this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023
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Linux Gaming

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How is powerplans/performance modes handled in laptops running linux compared to windows? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by caustictrap@lemmy.world to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world
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I want to buy a gaming laptop from mainstream brands like asus, msi, hp. I wish to install linux for gaming.

On windows we do have softwares like armoury crate, omen centre etc to control performance profiles. On windows it is impossible to get peak performance without installing those softwares and bios options are usually limited

How are these things handled in linux? Without dedicated software, can the OS( not bios) achieve peak performance with powershell/terminal?

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[–] jntesteves@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I believe the platform power profiles are standard nowadays and coded in the bios, so Linux should have access to them just like Windows does. You can use the powerprofilesctl command to list and change power profiles. Gnome also has a Power Mode switcher on the top menu, it's the same thing.

I can talk of my experience with the 2021 Asus ROG Strix G15, I have 3 power profiles:

  • performance: Power limits to max; Aggressive fan curve with speed limit to max. Generally loud fans. I need this to play demanding games in the summer.
  • balanced: Power limits to max; Moderate fan curve with a medium limit. Great perf (under sane ambient temp), while not too loud.
  • power-saver: Lowered power limits; Quiet fans.

Those seem to correlate exactly with the power profiles in Armoury Crate: Turbo, Balanced and Silent respectively. I don't think there's any performance being left on the table.

Gaming laptops with AMD CPU + AMD dGPU are a great suit for Linux gaming.

Also, AMD GPUs benefit a lot from undervolting, which is safe to do. It's free performance. I've made a simple systemd service to keep the undervolt always active: https://codeberg.org/jntesteves/amdgpu-tune