AMD has officially ported over the AMD Overclocking Driver (AOD) used by the popular AMD Ryzen Master Software to Linux, but it's not a complete port of Ryzen Master's feature set just yet. Currently, the initial version of the AMD AOD Linux driver is intentionally limited to the following functions, per AMD's Shyam Sundar S K:
- Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) enable/disable switch.
- Read-only memory clock.
- PPT, TDC, and EDC limit adjustments along with their supported range and step size.
As stated in the notes sent out to the AMD Linux platform driver mailing list, "the firmware applies new values on the next reboot and does not report the active PPT, TDC, and EDC limits, so these attributes are write-only. [..] AOD changes [..] the PBO PPT limit, which is stored and applies on the next boot. HSMP changes the runtime limit in the SMU, which takes effect immediately and is lost on reboot."
To readers wondering why AMD isn't simply porting over the Ryzen Master Utility from Windows, the answer lies in the modularity of open source software. By providing access to an AMD AOD Linux driver which will eventually reach feature parity with its Windows equivalent, AMD is hoping to provide Linux developers lots of Ryzen CPU controls in their own software beyond existing HSMP support.
Per the original email, this also means that new directories, like "drivers/platform/x86/amd/wmi/", are being added to collect the AMD WMI drivers over time. That could allow developers to choose earlier versions of the driver for less granular controls, or wait for more feature-rich versions to build a true Ryzen Master alternative for Linux. Live tuning similar to what Ryzen Master offers is currently off the table, but that should change over time. Like other moves we've seen from AMD, this is another step toward improving feature parity between Windows and Linux for its users.
Christopher Harper is a tech writer with over a decade of experience writing how-tos and news. Off work, he stays sharp with gym time & stylish action games.