AMDGPU DRM Gets "GFXOFF" Patches To Turn Off Graphics Engine

AMD's Huang Rui has posted a set of 20 patches providing "GFXOFF" support for the AMDGPU Direct Rendering Manager Linux kernel driver.

GFXOFF is a new graphics processor feature that allows for powering off the graphics engine when it would otherwise be idle with no graphics workload. Obviously, this would equate to a potentially significant power savings with that engine being able to be shut-off.

But before getting too excited, on the hardware side GFXOFF is only supported currently by Raven Ridge APUs but hopefully we will see it on Radeon GPUs moving forward.

The patches for those interested in testing this new GFXOFF feature can find them on the mailing list.

With the AMD Linux driver performance getting squared away, it's great to see the recent focus by AMD developers on power-saving features such as the recently introduced WattMan-like functionality with the upcoming Linux 4.17 kernel now to the "GFXOFF" functionality.