The main novelty of the newly released 12th generation of Alder Lake processors from Intel was the adoption of a hybrid architecture that combines high-performance cores, the P-colors with cores of low consumption, E-Color. However, the new design brings a side effect, known even before launch, in games that feature DRM systems, anti-piracy technologies.
Intel Alder Lake chip cpu’s
Due to their nature, these systems identify the E-Cores as an additional CPU, which could be cheating in parallel to the main system, and thus prevent the game from running. Intel confirmed that it is working with Denuvo, other anti-cheat software, and game developers to provide official support for the Alder Lake lineup, but assumed that older games could go without updates.
An alternative solution found was the disabling of the E-Cores through the computer’s BIOS, which requires a restart of the machine. Although functional, the method is inconvenient and ends up being complex for more casual users. Thinking about getting around this limitation, Gigabyte has developed a very ingenious and simpler novelty for its users.
Gigabyte resolves Intel Alder Lake chip errors in one click
The company itself announced the launch of Gigabyte DRM Fix Tool, a tool that enables and disables E-Cores with one click, thus eliminating the need to restart the computer and access the BIOS. The only point that can be considered negative is that the novelty is exclusive to the Z690 boards launched by the brand.
In all, there are 26 compatible motherboard models, which require the latest firmware update for the tool to work properly. You can check the complete list, with the required firmware number, in the table below:
The Gigabyte DRM Fix Tool weighs less than 1 MB and does not require installation, just download it from the company’s official website, available at this link. Interestingly, the solution also makes life easier for users who want to take advantage of the AVX-512 instructions, developed for Artificial Intelligence calculations and activated only when the E-Colors are disabled, also due to incompatibilities.
Even though it is exclusive to Gigabyte card users, the news is very welcome and may end up influencing other brands to eventually follow the same path.
Alder Lake Line to be Expanded Soon
It is worth remembering that Intel is expected to expand the Alder Lake family soon, considering recent official information, as well as the details, pointed out by rumors, and it is possible that more solutions to the limitation of DRM systems will become available. The company is expected to release motherboards from the H600 and B600 families, which should encourage developers and manufacturers to look for fixes for the problem.
Furthermore, some of the Alder Lake chips, such as the expected Core i5 12400, can reach the market without using the hybrid architecture, eliminating incompatibilities and the need to modify the system to work around them. This can be a good option for users who don’t want to go to the trouble of disabling E-Cores manually, or who prefer to avoid any errors at the first moment.
