Early benchmarks of the Linux 7.0 kernel on an AMD EPYC Turin server reveal significant performance improvements in PostgreSQL workloads compared to Linux 6.19. These gains appear in read/write scenarios, while other database tests show minimal changes. The testing highlights potential benefits for upcoming distributions like Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.
Phoronix conducted initial performance testing of the Linux 7.0 kernel, currently in development, on an AMD EPYC 9755 single-socket server using the Gigabyte MZ33-AR1 build. The benchmarks compared Linux 6.19 stable against Linux 7.0 Git as of February 19, with both kernels built using the same configuration and compiler toolchain. This testing followed initial runs on Intel Core Ultra X7 "Panther Lake" hardware, where regressions were noted, prompting a shift to the AMD platform where no such issues emerged.
In PostgreSQL 18.1 benchmarks, Linux 7.0 exhibited "astonishing gains" over Linux 6.19, particularly in read/write workloads. Performance improved across varying data sizes and concurrency levels, while read-only and read-heavy tests showed no significant differences. For CockroachDB, small benefits were observed when upgrading from Linux 6.19 to 7.0. Most other database workloads tested displayed no real changes between the two kernel versions.
The improvements are attributed to low-level optimizations and enhancements to Linux kernel data structures during this development cycle. Linux 7.0 is expected to power distributions such as Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora Server 44 in the spring, with the stable kernel release anticipated in April. Further testing on additional hardware and configurations is planned to explore these gains more broadly.
