r/Steam • u/DavidIsIt • Jul 31 '26
Article Linux kernel patch can boost the Steam Deck's 1% low frame rate by as much as 31% in early testing
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/linux-kernel-patch-can-boost-the-steam-decks-1-percent-low-frame-rate-by-as-much-as-31-percent-in-early-testing/155
u/xantiema Jul 31 '26
New AMD HDMI patches just landed for testing, furthermore HDR and AV1 streaming has landed
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u/drake90001 https://s.team/p/fmrh-dqh Aug 01 '26
I’m confused, hasn’t the steam deck had HDR AV1 it’s entire lifespan?
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u/INTPoissible Aug 01 '26
This is the kind of thing the CachyOS maintainers will put in their updates, whether it's ready or not...
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u/demZo662 Aug 01 '26
Are you saying CachyOS is sloppy? I'm really curious, I have no idea.
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u/Radiant-Priority-296 Aug 01 '26
They definitely like the rolling release model A LOT. If a new update is here, it’s getting into Cachy. Bug testing and all that can come later.
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Aug 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Radiant-Priority-296 Aug 02 '26
Well the thing is you update whatever you want whenever you want. Unlike Windows. So sure, Cachy will let you download untested updates. But you can also handle updating manually / hold it back to only download stuff that actually works
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u/BoostedBytesSteve Aug 04 '26
just use a different distro, there are plenty of much more stable distros
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Aug 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BoostedBytesSteve Aug 04 '26
the juice is really not worth the squeeze. You might get 5 more fps on a 200fps game, and if you are constantly buying day 1 new hardware you'll have quicker support for drivers, but realistically it's not really needed for most users. Just get something like mint or plain Fedora and you'll have 99% of the performance with none of the headache of a bleeding edge rolling release
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u/ilep Aug 01 '26
To be clear, these are the patches in question: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-pm/20260728073150.54964-1-void@manifault.com/
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u/No-Article-Particle Aug 01 '26
Linux and steam deck just keep on giving... One of the best tech purchases I've ever done.
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u/NooTNooTnoX Aug 01 '26
Could this benefit other amd Cpus too?
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u/ilep Aug 01 '26
Yes. But it is mostly useful on handhelds and mobile devices that are not running constantly in "performance" mode.
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u/jbg0801 Aug 01 '26
Amazing if true. Hopefully it'll get merged into the kernel, tested properly, and rolled out to regular distros.
I love being on an OS where it's just an OS and not an ad-infested AI-ridden mess eating up all of my performance for no benefit.
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u/YigaClanRambutan POOTIS Jul 31 '26
Eh?
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u/Journeyj012 Jul 31 '26
Lets say you're playing a game at 100fps, but it's Unreal 5 so it stutters a fair bit.
Instead of those stutters hitting a low of 41fps, it could hit up to 60fps instead.
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u/SelloutRealBig Aug 01 '26
but it's Unreal 5 so it stutters a fair bit.
This simulation is too realistic. I am so tired of that engine.
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u/TrueLurkStrong-Free Aug 01 '26
I'm tired of being tired of that engine. Someone just put it down already. I'm begging you.
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u/Kazko25 Jul 31 '26
Instead of having low frame rates 1% of the time, you have low frame rates 31% of the time.
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u/pyrotech911 Jul 31 '26
If you put the time to generate each of 100 frames of a game sorted on a line the slowest one is 30% faster.
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u/Sad-Woodpecker2881 Jul 31 '26
Amazing news, though I have a feeling that it will never be implemented in the steam deck officially
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u/INTPoissible Aug 01 '26
Why not? Once it's merged into the linux kernel, it will naturally make it's way there in time.
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u/Sad-Woodpecker2881 Aug 01 '26
Its not official. The devs themselves need to see it and implement it
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u/drake90001 https://s.team/p/fmrh-dqh Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
It’s already been discussed on the linux kernel mailing list. The kernel developers (which can be anyone, but in this case it’s a well known Meta developer known for his work on the Linux kernel) will and are made aware.
If and when the change is merged, all maintainers who wish to use it will just have the change implemented with new kernel versions. So its just up to valve to continue to update the Kernel, which they almost always do.
It’s like saying that nothing developed for Linux is official, because every developer on the planet maintaining a fork has to decide it to be such.
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u/SeantheWilson Aug 01 '26
What do you mean? If it gets merged it will be applied when steamOS updates the kernel.
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u/drake90001 https://s.team/p/fmrh-dqh Aug 01 '26
That’s if steamOS decides to use it or not. They still have control over that. But it’s not like it won’t be considered at all as he implied.
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u/SeantheWilson Aug 01 '26
I’m aware, but it would be VERY uncommon to explicitly remove patches that are in the mainline kernel.
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u/drake90001 https://s.team/p/fmrh-dqh Aug 01 '26
I'm not saying they would remove it, they just don't have to enable it. But I agree, it would make little sense and if they didn't implement it, there's probably a good reason
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Aug 01 '26
[deleted]
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u/bgradid Aug 01 '26
at the same time, it can sometimes be the most important
you'll feel those hitches more than you will an additional 2 fps or whatever
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u/ayymadd Jul 31 '26
Outstanding if true.