mirror of
https://github.com/elektricM/amd-bc250-docs.git
synced 2026-07-17 07:01:31 +00:00
aa4ac3a335
The BC-250 enumerates as /sys/class/drm/card0 on a typical install (no
secondary GPU). Verified live on Fedora 43, kernel 7.0.9, PCI 1002:13fe.
Many doc snippets hardcoded card1, so copy-paste failed on a stock single-
GPU board.
Replaced /sys/class/drm/card1/ with /sys/class/drm/card0/ across:
bios/overclocking.md, bios/vram.md, drivers/radv.md,
getting-started/quick-start.md, linux/{arch,bazzite,cachyos,debian,fedora}.md,
reference/quick-reference.md, system/{governor,sensors}.md,
troubleshooting/{boot,display,performance,stability}.md.
Existing card0-vs-card1 disclaimers preserved at governor.md L166/L503,
quick-start.md L78, bazzite.md L104, kernel.md L222 (and quick-reference.md
intro rewritten to lead with card0 + note the iGPU edge case).
398 lines
9.7 KiB
Markdown
398 lines
9.7 KiB
Markdown
# Quick Reference Guide
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Fast answers to common questions. For detailed information, see the full documentation pages.
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---
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## Quick Start Checklist
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### Hardware Setup
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- [ ] BC-250 board
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- [ ] 300W+ 12V PSU with PCIe 8-pin
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- [ ] High static pressure 120mm fan (Arctic P12/P14)
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- [ ] DisplayPort cable or passive DP-HDMI adapter
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- [ ] USB stick (FAT32) for BIOS flash
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- [ ] M.2 NVMe SSD (optional but recommended)
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- [ ] USB WiFi adapter (board has no wireless)
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### Software Setup
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1. **Flash BIOS** - Get modded BIOS from [GitLab](https://gitlab.com/TuxThePenguin0/bc250-bios/)
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2. **Set VRAM to 512MB** in BIOS after flashing
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3. **Clear CMOS** (critical after USB flash)
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4. **Install Fedora/Bazzite** with "Basic Graphics Mode"
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5. **Run setup script** to install Mesa 25.1+ and governor
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6. **Remove nomodeset** from GRUB after drivers installed
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7. **Test a game!**
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[Full quick start guide →](../getting-started/quick-start.md)
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---
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## Critical Settings
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### BIOS Configuration
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| Setting | Value | Why |
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|---------|-------|-----|
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| UMA Frame Buffer Size | 512MB | Dynamic VRAM allocation |
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| IOMMU | **MUST be Disabled** | IOMMU is broken - causes display failures and crashes |
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| Fan Control | Customize | Stock is too aggressive or too quiet |
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[BIOS guide →](../bios/flashing.md)
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### Kernel Requirements
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- **Use:** Kernel 6.18.18 LTS (recommended), 6.17.11+, or 6.12.x-6.14.x LTS (stable)
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- **Avoid:** Kernel 6.15.0-6.15.6, 6.17.8-6.17.10 (GPU fails)
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- **Boot parameter:** `nomodeset` during install, remove after drivers installed
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### Kernel Parameters
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```bash
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# Standard in /etc/default/grub GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT:
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quiet
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# Optional performance boost (+18 FPS in some games):
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mitigations=off
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# For older kernels < 6.10 only (not needed on 6.10+):
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amdgpu.sg_display=0
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```
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---
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## Power & Cooling
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### Power Draw
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| State | Consumption |
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|-------|-------------|
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| Idle | 50-80W |
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| Light gaming | 100-150W |
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| Heavy gaming | 150-200W |
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| Maximum (RT) | Up to 235W |
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### Temperature Targets
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| State | Temperature | Status |
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|-------|-------------|--------|
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| Idle | 40-60°C | ✅ Good |
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| Gaming | 70-85°C | ✅ Good |
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| Stress | 85-90°C | ⚠️ Caution |
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| Critical | >90°C | ❌ Too hot |
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### Recommended Fans
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1. **Arctic P12 Max** - 6.9 mmH2O, best value
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2. **Noctua NF-A12x25** - Quieter, premium
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3. **Arctic P14 Max** - 140mm option
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!!!warning "High Static Pressure Required"
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You NEED fans with 3+ mmH2O static pressure. Regular case fans won't work.
