AMD Implements a Cap On Radeon GPUs Power Limits In Linux With New AMDGPU Driver Update

AMDGPU's new driver update on Linux has implemented a cap on how users can set the power limit of their AMD Radeon GPUs as a "safety measure" for individuals.

Linux is known as the grazing land for overclocking enthusiasts and GPU testers since the platform provide countless opportunities to give them an open hand when it comes to setting power limits and clock speeds. However, Team Red now plans on putting this to a halt, as with the new Linux 6.7, a lower power limit has been set by AMD, which is programmed into the vBIOS, which means that users will be forced to put the specified limit of power draw if they are initially below it.

This has been discussed on the amd-gfx M/L, and the conclusion was that under-powering outside of the bounding box is potentially dangerous and might damage the hardware. This won't be added back in.

- AMD's Bug Report

Well, AMD says that this measure is implemented as a safety precaution, as the firm believes that setting power limits is necessary to ensure the longevity of its hardware. Team Red says this measure ensures that individuals are free from potential damages and even burnout when adopting power limits outside the specified ranges. While the company could be right on its end, I wonder how a low power draw leads to hardware damage since it would have been suitable for a higher power limit.

The change hasn't been welcomed by the AMD Linux community, which believes that it would affect such GPUs that run on low power draws, thus not letting them run Linux on such systems, where previously it worked fine. It would also impact overclockers in their experimenting process as well, not allowing them to defy one side of the "boundary".

News Source: Phoronix