Feature request: ability to toggle framework 16 mux switch in BIOS.

[RileyMathews]

Hey there!

No worries at all if this gets closed as wont do but I am curious if there is any appetite for adding the ability to toggle the GPU module mux switch in the framework 16 BIOS?

My rough understanding is that windows has the ability to do this somehow at the OS level but I am a dedicated linux user so I don't know much about that.

I know at a high level controlling the MUX switch doesn't seem that important for Linux. All AMD systems especially perform pretty much within the margin of error just using the DRI_PRIME=1 env var to offload rendering to the dedicated GPU. However the introduction of Nvidia to the framework ecosystem changes this a bit. Nvidia has lots of known issues around wayland especially when doing that kind of rendering offloading, but it is my understanding that (and experience with a dedicated nvidia desktop system I run) that if an nvidia card is the primary driver of all displays then things work pretty much flawlessly. It seems the current issues mostly are around the intercommunication in the GPUs which the MUX switch can eliminate. I remember Nirav said something in the Nvidia module reveal video that made it seem like Framework pretty much expects/wants only windows users to use the Nvidia module. However I believe that adding this MUX switch control to the BIOS would make Nvidia an appealing option for Linux users as well! I know I would heavily consider buying the Nvidia module as an upgrade for my FW16 if this feature was implemented.

Here is a github issue that documents Nvidia's existing issues with running multi GPU modes on wayland. Many people here (me included with another laptop I own) complain about performance issues with hybrid setups. But at least one user in here claims that the issue is solved when he toggles his laptops MUX switch.
NVIDIA/open-gpu-kernel-modules#650

[amstan]

How's this look?

FWIW I've had pretty good luck on Arch with both Hybrid and Advanced Optimus. I haven't used "Nvidia GPU only" much as I prefer the lower power settings.

[RileyMathews]

I mean... yeah that's perfect I think. Honestly I don't super care how well the UI looks if its added 😆. I did not nearly expect this quick and efficient of a response haha.

[RileyMathews]

Is that already in the BIOS or did you literally get this written up in the last hour?

[RileyMathews]

Side question would this also apply to an AMD external module? Or would this only work with the nvidia module? Sorry for the scattered responses here I am quite blown away how fast this got a response 😆.

[amstan]

Is that already in the BIOS or did you literally get this written up in the last hour?

I'm not that quick, heh. We already had this planned many months ago.

Side question would this also apply to an AMD external module? Or would this only work with the nvidia module?

I think it's Nvidia only, it might not do much otherwise.

[RileyMathews]

Thanks for the quick responses! Glad this was already on your minds! Just another indicator of how much Framework is killing it!! 🚀