i225-v Gigabyte x570s

[Koranthius]

Hi, I recently upgraded my internet connection from 80mbps to 500mbps but was a bit puzzled when my speeds did not go above ~110mbps. After some experimentation I found the 2.5gb onboard LAN port on my Gigabyte x570s Aorus master was unable to go above ~110mbps download speeds, I also tested transferring files within the local network and the speed issues were the same.

I have been in touch with Gigabyte and they said that they were unaware of any i225-v issues, I have tried updating to the latest intel drivers as well as downgrading to 1.0.2.22 and nothing changes. I have also updated to the latest bios for my motherboard.

Unlike Asus, Gigabyte do not have any NVM updates available, I think this board has the revision 1 version of the i225-v.

What are my options here? Even if I RMA the motherboard, the issue seems to be widespread and the replacement board is likely to have the same issue. It also means I will not be able to use my PC for potentially months unless I buy a replacement and then sell the returned board.

Is there a firmware update available from Intel? I don't really mind if it breaks the gigabyte software since I never install it anyway.

[IntelSupport]

Hi Koranthius,

Thank you for posting in Intel Ethernet Communities.

Have you try configure network adapter settings as below and see if the issue persists.

1. Speed & Duplex: Auto Negotiation.
2. Disable all power management from the network adapter.

You may find Intel I225 Firmware Update Tool Version 1.45 and Intel i225 LAN driver version 1.0.1.4 on GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS PRO AX (rev. 1.x) support download page website. The NVM update file should be available inside Intel I225 Firmware Update Tool folder. There is a good feedback so far known for these driver package version. You might want to check first with GIGABYTE if you are able to use the driver or there are other choice available from GIGABYTE.

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel

[Koranthius]

Hi,

The network configuration settings matched those suggested already.

The 1.0.1.4 driver has pushed the speeds up to ~400mbps which is much better but still a bit slower than what I can get with a usb3 adapter (this gets ~530mbps).

I tried the firmware update without contacting GIGABYTE first (they are very slow to respond) and with running the batch file provided as an administrator it states the current firmware is version 0, the update happens instantly and after going through the shutdown/unplug for 30seconds it states the firmware is still on version 0. I do not think this update will work with this motherboard.

Thanks.

[Koranthius]

I replied too soon, after only ~20minutes the speeds have dropped down to ~200mbps, I have checked device manager and the driver is still 1.0.1.4 so it does not look like the issue has been improved. I have swapped the ethernet cable back to the usb ethernet each time to make sure the drop in speed is not related to something else and that still reports speeds of 530mbps.

[IntelSupport]

Hi Koranthius,

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue but rest assure we will try our best to help.

If you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11, you may try to verify the network driver and NVM image in PowerShell with below command:

Get-IntelNetAdapter | Format-List -Property DriverVersion, ETrackID, NVMVersion

Or

Get-IntelNetAdapter | Format-List DriverVersion, NVMVersion

You might need get consult with GIGABYTE for recommended driver and NVM version for X570S as it seem like they have their own procedure/setting especially for NVM.

Meanwhile, we still have other workaround that you may try and see if it will help.

There is an official communication for this issue on Network Issues with Intel® Ethernet Controller I225-V article (ASUS and Gigabyte motherboards environment) that suggest to try with Intel® Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version 28.0.

official communication

https://cdrdv2.intel.com/v1/dl/getContent/621661

Network Issues with Intel® Ethernet Controller I225-V

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000057261/ethernet-products/gigabit-ethernet-controllers-up-to-2-5gbe.html

You may found Complete Driver Pack version 28.0 at Intel® Ethernet Controller I225 download page as per link below:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/details/ethernet/gigabit-controllers/i225-controllers/downloads.html

Complete Driver Pack also contain various driver version, so we suggest for below step:

1. Download the Intel® Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack version 28.0(large file).
2. Go to Device Manager and find the I225 Controller.
3. Uninstall all existing drivers.
4. Power down pc and unplug power cord from PSU, leave it for few seconds.
5. Turn pc back on and install Complete Driver Pack.
6. You may repeat step 2 to 5 for 2 or 3 times in case issue still persists after first attempt.

Note:

You might notice in Network Issues with Intel® Ethernet Controller I225-V article it mention that:

1. Before installing the intel I225-V driver, ensure that Intel I225-V is updated to the latest provided by the OEM via the firmware update tool.
2. Install LAN driver 1.0.1.4.

If GIGABYTE can verify if there is any LAN driver 1.0.1.4 and firmware update tool available for X570S it will be good for us since it's not listed on the webpage.

[Koranthius]

Hi,

I removed all ethernet drivers and reinstalled 1.0.1.4 but the NVM tool still only sees a 0 version number.

