The update that MSI rolled out for their AM5 motherboards—specifically the AGESA 1.2.0.2a—introduced a pesky issue: a noticeable increase in latency for DDR5 memory. Now, MSI is tackling this with a new feature on their X870E motherboards called “Latency Killer.” But there’s a catch—you might notice a dip in your CPU’s performance as a trade-off for reducing memory latency.
Most motherboard manufacturers have already jumped on board with the AGESA 1.2.0.2a update, ensuring full support for Ryzen 9000X3D processors on the new X870 and X870E motherboards. However, this update inadvertently led to increased memory latency issues, a problem that MSI has begun addressing with this fresh feature.
Several users noticed that the memory latency spiked by roughly 10 nanoseconds on the MSI X870/X870E motherboards post-update. While this latency increase is pretty minor—most people wouldn’t even catch it without running tests—MSI decided to step in with the “Latency Killer” feature.
In some findings surfaced by users like @unikoshardware, a user detailed his experience on a MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE motherboard, where the BIOS now allows the Latency Killer feature to be toggled among three settings: Auto, Disabled, or Enabled. Although how exactly this feature operates to solve the latency increase isn’t perfectly clear, it does seem to help, reducing memory latency by an approximate 8ns, according to user reports.
In one test case, the MSI MPG X870E Carbon Wi-Fi was used, and the performance of the memory kit was benchmarked with AIDA64 software. The latency on an EXPO-enabled 8000 MT/s memory setup with High Efficiency Mode (set to the tightest settings) decreased to a notable 66.7ns from 74.7ns. Users can relax knowing that to access these improvements, there’s no need to download additional BIOS—they are already integrated into the AGESA 1.2.0.2a BIOS update they have installed.
Unikos Hardware notes that there’s no need to revert to a previous BIOS version to recover initial performance levels since the Latency Killer feature can achieve this within the existing, most current BIOS. While AIDA64 benchmark scores showed some improvement, realistically, for most applications and even gaming, these enhancements might not be perceptible.
A curious aspect of the Latency Killer feature is a note in the BIOS stating:
“Enhances latency performance but could potentially reduce CPU performance.”
This statement raises eyebrows, as the extent of the CPU performance impact remains uncertain. Since it mentions “potentially,” it’s possible turning on Latency Killer might not affect CPU performance noticeably. We’re keen to hear more feedback from users as they put this new MSI feature through its paces.
News Sources: @unikoshardware, FB
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