Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    PC Engines apu2 experiences

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
    711 Posts 73 Posters 770.7k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • QinnQ
      Qinn
      last edited by

      ...up and running on Coreboot Mainline bios version 4.9.0.2, so far so good..

      Hardeware: Intel(R) Celeron(R) J4125 CPU @ 2.00GHz 102 GB mSATA SSD (ZFS)
      Firmware: Latest-stable-pfSense CE (amd64)
      Packages: pfBlockerNG devel-beta (beta tester) - Avahi - Notes - Ntopng - PIMD/udpbroadcastrelay - Service Watchdog - System Patches

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • K
        kevindd992002 @Veldkornet
        last edited by

        @veldkornet said in PC Engines apu2 experiences:

        @kevindd992002 said in PC Engines apu2 experiences:

        Does this mean that as long as you add those lines to /boot/loader.conf, running the latest FW's is fine?

        I'm currently running 4.8.0.5 on pfSense 4.2.2 with a SSD in ZFS and except for the small things I mentioned about the reboot not working if the system had been running for a long time, all seems to be fine. I have those lines in my config as well.

        Btw, what do those config lines do and why'd you recommend them? I'll flash the latest mainline release in a few hours.

        D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • D
          dugeem @kevindd992002
          last edited by

          @kevindd992002

          With either the latest legacy or mainline releases there is no longer any need to add specific coreboot configuration to loader.conf.local or device.hints.

          With mainline up until v4.6.7 it was recommended to add

          hint.ahci.0.msi="0"
          

          To device.hints file (source https://github.com/pcengines/apu2-documentation/blob/master/docs/pfSense-install-guide.md)

          NB do not modify loader.conf - it may/will be overwritten by pfSense. Always put system specific config lines in loader.conf.local.

          K 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • K
            kevindd992002 @dugeem
            last edited by

            @dugeem

            Thanks. So I don't have to worry about these custom configs then.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • VeldkornetV
              Veldkornet
              last edited by

              I just have a look at /var/log/dmesg.boot and see what it complains about. Add anything that’s related to those.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • K
                kevindd992002
                last edited by

                Is the APU2C4 a UEFI-compatible board?

                V QinnQ 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • V
                  VAMike @kevindd992002
                  last edited by

                  @kevindd992002 no

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • QinnQ
                    Qinn @kevindd992002
                    last edited by

                    @kevindd992002 no it's BIOS

                    Hardeware: Intel(R) Celeron(R) J4125 CPU @ 2.00GHz 102 GB mSATA SSD (ZFS)
                    Firmware: Latest-stable-pfSense CE (amd64)
                    Packages: pfBlockerNG devel-beta (beta tester) - Avahi - Notes - Ntopng - PIMD/udpbroadcastrelay - Service Watchdog - System Patches

                    QinnQ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • W
                      wgentine
                      last edited by wgentine

                      @Qinn reinitiating the conversation here. I did not go for 4.9.0.2 but i'm running 4.0.24 and also found a temperature drop from 58C (average) to 51C.

                      I have no idea why... performance is great and handling a gigabit FiberGateway w/o any issues. Just had to tweak a bit and enable igb firmware+NIC queues+hw offloading.

                      Wonder how we can start using the core performance boost feature... After applying this firmware I couldn't find any new speed freq setting beyond 1000.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • QinnQ
                        Qinn @Qinn
                        last edited by

                        @wgentine I was so bold to copy your post in the other thread here, maybe someone can shed a light on it..

                        https://forum.netgate.com/topic/133656/did-i-just-overclocked-my-apu2c4-amd-gx-412tc-soc/31?loggedin=true

                        @wgentine said in Did I just overclocked my apu2c4 (AMD GX-412TC SOC)?:

                        Not supposed to resurrect this post but pcengines had just enabled AMD Core Performance Boot feature:

                        https://3mdeb.com/firmware/amd-cpu-boost/

                        Anyone fancy trying out?

                        Hardeware: Intel(R) Celeron(R) J4125 CPU @ 2.00GHz 102 GB mSATA SSD (ZFS)
                        Firmware: Latest-stable-pfSense CE (amd64)
                        Packages: pfBlockerNG devel-beta (beta tester) - Avahi - Notes - Ntopng - PIMD/udpbroadcastrelay - Service Watchdog - System Patches

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • W
                          wgentine
                          last edited by

                          @Qinn I had a quick conversation with the firmware developer. He said ACPI doesn't know about the core boost feature but if you run some benchmarks you can finally prove a 40% performance increase in CPU + Memory bandwidth.

                          1.4Ghz... but FreeBSD won't know a thing about the clock increase.
                          At the same time the temperature dropped significantly.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                          • W
                            wgentine
                            last edited by

                            @Qinn the temperature decrease is due to the fact in order to enable Core Boots, the developer had to enable C6 states as well allowing the processor cores to enter in deep sleep when idling. Less heat and less power consumption as well. Making more money of the investment.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • K
                              kevindd992002
                              last edited by

                              So the core boost feature wouldn't really do anything for pfSense?

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • W
                                wgentine
                                last edited by

                                of course it does! 40% more performance, less heat, less consumption.

                                D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • stephenw10S
                                  stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                                  last edited by

                                  Just because there's nothing to indicate it's happening in pfSense doesn't mean it's not.

                                  You would only see that in pfSense on the dashboard if it were controlled by powerd.

                                  Steve

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • D
                                    dugeem @wgentine
                                    last edited by

                                    @wgentine theoretically up to 40% boost for partial CPU loads not requiring more than a single core. Boost is lower (or zero) when multiple cores are in use.
                                    So any lightly loaded APU2 system will benefit but moderate or heavily loaded systems won’t.

                                    W 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • W
                                      wgentine @dugeem
                                      last edited by wgentine

                                      @dugeem nothing shall be running at 100%, 100% of time. If does, its ridiculously undersized.

                                      Check developer's info: https://3mdeb.com/firmware/amd-cpu-boost/

                                      I see more value for the same cost.

                                      D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • K
                                        kevindd992002
                                        last edited by

                                        Is that something that you need to enable though? Or would running at the latest mainline firmware automatically overclock the CPU?

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • W
                                          wgentine
                                          last edited by

                                          @kevindd992002 as long as you install 4.9.0.2 or 4.0.24 you get it activated.

                                          D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • D
                                            dugeem @wgentine
                                            last edited by dugeem

                                            @wgentine As per link the APU2 system load doesn’t even have to reach 100% for boost mode to cease. AMD internal power control will reduce or disable boost based on multi core activity together with thermal parameters.

                                            No argument though that it adds useful extra lift to APU2 performance.

                                            W 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.