The above 2 commands state the DriverVersion (1.0.1.4 then 1.1.3.28) but the ETrackerID and NVMVersion both state "Not Supported" with both drivers.

The large 28 driver pack installed version 1.1.3.28 which does not resolve the issue.

The PDF containing official communication only seems to outline issues with 2.5gb speeds, I am not using 2.5gb as both my network switch and router only have 1gb ports.

I am not having much luck communicating with GIGABYTE, I was asked to try 1.0.2.22 and after reporting that version did not help I have heard nothing back from them.

[Koranthius]

I received a reply from GIGABYTE support, they provided driver version 1.1.4.38 dated 02/09/2023. This seems to have fixed the download speeds, but now the upload speeds are bad instead, I have not been provided with any NVME update information from GIGABYTE yet (there might not be any).

The issue is still not resolved as a usb3 1gb ethernet dongle still greatly outperforms on the onboard 2.5gb ethernet.

[Fariz_Intel]

Hi Koranthius,

We are sorry for our late response. Regarding the speed issue, the only option as for now is to keep below settings in the driver and the switch/router that you are using.

Speed & Duplex = Auto Negotiation

Energy Efficiency Ethernet = OFF / Disable

"This seems to have fixed the download speeds, but now the upload speeds are bad instead"

Noted on this and we also glad to hear that they provide some help for you. We still continue to find the solution and there might be a new update coming from engineering team. We really appreciate your patience.

Can you help us to share some of the information below:

Motherboard: Gigabyte x570s Aorus master

BIOS:

CPU:

Cable Modem:

Network Switch:

I225 LAN driver version: 1.1.4.38

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel

[Koranthius]

Hi, the Bios version used were F4 and F5a, the CPU is a 5950x. The network equipment is not part of the issue as I have tested the port connected directly to other ethernet devices and the issue is still present with no router/switches involved. These tests were done by assigning fixed IP addresses (no DHCP present to assign ip without router) and then running iperf3 bound to each ports ip address with it run in both directions (swapping the server and client).

I do not have a full list of the driver versions used since I have been asked to wipe and start over with a few different ones. I think some of them are 1.0.1.4, 1.0.2.8, 1.1.3.28, 1.1.4.38.

I did experiment with a few clean OS installs and found that Ubuntu and Windows 11 seem to work fine, but a clean install of Windows 10 still had the issue. Windows 11 appears to have a high driver version that does not work in Windows 10.

I am not sure how to proceed with the issue, I may end up moving to Windows 11 at a later date and the issue would likely be fixed then, but it seems a shame to just leave this issue in place for Windows 10.

[Fariz_Intel]

Hi Koranthius,

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue. I see, it seem like your issue is not affected by modem/switch.

Can you help to share with us what is the Windows 10 version that you're currently using?

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel

[Koranthius]

Hi,

I am currently running 22H2 19045.2604

The clean install tested was running the same version.

[Fariz_Intel]

Hi Koranthius,

It seems like there are newer build version for Windows 10. Maybe you can check if you are able to update Windows 10 to the latest build version and see if the issue still persist.

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel

[Koranthius]

Hi, no improvement after updating to 19045.2673.

[Fariz_Intel]

Hi Koranthius,

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue.

If that's the case then perhaps you may share your result with OEM Gigabyte regarding the Windows 10 issue since this latest driver is a new release and see if they could provide any suggestion.

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel

[Fariz_Intel]

Hi Koranthius,

We have seen recently the latest driver behave differently depending on the motherboard model. We apologize since there is no new update/founding yet at the moment. If you have additional questions or clarifications, feel free to let us know.

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel

[Koranthius]

I do have some further information on the issue.

iperf3 running on linux provides retry/packet loss information which does not seem to be present in the windows version. Running the tests with a linux client connecting to the i225-v windows 10 system shows high packet loss is the cause of the low speeds. The packet loss only effects either the Send or the Receive but not both at the same time.

I have closed the issue with Gigabyte since the hardware seems to be fine when running other operating systems.

This can probably be closed now, its just a shame there isn't a solution.

[Fariz_Intel]

Hi Koranthius,

We deeply apologize for not being able to give further assistance regarding this issue. We understand that this may cause inconvenience situation at your side. What we can ensure at the moment is that Intel still continues working towards solutions. We greatly appreciate the information provided and the time you spent with Intel Support.

If you need any additional information, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel

[Fariz_Intel]

Hi Koranthius,

One last thing, we found an old post on the other website. You may try take a look at the post as per link below if not yet checked. Thanks very much for your time.

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/vot7no/comment/ij1mmek/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

If you need any additional information, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Fariz_Intel