AMD Confirms Ryzen Segmentation Errors on Linux Workloads

AMD has confirmed that its Ryzen processors generate segmentation errors on Linux systems. The errors mainly occur on heavy compilation tasks when they are run side by side in large numbers.

According to Phoronix, which received confirmation from AMD, the processor manufacturer is working with affected customers to resolve the issue. AMD calls it a “performance marginality problem exclusive to certain workloads on Linux.” However, according to Phoronix, the problem may also affect other Unix-like systems. However, additional tests would be needed to establish whether this is indeed the case.

Posts appeared on the Gentoo forum in April and on the AMD forum and Reddit in May. Users report that the issues occur, for example, when running parallel builds, where the system crashes or restarts over time. AMD reports that the problems do not occur with Epyc or Threadripper CPUs. Also, there wouldn’t be any particular processor and motherboard combinations where the problems mainly occur.

Phoronix has previously performed stress tests and a Google doc has been created to track the results. The site advises affected users to contact AMD customer service.

Image via Phoronix