Ryzen
Ryzen is a multithreaded, high performance processor released by AMD in Q1, 2017. It is the first CPU released based on the Zen microarchitecture. Its goal is to directly compete with Intel's Broadwell-E processor line, primarily the Core i7-6900K.
Contents
Installation
Kernels
- Install the linux-zen kernel for more optimisation. Linux ZEN provides better stability for any processors and also provides more speed in general (including gaming). It is only recommended for desktop users because the ZEN kernel uses as much power as the default kernel.
- Install the linux-ckAUR kernel which contains patches that is designed to improve system responsiveness with specific emphasis on the desktop, but suitable to any workload. The CK kernel is recommended for laptop users as it's intended to be very power efficient.
Reconfigure GRUB to use the kernel(s) you have installed so you can boot into it/them next time. If you do not use GRUB, you will have to create a configuration file to use the kernel(s) for your bootloader.
Graphics Drivers
Install the mesa package which provides the DRI driver for 3D acceleration (only for Ryzen APUs and/or AMD GPUs).
Enable Microcode Support
Install the amd-ucode package to enable microcode updates and enable it with the help of the Microcode page. These updates provide bug fixes that can be critical to the stability of your system. It is highly recommended to use it despite it being proprietary.
Tweaking Ryzen
Power Managing
RyzenAdj (CLI) is a tool created by FlyGoat to adjust power management settings for Ryzen processors using a terminal emulator.
Overclocking
ZenStates-Linux (CLI) is a tool made by r4m0n to adjust the clock speed and voltage. A detailed example was given in Level1Techs' forums by catsay for you to understand it.
Improving Ryzen
Enabling The Ananicy Daemon
See Improving performance#Ananicy.
Irqbalance
See Improving performance#irqbalance.
CPU Mitigations
See Improving performance#Turn off CPU exploit mitigations.
Gaming Performance
See Gaming#Improving performance.
Compiling A Kernel
See Gentoo:Ryzen#Kernel on enabling Ryzen support.
Troubleshooting
Screen-Tearing (APU)
If you are using Xorg and are experiencing screen-tearing, enabling the "TearFree"
option will fix the problem.
/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-amdgpu.conf
Section "Device" Identifier "AMD" Driver "amdgpu" Option "TearFree" "true" EndSection
"TearFree"
is not Vsync.