 3D V-Cache. The former is already available; meanwhile, the latter arrives on the retail market in February. Therefore, AMD still has time to work out the kinks and prime the firmware for Ryzen 7000 X3D's debut.

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Zhiye Liu
Zhiye Liu
News Editor and Memory Reviewer

Zhiye Liu is a news editor and memory reviewer at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • -Fran-
    Are there any improvements on RAM compatibility?

    I mean, great they've fixed this issue, but I'd rather know about the Memory support in the new AGESA. I didn't find any links to what has been added/changed by myself xD

    Regards.
    Reply
  • Zescion
    -Fran- said:
    Are there any improvements on RAM compatibility?

    I mean, great they've fixed this issue, but I'd rather know about the Memory support in the new AGESA. I didn't find any links to what has been added/changed by myself xD

    Regards.
    Those comes more from the motherboard firmware updates and the changelog should mention it.
    Not an expert here, but the changelog of my B650 Gigabytes motherboard reports for some firmware revisions a generic "improved memory compatibility" and just in the last one mentioned the implementation of AGESA 1.0.04

    Edit: typos
    Reply
  • TechieTwo
    -Fran- said:
    Are there any improvements on RAM compatibility?

    I mean, great they've fixed this issue, but I'd rather know about the Memory support in the new AGESA. I didn't find any links to what has been added/changed by myself xD

    Regards.

    There is tons of validated RAM for the various model/brands of mobos. Most mobo makers have a list on their website. Companies like G.Skill and others have RAM selection apps on their website based on mobo model. If you are using validated RAM and having issues you should contact your mobo/RAM maker tech support.

    https://www.gskill.com/configurator
    Reply
  • BeedooX
    AMD need to get rid of the ex-Intel and Nvidia employees they have working for them; they're not helping...
    Reply
  • KyaraM
    BeedooX said:
    AMD need to get rid of the ex-Intel and Nvidia employees they have working for them; they're not helping...
    Ah, yes. And you are the expert on this matter how...? Quantifiable proof, please?

    Also, this is a very mean-spirited comment against people who did nothing wrong and just want to get by like literally every other regular employee in the world, and reflects quite poorly on you.
    Reply
  • alceryes
    I couldn't even get my board to post out of the box with my Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master. Had to remove all components and do the no CPU, no memory BIOS flashback upgrade to F3c, even though my memory is on QVL.
    I'm actually using the broken F3h BIOS with the faulty SMU code. Luckily the bug only affects the chips that have core-disabled CCDs (7600X and the 7900X).

    My memory performance numbers did improve between F3c and F3h though. (AIDA64 cache and memory benchmark)
    I've got no reason to update to the fixed SMU code BIOS. Gonna skip it and wait a bit.
    Reply
  • BeedooX
    KyaraM said:
    Ah, yes. And you are the expert on this matter how...? Quantifiable proof, please?

    Also, this is a very mean-spirited comment against people who did nothing wrong and just want to get by like literally every other regular employee in the world, and reflects quite poorly on you.
    How about lightening up. Learn sarcasm, light-heartedness or something. Make the best of a bad situation with humour. Of course it's not Nvidia/Intel employees.

    Unfortunately, I believe in this case it actually reflects poorly on you - perhaps being a little naive, or taking everything at face value and taking offense.

    No wonder the world is in a mess.
    Reply
  • KyaraM
    BeedooX said:
    How about lightening up. Learn sarcasm, light-heartedness or something. Make the best of a bad situation with humour. Of course it's not Nvidia/Intel employees.

    Unfortunately, I believe in this case it actually reflects poorly on you - perhaps being a little naive, or taking everything at face value and taking offense.

    No wonder the world is in a mess.
    Except stuff like that isn't a joke, ever, under any circumstances, just like any other "joke" about bad things happening to people. Got nothing to do with naivety or anything. But I would recommend stopping here before it goes any more off topic.
    Reply
  • BeedooX
    KyaraM said:
    Except stuff like that isn't a joke, ever, under any circumstances, just like any other "joke" about bad things happening to people. Got nothing to do with naivety or anything. But I would recommend stopping here before it goes any more off topic.
    We need AMD, Intel and Nvidia to do well. Whilst prices may not be that appealing across CPU's and GPU's - and there's probably just cause to be frustrated about that - AMD and Nvidia have been in the spotlight for a number of wrong reasons lately - Nvidia for melting cables, pricing and advertising claims, and AMD for RNDA3 performance, power usage, overheating and prices, with CPU's/Motherboards for this AGESA issue.

    We don't need an ever increasingly savvy tech' population turning away, or turning others away from ANY manufacturer due to social media influence. In AMD's case, it would be awful if they felt it was not worthwhile continuing in the GPU market as that would leave weak Intel cards, and (possibly) overpriced Nvidia cards.

    For AMD, it seems odd that some issues are sneaking through which really ought to have been caught - like this AGESA issue.

    On the topic of humour though, you can't be lecturing people on right and wrong based on your values. Of course it's a joke, and yes it is absolutely OK to make light of a bad situation with humour - I'd only say it's questionable when it's about a person's health leading to death - along with a handful of other scenarios including those around race and gender. Let's agree to disagree and leave it there.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    AWWWRIGHT

    One and only one warning to all and sundry - Stop sniping at each other.
    Reply