Reported Intel design flaw forces Windows/Linux Redesigns - 30% performance impact?

[WYP]

Software patches expected to have a 5-30% performance impact.



Read more about Intel's rumoured security issue.

 

[Agost]

Oh, come on Intel, seriously?

I suppose AMD employees are uncorking champagne bottles right now

 

[looz]

This is major for servers, but not relevant for desktop setups at all, really, if some of the early speculation is to be believed.

EPYC just got a whole lot better for most server providers.

 

[Radioman]

This is major for servers, but not relevant for desktop setups at all, really, if some of the early speculation is to be believed.

EPYC just got a whole lot better for most server providers.

You ain't kiddin. We are still early on this one. If this turns out to be as big as the news report implies it could be tough sledding for Intel for quite a while.

 

[NeverBackDown]

Pretty sad that even after 8 generations of refinements on the same architecture they still have major security issues.

 

[ImprovizoR]

This is major for servers, but not relevant for desktop setups at all, really, if some of the early speculation is to be believed.

I hope so because I'm gonna be in' livid if I lose even 5% performance after the update.

Linux fix has been released and there's been no reduction in gaming performance. I hope that the same will be true for Windows. Still, I'm probably switching to Ryzen this year.

 

[AlienALX]

OK got some more info on this.. First of all an explanation as to why it hurts performance so much.

I'm writing this up this morning, and I can confirm it's genuine: the Linux patch is already in place and marks pretty much any Intel chip as 'insecure.' (It also does the same for AMD chips, which is a result of the severity of the flaw causing the devs to err on the side of caution - there's no evidence AMD parts are affected, and AMD's working on its own patch which will remove the insecure flag.)

Same way Intel 'fixed' the F00F bug: when you know what triggers the problem, you just have a bit of the OS that says "don't do that."

Then some one asked how it worked..

Imagine you've got a bike which falls over every time you turn left: you'll soon learn to only turn right. You'll get to your destination eventually, but more slowly than if the bike didn't have the flaw.

From my understanding, the performance-sapping change need only be applied to insecure parts (i.e. everything Intel), and doesn't need to be applied to AMD parts but currently is being applied to AMD parts until AMD gets its own patch saying "don't apply this to us" merged.

All information courtesy of Gareth Halfacree (freelance writer, oddly about all things Linux).

Then some one spotted this.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/12/19/intels-ceo-just-sold-a-lot-of-stock.aspx

lmfao. Just. lmfao. The crafty law breaking get.

 

[Korreborg]

But isn't it solely x86? = x64 goes clear?

 

[AlienALX]

But isn't it solely x86? = x64 goes clear?

From what I understand this is a Linux problem. And from the sound of it it cannot be fixed.

The guy who wrote the comments above is an avid Linux user and writes columns in mags about it every month (and hobby tech stuff too, using, you guessed it, Linux).

 

[Korreborg]

As i understand it, its for every OS.
Linux is just the first out with a fix = They can test the performance hit.

 

[WYP]

The bug is a hardware issue, so in theory all operating systems are affected. Windows is expected to release their update on Patch Tuesday.

 

[AlienALX]

While the current release of the Linux patch implements the isolation feature on all x86 and x86-64 processors regardless of vendor, AMD chips have been confirmed as not vulnerable to the issue with a patch being released to disable the workaround and thus restore performance on all AMD processors.

^ from article.

The bug is a hardware issue, so in theory all operating systems are affected. Windows is expected to release their update on Patch Tuesday.

Unless I am confusing this with something else I don't think it is all Intel CPUs under Intel that suffer from it in Windows. In fact, I ran a test when I first heard of this and my system was fine.

 

[NeverBackDown]

While the current release of the Linux patch implements the isolation feature on all x86 and x86-64 processors regardless of vendor, AMD chips have been confirmed as not vulnerable to the issue with a patch being released to disable the workaround and thus restore performance on all AMD processors.

^ from article.



Unless I am confusing this with something else I don't think it is all Intel CPUs under Intel that suffer from it in Windows. In fact, I ran a test when I first heard of this and my system was fine.

It's most likely just the i series of chips that are effected. Starting at which point I do not know.

 

[AlienALX]

It's most likely just the i series of chips that are effected. Starting at which point I do not know.

Well I am running Broadwell E but god knows tbh. People keep saying this will affect business more than gamers but I don't fully understand why that is, yet...

Chances are the whole Intel architecture is bad tbh. Maybe some patch was already in place in Windows before I ran the test?

I ran Cinebench last night and scored 2010. I don't think that's any lower *shrugs*

 

[NeverBackDown]

Well I am running Broadwell E but god knows tbh. People keep saying this will affect business more than gamers but I don't fully understand why that is, yet...

Chances are the whole Intel architecture is bad tbh. Maybe some patch was already in place in Windows before I ran the test?

I ran Cinebench last night and scored 2010. I don't think that's any lower *shrugs*

I am just waiting for SPS to come in and chime in on the subject. He would know more than any of us would being a developer and all.