Intel will soon release its next-gen CPUs for desktop PCs, the Alder Lake series. The Alder Lake CPUs use a hybrid architecture with big and smaller CPUs. And this hybrid architecture may introduce compatibility issues in some games that use third-party DRMs.
As Intel itself claimed, DRM manufacturers should release newer versions of their DRMs that can support the hybrid architecture of its new CPUs. This basically means that all existing games using, let’s say Denuvo, will have to patch it so that it can be compatible with Alder Lake. Otherwise, their older versions MAY introduce various issues.
Now we want to be crystal clear here. These DRMs MAY have compatibility issues. Nothing is set in stone yet, so we don’t really know. These DRMs (like for instance VMProtect) may work just fine with Intel’s new CPUs. Still, this is something you should keep in mind before purchasing a CPU that uses a hybrid architecture.
As Intel stated:
“If your existing or upcoming game uses a DRM middleware, you might want to contact the middleware provider and confirm that it supports hybrid architectures in general, and the upcoming Intel ADL platform in particular. Due to the nature of modern DRM algorithms, it might use CPU detection, and should be aware of the upcoming hybrid platforms. Intel is working with leading DRM providers such as Denuvo* to make sure their solutions support new platforms.”
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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The shenanigans with this DRMs doesn’t stop
Most people will buy Intel Alder Lake inside notebooks
There are no reason to buy this CPU for classic PC. This kind of upgrade require new motherboard, new DDR5 memory, new operating system (Windows 10 don’t support ADL), total cost will be very high
Why? Since 2017 MS have rule that they support new CPU architectures only in current version of Windows. This is total new architecture from Intel and Windows 11 was released few weeks ago
This is not specific to Windows. On Linux you also need newest version of system with kernel 5.15 if you want use Alder Lake
win 10 does indeed support ADL… just it will not work well with the small cores, most likely they will be disabled..
Alder Lake contains hardware scheduler that require changes to Linux and Windows kernels. On Windows you need Windows 11 and Linux you need wait for 2022 for build on kernel 5.15 (or later)
“Thread Director is hardware-based for trying to determine the most appropriate task placement among Alder Lake and future Intel hybrid processor designs, but there is a software element at play too. Intel made clear back during Architecture Day that Windows 11 will carry optimizations for Thread Director”
MS confirmed that they don’t plan to add new kernel to Windows 10
I know but that does not mean win 10 will not be able to run ADL, well big cores will be fine , the small cores most likley disabled.
Alder Lake on older system like Ubuntu 2020 or Windows 10 will be much slower and probably unstable
Intel said that Alder Lake architecture require new kernel in Linux and Windows. On Linux first stage of preview support was released in kernel 5.14 (Ubuntu 21.10) and updated in kernel 5.15 for Ubuntu 2022. But even newest kernel 5.15 still don’t have full support of Alder Lake and more changes will be added in kernel 5.16 in early 2022
“Ingo Molnar began sending in his pull requests bright and early as usual for the just-opened Linux 5.15 merge window. With the scheduler changes for this next kernel version there are some improvements worth mentioning but also worth mentioning is what hasn’t found its way to the kernel yet: any software optimizations around Intel Thread Director for upcoming Alder Lake processors”
“Intel has also been mum on any Linux software support/optimizations around Thread Director. Well, with no patches queued up for Linux 5.15 that in turn will be out as stable this autumn and with the first Alder Lake processors due out later this year, it doesn’t look like Intel will have any launch-day Linux optimizations in place”
On Windows new NT kernel is part of Windows 11
“This new technology is a combined hardware/software solution that Intel has engineered with Microsoft focused on Windows 11. It all boils down to having the right functionality to help the operating system make decisions about where to put threads that require low latency vs threads that require high efficiency but are not time critical.
First you need a software scheduler that knows what it is doing. Intel stated that it has worked extensively with Microsoft to get what they want into Windows 11, and that Microsoft have gone above and beyond what Intel needed. This fundamental change is one reason why Windows 11 exists“
Both Linux and Windows need new kernels to support this CPU. If you want use that CPU better wait few months for good Linux support. This CPU is huge change for PC
ADL is faster than current Ryzen processors
No thanks. I’m good without Israel Inside. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/121e0344955fe453cd49dc0133f4d1f722b873b5097411473b34d1a19e579166.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5076095311fc8b259ff486605f3dd5bdea5d8f240b4e2eb742a4f959d9965330.jpg
The Illusion of choice
goddamn, gotta stick with used from now
I feel sick.
Got an easy fix for this. Dump DRM. Problem solved.
Great, now they can re-release the same games but compatible with new CPUs for just 60$.
I’d buy that for a dollar!
Alder Lake EnhancedTM
Solution is quite simple. Don’t get rid of the older system if you want to play older games. Or prepare to visualize/dual boot stuff.
F*k DRM
They deserve it. The consoomers who support Denuvo games without second thought
you are right of course, but with some protections like denovo – that’s not an option as they are emulated most times, not removed in pirated versions, which means they could still cause incompatibility with new intel cpus
for now 10900k is still too powerful (and dissipates too much heat too) not worth the switch to alder lake if you own one, except the pci 4/5 ddr5
go pirate, get eaten by sharks (hackers)
at least electronic arts for example tell you in advance they are collecting aaallll sort of data on you and selling them it to every bigger brand or company in the galaxy
Lose a gen worth of cpu performance… if it even works. Love drm! /end sarcasm