AMD P-State Driver Patches Boost Steam Deck Performance
New Linux kernel patches from David Vernet introduce epp_boost to the AMD P-State driver, significantly improving Steam Deck frame rates.
Developer David Vernet has submitted a new set of driver patches to the Linux kernel mailing list, introducing the epp_boost feature to the AMD P-State driver. This feature enhances CPU performance by identifying busy cores and enabling EPP boost on a per-core basis. The mechanism utilizes an update-util hook to sample C0 residency every 10 ms; if a core is at least 50% busy, its EPP field is set to performance (0) for 300 ms. Testing on a Valve Steam Deck LCD with a Van Gogh APU using the Civilization VI benchmark showed a 31.8% improvement in 1% low frame rates and 4.1% faster p99 frame times. This outperforms the global EPP boost state, which only improved 1% lows by 16%. The patches currently await review by AMD's kernel engineers before potential implementation.