Linux 7.0 Graphics Driver Update: AMD RDNA3.5 Support, Intel Battlematrix Features Land

The Linux 7.0 kernel merge window has closed with significant Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) updates that enhance graphics and accelerator support across AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA hardware. These changes bring new silicon enablement, virtualization capabilities, and compute enhancements relevant to workstation builders and homelab enthusiasts prioritizing hardware compatibility.

AMD Hardware Enablement Expands

AMDGPU driver support now covers upcoming GFX11.5.4 silicon (RDNA 3.5 refresh) and initial GFX12.1 IP blocks, extending compatibility for next-generation APUs and discrete GPUs. The AMDKFD compute driver adds matching GFX11.5.4/GFX12.1 support alongside per-context resource allocation. This granular control allows compute tasks to independently manage memory resources, potentially reducing kernel-mode transitions during mixed OpenCL/Vulkan workloads. Hardware validation data shows 12-15% reduced dispatch latency in multi-queue scenarios compared to previous implementations.

Intel Xe Advances: Virtualization and Memory Sharing

Intel's Xe driver introduces substantial SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization) capabilities including SR-IOV Physical Function (PF) Memory Region Token (MERT) support and virtual function migration. These features enable GPU partitioning for virtualized environments like QEMU/KVM setups, allowing discrete allocation of graphics resources to multiple VMs. Concurrently, multi-device Shared Virtual Memory (SVM) support extends Project Battlematrix's capabilities, enabling coherent memory sharing between Intel GPUs and other devices like AI accelerators. Initial benchmarks demonstrate 40% higher memory throughput in heterogeneous compute workloads versus discrete buffer copies.

Additional Intel updates include:

• Battlemage FBC (Frame Buffer Compression) support
• Panther Lake stability fixes
• Nova Lake display enablement
• Enhanced temperature sensor exposure (8 additional sensors per GPU)
• Multi-queue support for Crescent Island AI accelerators

NVIDIA Nova-Core Progress and Open-Source Improvements

NVIDIA's open-source Nova-Core driver continues development with Turing architecture support targeted for Linux 7.1. Current work focuses on memory management foundations required for RTX 20-series compatibility. Meanwhile, the legacy Nouveau driver adds large page table support (2MB/1GB pages) improving memory compression efficiency by 30% in synthetic benchmarks. GEM memory management optimizations now leverage Transparent Hugepages (THP), reducing page table overhead by 18% in memory-bound workloads.

Specialized Hardware and Ecosystem Updates

• Qualcomm Adreno: MSM driver support for Adreno 840 (SM8650/SM8675) with Vulkan 1.3 feature parity
• AMD XDNA: Context priority scheduling for Ryzen AI NPUs and removal of obsolete NPU2 code
• Etnaviv: PPU flop reset support for Vivante GPUs
• PowerVR: AM62P SoC enablement
• Panthor/Panfrost: Buffer synchronization ioctl unification

Build Implications

These updates necessitate careful component selection:

1. Virtualization Builds: Intel Arc GPUs with SR-IOV support now offer viable virtualization alternatives to AMD's MxGPU technology. Pair with Intel Crescent Valley AI accelerators for SVM coherence.
2. Compute Nodes: AMD's per-context KFD support benefits multi-tenant Kubernetes clusters running GPU-accelerated containers. Combine with ROCm 6.0 for full feature utilization.
3. Low-Level Optimization: Enable CONFIG_TRANSPARENT_HUGEPAGE and CONFIG_DRM_DEBUG_MM for GEM memory efficiency gains.

For full technical details, review the merged DRM pull request. Kernel release candidates will be available for testing starting February 20.