AMD’s Linux tweaks pave the way for USB 4 in Ryzen 6000 laptops , DigiTech Geeks Mobile Computing News

By -
AMD’s Linux tweaks pave the way for USB 4 in Ryzen 6000 laptops

AMD has made tweaks to USB 4 handling in Linux, which come on top of recent patches to ensure that USB 4 works with laptops powered by Ryzen 6000 mobile silicon.

As you may recall, laptops with Ryzen 6000 APUs inside – otherwise known as ‘Rembrandt’ chips – are the first to support USB 4 (and therefore Thunderbolt 3, optionally) on the AMD front, with Team Red now pushing to get the software side ready for when these devices launch, and they should arrive imminently (the company has previously said Ryzen 6000 notebooks will be out at some point in February, or the first models should be, anyway).

Hence the Linux patches which work on USB 4 handling improvements, as spotted by Phoronix.com.

As you may be aware, USB 4 is based on Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 tech, with the main difference being that it offers blazing-fast 40Gbps speeds without having to work directly with Intel to implement it (and pay royalties, of course). While USB 4 is backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3, device makers must make an active decision to support the latter (it’s optional as to whether they do, or not).

Specifically, the latest patches for Linux witness changes to the “is_thunderbolt” check to alter what happens for a device that’s connected by Thunderbolt, rather than directly via PCIe, and to determine if said device is external (and removable).

This comes on top of AMD’s previous work on DisplayPort Tunneling and more (the fresh patching, by the way, was documented by Mario Limonciello, Principal Member of Technical Staff and a Linux expert at AMD).

Analysis: Powering up Linux laptops, including with external GPUs

You don’t really need to know all the technical ins-and-outs here, as it’s pretty complex stuff, but the gist of it is that AMD is pushing forward to prepare the ground for USB 4 to work correctly in Linux, just as the Ryzen 6000 laptops we mentioned at the outset are set to be sprung on the world. (These Ryzen 6000-powered notebooks also introduce PCIe 4.0 and DDR5 support, among other fresh tech advances).

A USB 4 connection allows for data transfer, monitor signals, power delivery (100W), and it’s fast enough to use for hooking up an external GPU to your laptop, to really beef up graphics power when at your desk. It’s worth noting that the aforementioned Linux patches also clean up AMD driver code for working with external GPUs (and also for Nouveau, the open source driver for Nvidia graphics cards under Linux).



Click here to read full article.




Download our Android App for all the latest Tech News: Click here to download our DTG Android App
#DigiTechGeeks #DTG

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Is the “System Volume Information” Folder, and Can I Delete It?

By -
Image
What Is the “System Volume Information” Folder, and Can I Delete It? On every Windows drive—even external USB drives—you’ll find a “System Volume Information” folder. You’ll only see it if you have Windows set to  show hidden files and folders , but it’s always there. So what is it for? Why Can’t I Open the Folder? On drives formatted with  the NTFS file system , this folder’s permissions are set to prevent everyone from accessing the folder, even users with Administrator permissions. Double-click the folder and you’ll see an error message saying the “location is not available” and “access is denied.” This is normal. That’s because Windows uses this folder for certain system-level features. The permissions are set to prevent users—and programs without the appropriate permissions—from tampering with the files inside and interfering with important system functions. What Is It For? Among other things, Windows stores  System Restore points  in the System Volume
Read more

The best early January sales and deals for 2020 that are live now , DigiTech Geeks Mobile Computing News

By -
Image
The best early January sales and deals for 2020 that are live now The best early January sales 2020 Jump straight to the New Year deals you want... Phone and tablet deals Wearable deals Computing deals Audio deals Gaming deals TV deals Smart home deals Camera deals Home deals The January sales 2020 have arrived early. Sure, we still need to get through New Year's Eve – and many Boxing Day sales are still going strong – but a wealth of New Year deals have dropped already.  In fact, there are some brilliant offers to be had if you've got a load of Christmas cash and gift cards burning a hole in your pocket – but scouring the sales can be a slog.  Rather than leaving the warmth of your home, or spending hours on the internet while your family are in another room, we've done the hard work for you. We've searched through the most exciting early January sales to bring you the very best New Year deals available now. Below, you'll find the biggest
Read more

With no good Black Friday iPad deals, it's time to turn to the Android side , DigiTech Geeks Mobile Computing News

By -
Image
With no good Black Friday iPad deals, it's time to turn to the Android side The Black Friday iPad deals are never any good, but in 2021 they've somehow failed to clear that laughably low bar, and we've still been surprised by just how poor the Apple-tablet discounts are this year. Seriously – we're talking just $50 / £50 off super-power iPad Pros , and sometimes no discounts at all on entry-level or Mini tablets – and this outlook very likely won't change for the Cyber Monday iPad deals . If you were wanting to buy a new iPad in the Black Friday sales, it might seem like you're plum out of luck. (Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for deals in your region). It's not all bad news though, not as long as you're willing to try new things (and aren't committed to the Apple ecosystem already). That's because there are a few worthy tablet Black Friday deals on Android slates that make them much, much more tempting than an iPad. Sure, sure, sure: i
Read more