GIGABYTE Releases DRM Fix Tool for Intel Alder Lake Processors to Dynamically Park and Unpark E-Cores

[AleksandarK]

With Intel's Alder Lake processors released, the company introduced a rather interesting concept of mixing high-performance and high-efficiency cores into one design. This hybrid approach combines performance P-cores based on Golden Cove architecture with high-efficiency E-cores based on Gracemont design. While Intel dedicated a lot of effort to optimizing software for Alder Lake, there are sometimes issues that persist when playing older games. At the heart of ADL processors, a thread scheduler decides which task is running on P or E-cores and ensures the best core gets selected for the job.

However, many users know that E-cores can be recognized as another system by DRM software and cause troubles on the latest 12th Generation machines. GIGABYTE has designed a software tool for its Z690 motherboards to fix this issue, which allows on-demand enablement of E-cores. Users can easily "park" or "unpark" E-cores and enable some older game titles to run efficiently with the help of P-cores. This DRM Fix Tool is a lightweight utility that unfortunately runs exclusively on GIGABYTE motherboards. It is less than a megabyte in size and requires no particular installation. However, it is an excellent addition to GIGABYTE's customers, and all that it needs is the latest BIOS update to run. Here you can download the tool, and below, you can see the list of the latest BIOS versions of GIGABYTE Z690 motherboards that support this tool.



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[OneMoar]

nice a app from a 2 billion dollar company and the the app looks like it was written in autohotkey

 

[AleksandarK]

nice a app from a 2 billion dollar company and the the app looks like it was written in autohotkey

I think that the whole point is simple and lightweight.

IMHO I prefer this type over any bloated GUI that vendors today ship.

 

[Woomack]

They could still fix BIOS and memory training as it's pathetic

 

[The Quim Reaper]

Very useful in you use RPCS3, where disabling the e cores activates the AVX 512 instruction set, boosting performance by about 20%.

 

[zlobby]

 

[W1zzard]

In case you guys wonder how this works:

Port 128 (80h) is for the POST code debug output
Port 96 (60h) is the AT keyboard controller

So all this really does is turn on scroll lock via software via keyboard controller command 0xED

 

[Garrus]

Most people don't realize that the things Intel talked about as fixes don't exist yet. For example my MSI motherboard has no publicly available BIOS that allows me to park my E cores. I was able to find an unlisted beta version (which is not listed on the official website at all, and not as a beta either) and it doesn't work yet. Used scroll lock key and it still crashes many Denuvo games. I feel misled by Intel that there was a fix or would be one out soon, but actually there's nothing I can do. I tested many of the games listed as having problems, and they all don't work, as expected. Waiting for updates.

 

[Crackong]

 

[R-T-B]

nice a app from a 2 billion dollar company and the the app looks like it was written in autohotkey

Would you prefer they aorus it up with bling bling chicken head?

In case you guys wonder how this works:

Port 128 (80h) is for the POST code debug output
Port 96 (60h) is the AT keyboard controller

So all this really does is turn on scroll lock via software via keyboard controller command 0xED

Wait... scroll lock disables e-cores?

 

[W1zzard]

Would you prefer they aorus it up with bling bling chicken head?


Wait... scroll lock disables e-cores?

Yeah it's an option in the BIOS of some mfgrs

 

[R-T-B]

Yeah it's an option in the BIOS of some mfgrs

Frigging weird, but ok Intel.

 

[DrCR]

Weird, indeed. A reintroduction of the Turbo button would be more humorous.

 

[Yraggul666]

I'll just go speak to my building's admin and tell her i want another parking space;
when she inevitably asks if i bought another car i'll look her straight in the eye and in a raspy,deep 20+ years smoker's voice i'll say:
No ma'am, i want to switch from Ryzen to Alder Lake and i want to park my E-cores.

 

[robal]

Weird, indeed. A reintroduction of the Turbo button would be more humorous.

This comment made my day

 

[Valantar]

In case you guys wonder how this works:

Port 128 (80h) is for the POST code debug output
Port 96 (60h) is the AT keyboard controller

So all this really does is turn on scroll lock via software via keyboard controller command 0xED

Lol, I was just about to write "so they made an app that turns on Scroll Lock?"

Frigging weird, but ok Intel.

It's precisely to avoid these DRM issues. Pretty handy feature in those cases!

Most people don't realize that the things Intel talked about as fixes don't exist yet. For example my MSI motherboard has no publicly available BIOS that allows me to park my E cores. I was able to find an unlisted beta version (which is not listed on the official website at all, and not as a beta either) and it doesn't work yet. Used scroll lock key and it still crashes many Denuvo games. I feel misled by Intel that there was a fix or would be one out soon, but actually there's nothing I can do. I tested many of the games listed as having problems, and they all don't work, as expected. Waiting for updates.

BIOS updates take time, so most likely you'll have to wait until an official one (or at least offician beta) arrives.

 

[Chomiq]

There's a reason why Intel calls it a "Scroll Lock workaround".

 

[Ferrum Master]

The should have implemented to old good thing...

 

[zlobby]

Frigging weird, but ok Intel.

Talk about quality coding! And I thought my ghetto patches were sloppy!

 

[Chomiq]

The should have implemented to old good thing...

View attachment 226179

But it was counter intuitive as it should be called "Slow" since 99.9% had it on all the time.

 

[zlobby]

There's a reason why Intel calls it a "Scroll Lock workaround".

I wonder if the phases of the Moon also affects it.

 

[Ferrum Master]

But it was counter intuitive as it should be called "Slow" since 99.9% had it on all the time.

At least it would keep the same controversial function, disabling, making slower actually made something work faster

 

[Chomiq]

At least it would keep the same controversial function, disabling, making slower actually made something work faster

I wouldn't mind something like this instead of Scroll Lock:

 

[Ferrum Master]

I wouldn't mind something like this instead of Scroll Lock:

Considering AL peak power consumption it should be in the place of power switch.

This should be more like an afterburner switch.

Here's one from ebay.

 

[rutra80]

I think that the whole point is simple and lightweight.

IMHO I prefer this type over any bloated GUI that vendors today ship.

If you want an app for that without even installing anything, Microsoft has it - On-Screen Keyboard!