Hi, this time I'm using Debian testing. Drivers shouldn't be a problem since I get drastically different results on the same hardware/software combination, the only difference being different BIOS chip plugged in(F2-A85m allows to swap them easily). One chip has proprietary BIOS, second one Coreboot.


14 Jul 2020, 11:57 by mikebdp2@gmail.com:
Hi Grzegorz , please remind what Linux distro you're using and how
fresh is its' drivers/software. AMD drivers really improved during the
last couple of years, but if you're running some ancient "debian" - of
course GPU performance is lower than expected. Myself, I'm currently
using Artix Linux - while it has a really fresh software (just like
Arch), it almost never breaks, and doesn't have a SystemD (good for
you if you don't like it as well).

On Mon, Jul 6, 2020 at 11:39 PM Grzegorz Bogdał
<bogdal.grzegorz@tutanota.com> wrote:

Sorry, I've been overeager with that report. GPU initializes and is good for desktop use, but the performance in games is abysmal


6 Jul 2020, 20:56 by bogdal.grzegorz@tutanota.com:

It took a while, but I've flashed coreboot from newest master on F2-A85m+RX 570 and it works. Great stuff, thank you for your work: )


13 Jan 2020, 17:28 by mikebdp2@gmail.com:

Jan 12, 2020, 14:43 by mikebdp2@gmail.com:

Solution for your coreboot + discrete GPU problems like

amdgpu kernel bo map failed [...] error -22
amdgpu_vram_scratch_init failed [...] error -22
fatal error in GPU initialization

It turned out that a fix like
https://review.coreboot.org/c/coreboot/+/38215 ( /* Set to 0xD0
instead of 0xE0 to avoid the PCI resource allocation problems. */
InitPost->MemConfig.BottomIo = 0xD0; // at the beginning of
board_BeforeInitPost function at board's OemCustomize.c ) that worked
for HD6670, is not enough for a huge RX590 - which is huge in all
relations, but most importantly the memory ranges!

To get RX590 working with ASUS A88XM-E, I had to decrease a BottomIo
even further - to 0xC0 - and also to reduce the
BLDCFG_UMA_ALLOCATION_SIZE at board's buildOpts.c from 0x2000 (512MB)
to 0x1000 (256MB), - to get this extra "0xD0-0xC0"=0x10000000 room.
And then it worked perfectly, at least with DRI_PRIME=1 ./Supertuxkart
GPU offloading: ultra settings on integrated - 4 or 5 fps, with
offloading - 60 fps. I'm sure this fix will work for your other RX 5**
as well, but don't know if I should be trying to commit it to master,
since it lowers the integrated GPU's shared memory.

RX590 is the most powerful AMD GPU which does not contain a Platform
Security Processor aka PSP (yes, they've started adding this crap to
the GPUs as well, and newer Vega / RX 5*** are all contaminated - see
for yourself at freedesktop drm/amdgpu sources) . That's why it was
really important to get RX590 working. So happy it was possible,
thanks to you all ;-)

On Mon, Jan 13, 2020 at 2:21 AM Grzegorz Bogdał <bogdal.grzegorz@tutanota.com> wrote:
Great job!: ) So, A10-6800k/FX-8xxx combined with RX 590 is probably the strongest x86 desktop without PSP/ME that we'll get in this reality?


Yes, if you meant x86 desktop "supported by coreboot master" -
regarding the CPUs ;-) Otherwise there is a supported-by-coreboot-4.11
M5A88-V motherboard with AM3+ (maybe can put FX-9590 there, if
coreboot supports and without frying it?) and KGPE-D16 with its' two
Opterons 6386 SE for a large desktop. Also, PDF [link 1] at page 12
says Carrizo is the "1st ARM Trustzone Capable Performance APU", that
means Kaveri and its' refresh Godavari (i.e. A10-7890K) doesn't have a
PSP. A88XM-E motherboard is FM2+ socket, so theoretically it could
support Godavari A10-7890K. However Balazs wrote that AGESA of Kaveri
is a blob (not good!) and there's uncertainty if could get it working
without getting this APU for trying.

As you see, there are CPUs more powerful than A10-6800K which don't
have a PSP crap but their coreboot master support is questionable. And
don't want to be without coreboot, since UEFI could have many holes
and stuff like Computrace which doesn't need to rely on ME/PSP to
function. So yes, A10-6800K seems to be the best at the moment. I got
A10-6700 only because its' quite hard to find a new A10-6800K for a
reasonable price and I read about bad overclockers who played too much
with core voltages and cores deteriorate, becoming unstable even at
stock speeds (so one needs to underclock then). A10-6700 is the most
powerful with a locked multiplier, so less attractive to overclockers
and may be safer to buy used.

GPUs: yes, RX590 is the most powerful GPU without PSP ! (not
considering NVidia at all because of their proprietary driver tricks
and hostility towards the opensource) . Although there is RX600 series
[link 2], they are hard to buy and lower performance. Unlike the
majority of people (who don't care about performance), I actually
hoped there would be another refresh of Polaris architecture - simply
because no PSP, but doesn't seem there would be more Polaris high end
GPUs at the moment.

As for the most powerful RX590, I suggest those which have 8400MHz
memory by default - i.e. Sapphire Nitro+ parts. For myself I got a
cute [link 3] SKU 11289-07-20G aka "Sapphire Nitro+ RX 590 8GB AMD
50th Anniversary Gold Edition" (golden shroud) for about 250 USD.
Aside from being an AMD fanboy collector's item, it's nearly identical
to 11289-01-20G aka "Special Edition" (blue shroud) - however, there
were multiple hardware revisions of a Special Edition card (could be
distinguished by looking at their advanced P/N product number also
printed), while this Gold Edition came much later and with it I think
you're guaranteed to get the latest hardware revision. Now they are
sold out at many countries, but if you're lucky you could find some -
although maybe for the really inflated prices like [link 4] - that's
~320, about 30% more than I paid.

If you know another RX590 which is more powerful out of the box,
please tell - maybe I'd get a second one! In example, here's a pretty
[link 5] PowerColor Red Devil RX 590 8GB, with a neat pentagram on
its' back plate ;-) But its' memory is 8000MHz by default.

[1] https://github.com/mikebdp2/coreboot-related/blob/master/PHILIPPINES_PS-DBM%20Event%20July%2015%2C%202016.pdf
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon_600_series
[3] https://www.sapphiretech.com/en/consumer/nitro-rx-590-8g-g5_gold_edition
[4] 133178207205 -
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SAPPHIRE-AMD-RADEON-RX-590-NITRO-AMD50-GOLD-EDITION-8-GO-GDDR5-11289-07-20G/133178207205
[5] https://www.powercolor.com/product?id=1542008942