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AMD acknowledges TPM bug causing stuttering issues

AMD acknowledges TPM bug causing stuttering issues

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Don’t expect a permanent fix for another couple of months

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AMD has acknowledged a stuttering issue on Ryzen systems caused by its firmware trusted platform module (fTPM), as reported by TechPowerUp (via Windows Central). A permanent fix, which will come as a BIOS update, isn’t expected until May.

A form of TPM 2.0 is required to run Windows 11 (although some users have still found a way around this requirement). It’s used to generate a cryptographic key to boot your device, helping protect it from hackers who might try to tamper with the sensitive information stored on your computer. While fTPM is embedded in your system’s firmware, a dTPM, or discrete trusted platform module, is a physical chip installed on your motherboard that serves the same function.

AMD’s workaround is switching to hardware-based dTPM

Some AMD users have been reporting performance issues for months now, with one user describing it as a quick drop in frame rates and sometimes even “robotic” sounding audio. The company has only now responded to complaints and has traced the issue back to “extended fTPM-related memory transactions in SPI flash memory (“SPIROM”) located on the motherboard.” AMD says this can cause “temporary pauses in system interactivity or responsiveness until the transaction is concluded” — or, in simpler terms, stuttering.

In terms of a temporary workaround, AMD says you’ll have to switch to using a hardware-based dTPM instead, which may not be worth it, considering a fix isn’t too far off. If your motherboard comes with a compatible TPM 2.0 header, it’ll cost around $20 to $60 for a TPM chip, depending on your motherboard make. Before swapping to a dTPM, AMD says to disable TPM-backed encryption systems, like BitLocker Drive Encryption, and make sure to back up your system’s data.

If you don’t want to go through the process of buying and installing a TPM chip, you can simply wait for AMD’s “flashable customer system BIOS files” to become available in early May. AMD says the timing of its availability will vary depending on the motherboard model you have.