AMD Delivers Many Fixes For Polaris GPUs On Linux - Finally Enables ZeroRPM Fan Mode

[skeevy420]

I'm guessing that probably won't work well on my card. I still have an RX 480 that must have some problem. On its default fan settings, games have horrible stuttering unless I manually crank the fan up to 100% so it sounds like a leaf blower. Initially I thought the stuttering was some Linux gaming bug until I realized the problem was in Windows also, and then I discovered the fan issue. It's probably time for me to upgrade the card. But given that there aren't really any new games that interest me these days, I just haven't wanted to.

ZeroRPM sounds like a great idea though. Any graphics chip that requires a spinning fan for just regular desktop apps and video playing is clearly designed poorly.

My RX 580 has stupid high stock voltages that are overkill for 1080p gaming which causes my GPU to run hot, thermal throttle, and make games suck. If all you're doing is 1080p gaming try undervolting your GPU. That's what I do.

[torsionbar28]

polaris will be around for years to come. someone getting a cheap machine together could quite easily get a polaris GPU and have a fantastic experience under Linux!

Polaris still actively used on the workstation side, in the entry level Radeon Pro cards. I have a wx7100 and a wx3200 card here and they work great. The wx3200 is the very newest entry workstation card from AMD, released in 2019, and yes it's Polaris.

[Michael]

phoronix
do you know on which Kernel the patches are based upon?
I would like to build a Kernel myself with it, so I can test it with my RX480.
I tested with 5.8.x, but most of the patches did not work.

More than likely drm-next / amd-staging-drm-next.

[skeevy420]

A bit of reality shock for some people:

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-...zgbs/pc/284822

Polaris still sold strongly. Number two most sold card om Amazon right now. The goddamned Nvidia Gt710 is number one in sales, LOL.

That's because they don't know any better. It's a $54 cheapo card from a well-known brand and I imagine a lot of parents and grandparents buy it thinking they're doing their family member a favor...they ain't. $30 more on a RX 550 would be a much better purchase.

[[email protected]]

I'm guessing that probably won't work well on my card. I still have an RX 480 that must have some problem. On its default fan settings, games have horrible stuttering unless I manually crank the fan up to 100% so it sounds like a leaf blower. Initially I thought the stuttering was some Linux gaming bug until I realized the problem was in Windows also, and then I discovered the fan issue. It's probably time for me to upgrade the card. But given that there aren't really any new games that interest me these days, I just haven't wanted to.

ZeroRPM sounds like a great idea though. Any graphics chip that requires a spinning fan for just regular desktop apps and video playing is clearly designed poorly.

Sounds like you got a dirty heat-sink. Try to clean it, perhaps even substitute the thermal paste, on a RX480 it must be old by now. Your temps and fan noise must decrease significantly.

[El_Presidente]

phoronix
do you know on which Kernel the patches are based upon?
I would like to build a Kernel myself with it, so I can test it with my RX480.
I tested with 5.8.x, but most of the patches did not work.

[Chugworth]

I'm guessing that probably won't work well on my card. I still have an RX 480 that must have some problem. On its default fan settings, games have horrible stuttering unless I manually crank the fan up to 100% so it sounds like a leaf blower. Initially I thought the stuttering was some Linux gaming bug until I realized the problem was in Windows also, and then I discovered the fan issue. It's probably time for me to upgrade the card. But given that there aren't really any new games that interest me these days, I just haven't wanted to.

ZeroRPM sounds like a great idea though. Any graphics chip that requires a spinning fan for just regular desktop apps and video playing is clearly designed poorly.

[[email protected]]

Yeah. For quality 1080p gaming an RX 580 is still a really good choice. I don't really see much of a point in upgrading my RX 580 to one of the RX 5000s. I lose ram on their 1080p card and the better cards are overkill compared to the rest of my components.

Until 4K FreeSync monitors and TVs become commonplace and the AMD driver supports HDMI FreeSync, more people will be targeting 1080p60 than any other resolution and that's where the Polaris cards shine for gaming...470/570+.

A bit of reality shock for some people:

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-...zgbs/pc/284822

Polaris still sold strongly. Number two most sold card om Amazon right now. The goddamned Nvidia Gt710 is number one in sales, LOL.

[skeevy420]

polaris will be around for years to come. someone getting a cheap machine together could quite easily get a polaris GPU and have a fantastic experience under Linux!

Yeah. For quality 1080p gaming an RX 580 is still a really good choice. I don't really see much of a point in upgrading my RX 580 to one of the RX 5000s. I lose ram on their 1080p card and the better cards are overkill compared to the rest of my components.

Until 4K FreeSync monitors and TVs become commonplace and the AMD driver supports HDMI FreeSync, more people will be targeting 1080p60 than any other resolution and that's where the Polaris cards shine for gaming...470/570+.

[[email protected]]

Those hundreds of kilowatts, wasted over the years by Polaris GPUs... That change is too late, polaris is dead

Not so fast. I bought a new RX550 just 2 months ago.

The thing is, some people use hardware until they cannot anymore. Not everybody has the urge to upgrade to the new shiny thing as soon as they are released.