PC Engines apu2 experiences
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@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.
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@wgentine said in PC Engines apu2 experiences:
@kevindd992002 as long as you install 4.9.0.2 or 4.0.24 you get it activated.
Or wait a few days for forthcoming releases 4.9.0.3 & 4.0.25 which will enable core boost as well as providing the ability to disable it in BIOS.
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@dugeem fair enough... thermal and power consumption is still priority in a small system with passive cooling.
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@dugeem said in PC Engines apu2 experiences:
@wgentine said in PC Engines apu2 experiences:
@kevindd992002 as long as you install 4.9.0.2 or 4.0.24 you get it activated.
Or wait a few days for forthcoming releases 4.9.0.3 & 4.0.25 which will enable core boost as well as providing the ability to disable it in BIOS.
Well, I already have 4.9.0.2 since two weeks ago so I think I'm good. I'll still wait for 4.9.0.3 main release and update as necessary. My pfsense APU2C4 boxes are for home-use only anyways.
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Maybe I've missed, but as far as you know what will be the difference concerning this between 4.9.0.2 and 4.9.0.3?
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@qinn All APU2 open firmware source is on github.
Release notes for mainline are here ... github PCEngines mainline changelog
NB v4.9.0.3 hasn’t been released yet... we have to be patient and allow 3mdeb to go thru their full release cycle
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@dugeem Thnx for pointing that one out for me, I did not know there were "Unreleased" notes in the change log.
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PC Engines / 3mdeb have released new coreboot firmware:
- mainline v4.9.0.3 (link https://pcengines.github.io/#mr-20)
- legacy v4.0.25 (link https://pcengines.github.io/#lr-17).
Both now offer ability in sortbootorder to disable Core Boost (default is enabled).
v4.9.0.3 also includes some additonal firmware fixes and support for SMBIOS memory capability types 16 & 17. The command
dmidecode -t 16 -t 17now works as expected on APU2 with 4GB.
Installed mainline v4.9.0.3 on my test APU2 with no issues.
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Thanks for the update, I will install it asap.
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@dugeem said in PC Engines apu2 experiences:
SMBIOS memory capability types 16 & 17
Where does one use "SMBIOS memory capability types 16 & 17"?
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@kevindd992002 For informational purposes only with dmidecode. Arguably this should have already been in the firmware but since it took time for 3mdeb to get ECC working (due to lack of AMD documentation) it probably hasn’t mattered.
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How does the APU2C4 with the new BIOS compare to a Fitlet2 J3455? Does anyone know the boost clock that the APU will get up to now? Forgive me if I missed this info earlier in the thread.
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With AMD CPB enabled in latest APU2 BIOS a lightly loaded (i.e. no more than single core active) APU2 CPU will boost from normal 1.0Ghz up to 1.4GHz. In the real world the gain is less - around 20% (see 3mdeb tech notes https://3mdeb.com/firmware/amd-cpu-boost/).
The quad core Celeron J3455 CPU has a base frequency of 1.5GHz and boosts to 2.3GHz - this would suggest it should offer ~50% higher performance than the AMD GX-412TC. Benchmarking would be required to confirm this.
However before selecting router hardware there are many other considerations apart from just CPU performance. EG. bandwidth, budget, form factor, interfaces, storage etc
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Hi, I made the update on my APU2C0 board to coreboot legacy ver. 4.0.25 and after 2 days everything works fine - the only thing that I can see is that the CPU temperature is slightly lower (4-5°) than before the update (same environment conditions). Maybe it is in context of AMD CPB activation.
Have a fine Weekend,
fireodo -
@fireodo said in PC Engines apu2 experiences:
Hi, I made the update on my APU2C0 board to coreboot legacy ver. 4.0.25 and after 2 days everything works fine - the only thing that I can see is that the CPU temperature is slightly lower (4-5°) than before the update (same environment conditions). Maybe it is in context of AMD CPB activation.
Have a fine Weekend,
fireodoYes, the CPU can now enter C6 idle-state as well when needed which is a deeper power saving state. More power saving = less heat.
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Is it useful to enable PowerD now?
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@qinn No. CPB is not describe in ACPI so, powerd doesn't know.
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Thanks
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Does anyone else use the gwled package for the other 2 lights on the front?
I noticed that it’s using massive amounts of CPU, pushing the load average well above 20. Even disabling doesn’t fix it, only removing the package helps. Below is only a snippet of "px auxw", there are still many more processes of the same.
USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TT STAT STARTED TIME COMMAND root 11 156.5 0.0 0 64 - RNL Wed17 16794:28.46 [idle] root 55074 4.6 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.59 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 57431 4.5 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.60 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 58665 4.5 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.58 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 56863 4.4 0.8 96420 34636 - R 12:28 0:00.56 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 58037 4.4 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.59 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 51369 4.3 0.9 96304 35948 - R 12:28 0:00.65 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 52694 4.3 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.60 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 53220 4.3 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.59 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 56211 4.3 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.58 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 57826 4.3 0.9 98468 35212 - R 12:28 0:00.56 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 58322 4.3 0.9 96292 35144 - R 12:28 0:00.58 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 58337 4.3 0.9 98468 35212 - R 12:28 0:00.56 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 51633 4.1 0.8 96420 34584 - R 12:28 0:00.56 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 52119 4.1 0.9 96420 35268 - R 12:28 0:00.57 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 55153 4.1 0.9 98468 35212 - R 12:28 0:00.55 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 56521 4.1 0.8 98468 35036 - R 12:28 0:00.54 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 58153 4.1 0.9 98468 35212 - R 12:28 0:00.54 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 39184 4.0 7.5 339404 308808 - Ss 22:56 48:49.73 /usr/local/bin/suricata -i igb1 -D -c /usr/local/etc/suricata/s root 51525 4.0 0.9 96292 35160 - R 12:28 0:00.58 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.php root 57568 4.0 0.9 98468 35200 - R 12:28 0:00.54 /usr/local/bin/php-cgi -q /usr/local/bin/gwled.phpSee here the difference in CPU after removing the package:
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Hmm, odd. Actual CPU time on those processes is all pretty small though. You see it generating those everytime at boot?
Steve
