Windows 11 version 24H2 has encountered its share of performance and compatibility challenges, particularly affecting certain processors. Notably, users with Intel 11th Gen processors have reported issues stemming from a flaw in the Intel Smart Sound Technology driver, leading to frustrating blue screen errors. While these processor-specific problems have garnered attention, concerns about diminished gaming performance have also surfaced, although it appears that this particular issue has since been addressed.
Another significant concern involved popular Ubisoft titles such as Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, which were known to become unresponsive. Fortunately, this glitch has also been resolved, bringing relief to gamers eager to immerse themselves in these expansive worlds.
However, a new bug has emerged that directly impacts gamers and power users, particularly those operating on systems equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU. A reader from Borncity, Rüdiger, has reported that a startup error linked to Intel’s recent CPU or microcode update has prevented his PC from booting. Although he managed to circumvent this issue by applying the Intel Microcode update 0x116, he subsequently experienced a series of performance setbacks.
Windows 11’s latest 24H2 update could be impacting your performance
Rüdiger’s findings indicate that applications are being throttled when minimized or out of focus. This was evidenced through a benchmark test using 7zip, revealing that his system’s performance plummeted to nearly half when the application was not actively in use. Interestingly, this performance drop does not seem to affect other CPUs, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X or Intel Core i9 12900K.
How to check if you’re a victim to these performance issues
If you’ve recently updated to Windows 11 and are using either Intel’s Lunar or Arrow Lake CPUs, you may be vulnerable to these performance issues. While the problem has been specifically noted with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, there is a possibility that other models within the Ultra 200 series could also be impacted.
If your PC boots up without any issues, that’s a promising sign. However, if you’ve experienced performance irregularities during background tasks, it may be worthwhile to conduct your own tests. You can replicate Rüdiger’s approach by running a 7zip benchmark or monitoring your performance for any unusual spikes in the task manager.
For those encountering similar issues with the latest Intel processors, it is advisable to utilize the Microsoft Feedback Hub to report your experiences with the Windows 11 24H2 build. Given the unpredictable nature of these Windows 11 hiccups, it remains uncertain how widespread this issue is. However, collective reporting from users may expedite Microsoft’s prioritization of a fix.
