AMD Update Should Fix Ryzen 8000G Series Issue

Following the release of the Ryzen 8000G series of processors, both AMD and various motherboard manufacturers released a BIOS update to consumers that should fix a performance issue specific to those APUs. AMD users with an APU such as Ryzen 5 8600G or Ryzen 7 8700G should update their motherboard BIOS to ensure better performance.

The AMD Ryzen 5 8600G and Ryzen 7 8700G are the latest in a line of AMD processors that combine the functions of a CPU and a graphics card into a single chip. AMD has dubbed these processors as accelerated processing units (APU). The Ryzen 8000G series in particular has integrated Radeon 700M graphics as part of its kit. With a starting price of $229, these budget-friendly AMD processors were designed for both laptop users and desktop builders who want to play games without immediately needing a dedicated GPU to do so. However, one feature intended to help with temperature management, called Skin Temperature-Aware Power Management (STAPM), has provided the opposite effect and caused unintentional performance issues for desktop users.

Thankfully, AMD found a fix for this throttling problem. Working with motherboard manufacturers, AMD released a BIOS update that fixes performance issues caused by unintended STAPM behaviors on desktop PCs. Users who want to download and install this BIOS update should refer to their motherboard manufacturer's website for details, and follow the instructions on how to update the BIOS for their specific device. If the update requires BIOS Flashback to work, users will have to supply a viable USB flash drive as well. At the time of writing, the update is available to users with a compatible AMD motherboard from brands such as Asus, Asrock, Gigabyte, and MSI. However, users who do not have a Ryzen 8000G processor are not affected by this particular issue.

While the integrated Radeon 700M graphics of the Ryzen 8000G APUs do not compare to a dedicated AMD Radeon RX GPU outright, recent driver updates have made them a