Hardware

Linux 6.18 enhances AMD EPYC Turin performance

October 27, 2025 Lisa Kern

The Linux 6.18 kernel introduces optimizations that boost performance on AMD's EPYC Turin processors by up to 10% in multi-threaded workloads compared to Linux 6.17. These improvements target AI, high-performance computing, and database tasks on the Zen 5-based chips. Benchmarks from Phoronix highlight gains in scheduling, memory management, and power efficiency.

NVIDIA transitions Nova driver to Boot42 for next-gen GPUs

October 25, 2025 Lisa Kern

NVIDIA has begun submitting open-source patches for its Nova graphics driver, shifting from the Boot0 register to Boot42 in preparation for upcoming GPUs. This move signals early groundwork for the Rubin architecture, successor to Blackwell. The changes aim to simplify detection logic and support future hardware seamlessly.

Linux cache aware scheduling shows potential on AMD EPYC Turin

Recent benchmarks of Linux's proposed cache aware scheduling patches demonstrate significant performance improvements on AMD's EPYC Turin processors. The patches, developed by Intel engineers, aim to optimize task placement for better cache locality on multi-cache CPUs. Testing on a dual EPYC 9965 setup revealed promising results for heterogeneous server workloads.

Intel submits initial Crescent Island support for Linux 6.19

Developers are submitting initial support for Intel's Crescent Island, known as CRI, into the Linux 6.19 kernel. This marks early integration efforts for the upcoming hardware platform. The patches aim to enable basic functionality ahead of its release.

Linux patches to fix extreme mode on Lenovo Legion devices

October 27, 2025 Lisa Kern

Developers have proposed Linux kernel patches to address power profile issues on Lenovo Legion devices. The updates target the 'Extreme' mode, which previously activated on unsupported models. Only approved devices will gain access to the maximum performance setting.

Early reviews praise Nvidia DGX Spark's performance and simplicity

First reviews of Nvidia's DGX Spark have garnered praise for combining research-grade AI performance with desktop-level ease of use. However, early hardware and software quirks have raised some concerns among reviewers.