dGPU performance should be indifferent of a BIOS being used. Are you confident that your program is really using a discrete GPU and not an integrated one (with a poor performance in comparison). To ensure this, please double check you're running it with DRI_PRIME=1 flag. One of the easiest ways to test - is supertuxkart: it prints the logs about a GPU being used and has a FPS counter. You should be able to run it at 60 fps on ultra settings on a discrete GPU, while an integrated one isn't that strong.
On Tue, Jul 14, 2020 at 2:14 PM Grzegorz Bogdał bogdal.grzegorz@tutanota.com wrote:
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%... [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... [5] https://www.powercolor.com/product?id=1542008942