AMD Confirms Athlon, Ryzen CPUs Have Stuttering Problem In Windows 10, Windows 11

Last Updated on March 14, 2022 by Anu Joy

For the past few weeks, some users with Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs powered by AMD Ryzen processors have been complaining about stuttering issues. AMD has finally recognized the issue, noting that some systems equipped with AMD Rysen processors “intermittently perform extended fTPM-related memory transactions in SPI flash memory (SPIROM)”. This in turn causes the system to pause, leading to stutters.

What Is fTPM?

The TPM (trusted platform module) is a tamper-resistant chip that protects hardware with integrated cryptographic keys. The fTPM (firmware TPM) implements this via system firmware, instead of relying on a dedicated chip. The end-goal is the same—to store an unchangeable security key for improved safety.  

fTPM Causing Stuttering on Windows 10 And Windows 11

Some affected users took to Reddit to share their grievances. One user noted that enabling fTPM “causes system wide stuttering on a growing number of AMD based PCs, both on Windows 10 and Windows 11”. Moreover, it was observed that the stutter could not be ignored as it lasted for roughly two seconds and occurred 3-4 times a day.

As a workaround, many have simply disabled the offending fTPM on Windows 10. However, it isn’t as straightforward for Windows 11 users, since some form of TPM 2.0 is essential to run Windows 11. In that case, some Redditors have suggested rolling back to Windows 10 and disabling fTPM.

As a quick “fix”, AMD has suggested affected users to switch to a hardware TPM (“dTPM”) device. Additionally, the company warns that before switching to dTPM, you will need to disable TPM-backed encryption systems such as BitLocker Drive Encryption and back up system data.

AMD said that PCs with this issue “will require a motherboard system BIOS (sBIOS) update with enhanced modules for fTPM interaction with SPIROM”. These should be available in early May.

If AMD’s temporary workaround sounds too complex and time-consuming, and you can’t will till a fix comes in May, you can always try out Reddit’s suggestions. Do note that, as it is with all things DIY, you should take a backup before attempting the fix.