Microsoft acknowledges that enabling BitLocker on Windows 11 PCs with NVMe SSDs can cause a performance slowdown, especially during resource-intensive tasks like gaming and video editing, due to increased CPU usage for encryption. However, hardware-accelerated BitLocker, supported by upcoming CPUs and SoCs, offloads encryption tasks to dedicated hardware, significantly reducing CPU load and improving performance and battery life. Users can verify support via command line, and future updates will enable automatic use of hardware acceleration on compatible devices.
Windows 11 KB5067036 update introduces a bug causing Task Manager to duplicate processes when closed, which may impact system performance, especially on low-end hardware. Users are advised to avoid closing Task Manager with the 'X' button and instead use 'End task' or command-line methods to close it properly. The update also brings other features and fixes, but recent updates have caused multiple issues for Windows 11 users.
Users have reported that a recent update to Avira antivirus is causing Windows systems to freeze at startup, with 100% CPU and RAM usage. The issue is affecting both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and appears to be related to Avira's application loading process. Some users have been able to resolve the problem by uninstalling Avira. Microsoft Defender can provide malware protection as an alternative. Avira has not yet addressed the issue, but it was ranked among the best performers in the latest malware protection ranking.
Ubisoft has added Denuvo's anti-piracy/anti-cheating DRM software to Assassin's Creed: Mirage in the game's day-one update, after the review embargo, without mentioning it in the official patch notes. Denuvo is known for potentially impacting game performance and hindering game preservation. However, according to a hardware journalist's assessment, the game's performance remains unchanged after the addition of Denuvo. The controversy surrounding Denuvo continues, with some publishers discreetly adding it before launch while others remove it.
Benchmarking tests have been conducted on AMD processors to assess the performance impact of mitigating the recently disclosed Inception vulnerability. AMD is rolling out new microcode for Zen 3 and Zen 4 processors, while a kernel-based mitigation is required for Zen 1 and Zen 2. The Linux kernel changes for mitigating Inception have already been merged, and initial tests on an AMD EPYC 7763 server show different performance impacts based on the mitigation approach used. Further benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 9 7950X processors are also included in the article.
