AMD Adrenalin can reportedly change CPU settings without telling users

[Daniel Sims]

PSA: Customizing how PC components operate always carries a certain amount of risk. However, if parts vendors are going to provide the software with which to do this, they should always inform users of what exactly those tools do. It seems this isn't always the case with AMD's Adrenalin GPU drivers.

A reader recently informed Igor Wallossek of Igor's Lab that the Ryzen Master CPU configuration module in AMD's Adrenalin GPU driver version 22.3.1 had altered their CPU's settings without informing them. Wallossek's own investigation successfully reproduced the issue.

If a user has manually altered an AMD CPU's settings in the BIOS – in order to underclock it in the reader's case – Adrenalin might fail to load a custom GPU profile, forcing a reset. The reset then causes the Ryzen Master module to change some CPU settings without informing the user. This can cause crashes if a user tries to load a GPU profile they tuned around specific CPU settings without realizing those settings have changed.

Unfortunately, the patch notes for the Adrenalin 22.3.2 hotfix make no mention of the problem. Wallossek's solution is to disable the Ryzen Master module by installing Radeon Software Slimmer and selecting Post Install > Scheduled Tasks > AMDRyzenMasterSDK. One Redditor sidestepped the issue by building an additional GPU profile.

This behavior only seems to occur in PCs with AMD CPUs and GPUs. It hasn't been observed when Intel CPUs or Nvidia GPUs are involved.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/94051-amd-adrenalin-can-reportedly-change-cpu-settings-without.html

 

[Usukosej]

This is what happends when you don't make your own software. AMD should get a dedicated software team like Nvidia and Intel instead of outsourcing most of it.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Just another example of why AMD is a poor mans Nvidia.

 

[envirovore]

"This behavior only seems to occur in PCs with AMD CPUs and GPUs. It hasn't been observed when Intel CPUs or Nvidia GPUs are involved."

Well no sh*t Sherlock.

Why would anyone have Andrenalin drivers installed if they use a nVidia GPU, or use Ryzen Master if they use an Intel CPU?

Obviously for this to happen it's got to be on an AMD/AMD combo system.

 

[Uncle Al]

Regardless of their excuses, AKA: explanations, they simply have no right to violate users equipment or information. If our Govt. or any of the past ones actually gave a damn about people's rights they would make this a strict part of law and enforce it vigorously until the makers were either shut down or were in full compliance.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Regardless of their excuses, AKA: explanations, they simply have no right to violate users equipment or information. If our Govt. or any of the past ones actually gave a damn about people's rights they would make this a strict part of law and enforce it vigorously until the makers were either shut down or were in full compliance.

Why the freakout, and the odd demand for government intervention? Dude its a software bug from overclocking software, not your right to buy groceries, calm down LMFAO. Oh noes my video game doesnt work on my overclocked 970 call congress WAAAAHH!!

This is no different then intel's watchdog firmware resetting CPU settings upon a failed boot, except that it conflicts with AMD's GPU software. It's just a bug, not some nefarious doings of AMD invading your privacy or some shat.

People need to learn how to read JFC.

 

[envirovore]

Why the freakout, and the odd demand for government intervention? Dude its a software bug from overclocking software, not your right to buy groceries, calm down LMFAO. Oh noes my video game doesnt work on my overclocked 970 call congress WAAAAHH!!

This is no different then intel's watchdog firmware resetting CPU settings upon a failed boot, except that it conflicts with AMD's GPU software. It's just a bug, not some nefarious doings of AMD invading your privacy or some shat.

People need to learn how to read JFC.

Heh, I almost added a "reading is hard" when quoting them in the Elon Musk/Twitter article, because its obvious they didn't read it.

 

[Usukosej]

"This behavior only seems to occur in PCs with AMD CPUs and GPUs. It hasn't been observed when Intel CPUs or Nvidia GPUs are involved."

Well no sh*t Sherlock.

Why would anyone have Andrenalin drivers installed if they use a nVidia GPU, or use Ryzen Master if they use an Intel CPU?

Obviously for this to happen it's got to be on an AMD/AMD combo system.

Meaning AMD CPU + Nvidia GPU or Intel + AMD GPU obviously

 

[Lew Zealand]

Heh.

I'll assume that I don't have a unique setup with an Intel CPU and AMD GPU, but that I just pay too much attention to little details. Upon replacing a GTX 1080 with an RX 6600XT, something akin to this story did change with my i7-9700.

Beforehand, my Intel CPUs (i5-8400, then this i7-9700) would idle at 11-12W in Intel Power Gadget (as low as I could get it, was 14-15W OOB), but after DDU Nvidia drivers, swap GPUs, install AMD drivers, the i7-9700 idles at ~2W. Which is an idle power I usually see in other prebuilt setups (Dell Optiplexes, NUCs, more).

Looks like the Radeon drivers "unlocked" or correctly set the CPU states to run in low power mode when not gaming, which I'd been wanting for years now. Keeping in mind that the 6600XT idles at 4W as opposed to the 8W of the 1080, the whole PC now idles at 24W instead of 33W from the wall so that reporting from IPG seems to be accurate. CPU tests indicate that the 9700 still performs the same under load.

Weird, though.

 

[Alvabravo13]

Still happening, I am using radeon slimmer right now, and uncheck ryzen master SDK, install minimal.. so far so good