According to Phoronix, a new patch for the Linux kernel is coming soon that deals with core prioritization problems on Alder Lake CPUs. The issue stems from enabling XMP memory profiles in the UEFI or manually overclocking Alder Lake chips. Doing either of the two causes Linux to put improper workloads on the wrong cores, reducing system performance.
More specifically, it appears that Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology is the main culprit. Linux requires functional Turbo Boost Max code to enable proper core prioritization. However, this code can easily be disabled automatically by the motherboard if it uses an XMP mode or the user enters a custom core overclock.
Aaron Klotz is a freelance writer for Tom’s Hardware US, covering news topics related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.