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[Cooling guide →](../hardware/cooling.md)
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---
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## Software Requirements
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### Operating System
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**Recommended:**
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- Fedora 43 Workstation (easiest)
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- Bazzite (best for gaming)
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- CachyOS (best performance, harder setup)
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**Also works:**
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- Manjaro, Arch, Debian (with effort)
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**Doesn't work:**
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- Windows (no GPU drivers)
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**Note:** SteamOS now works after Mesa updates
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### Driver Versions
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| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
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|-----------|---------|-------------|
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| Mesa | 25.1.0 | 25.3.x+ (25.3.6 on Fedora 43) |
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| Kernel | 6.12.x | 6.18.18 LTS or 6.19.x stable |
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| Governor | Any | cyan-skillfish-governor-smu (recommended) |
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[Linux setup guide →](../linux/distributions.md)
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---
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## VRAM Configuration
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### 512MB Dynamic (Recommended)
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- Automatically allocates between CPU/GPU
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- ~10-15GB CPU RAM, up to 12GB VRAM when needed
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- Best for most users
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### Fixed Allocations
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- **10GB/6GB** - Best for AAA gaming, fixes ZRAM conflicts
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- **8GB/8GB** - Balanced, good for AI/compute
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- **12GB/4GB** - Light gaming, maximum system RAM
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!!!info "ZRAM Conflict"
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If RDR2 or Company of Heroes 3 crashes, switch from 512MB dynamic to 10GB/6GB fixed.
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[VRAM guide →](../bios/vram.md)
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---
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## Display Connection
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### Working Solutions
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| Method | Resolution | Audio | Notes |
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|--------|------------|-------|-------|
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| Native DP | Up to 4K60 | ✅ | Best option |
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| Passive DP-HDMI | Up to 1440p60 | ✅ | Most common |
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| Active DP-HDMI | 4K60+ | ❌ | Video only, no audio |
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| USB DAC | N/A | ✅ | Workaround for audio |
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!!!danger "Active Adapters Break Audio"
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Active (powered) DP-to-HDMI adapters don't pass audio properly. Use passive adapters.
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---
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## GPU Governor
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The governor controls GPU frequency and voltage. **Required for gaming performance.**
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### Installation
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```bash
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# Fedora:
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sudo dnf copr enable filippor/bazzite
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sudo dnf install cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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sudo systemctl enable --now cyan-skillfish-governor-smu.service
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# Bazzite (rpm-ostree):
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sudo dnf copr enable filippor/bazzite
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rpm-ostree install cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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systemctl reboot
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sudo systemctl enable --now cyan-skillfish-governor-smu.service
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# Arch/CachyOS:
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yay -S cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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sudo systemctl enable --now cyan-skillfish-governor-smu.service
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```
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### Configuration
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Edit `/etc/cyan-skillfish-governor-smu/config.toml`:
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```toml
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# Safe starting point:
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min_frequency = 1000 # MHz
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max_frequency = 2000 # MHz
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min_voltage = 700 # mV (hard minimum, don't go lower)
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max_voltage = 1050 # mV
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```
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Restart governor after changes:
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```bash
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sudo systemctl restart cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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```
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### Check GPU Frequency
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!!!note "GPU Card Number"
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The BC-250 GPU is typically `card0`. On systems where another GPU (an iGPU) is also enumerated, it may be `card1`. Verify with: `ls /sys/class/drm/ | grep "^card"`.
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```bash
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cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/pp_dpm_sclk
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# Should show multiple frequencies, current one marked with *
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```
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Without governor, GPU is stuck at 1500MHz = poor performance.
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[Governor guide →](../system/governor.md)
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---
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## Common Commands
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### System Info
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```bash
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# Check Mesa version
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glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"
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# Check GPU
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lspci | grep VGA
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vulkaninfo | grep deviceName
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# Check RAM/VRAM split
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free -h
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cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/mem_info_vram_total
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# Check temperatures
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sensors
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# Monitor GPU
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nvtop
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```
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### GRUB Configuration
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```bash
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# Edit boot parameters
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sudo nano /etc/default/grub
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# Update GRUB (Fedora/RHEL):
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sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
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# Update GRUB (Debian/Ubuntu):
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sudo update-grub
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# Reboot
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sudo reboot
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```
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### Governor Management
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```bash
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# Check status (use whichever you installed)
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systemctl status cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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# Or: systemctl status cyan-skillfish-governor-tt
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# Start/stop
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sudo systemctl start cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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sudo systemctl stop cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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# Restart after config change
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sudo systemctl restart cyan-skillfish-governor-smu
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# View logs
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journalctl -u cyan-skillfish-governor-smu -f
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```
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---
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## Gaming Performance
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### Launch Options (Steam)
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For most games:
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```
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RADV_DEBUG=nohiz %command%
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```
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For games with visual glitches (Mesa < 25.1 only — `nocompute` is automatic on 25.1+):
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```
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RADV_DEBUG=nohiz %command%
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```
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### Expected FPS (1080p)
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| Game | Settings | FPS Range |
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| Cyberpunk 2077 | High, FSR | 60-90 |
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| Control | High, RT off | 60+ |
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| Control | Medium, RT on | 30-40 |
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| DMC 5 | High | 100+ |
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| CS2 | High | 120+ |
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| Elden Ring | High | 60 (capped) |
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[Game compatibility list →](../gaming/compatibility.md)
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---
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## Troubleshooting Quick Fixes
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### No Display
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**Solution:** Boot with `nomodeset` parameter
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```bash
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# At GRUB, press 'e'
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# Add 'nomodeset' to linux line
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# Press Ctrl+X to boot
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```
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### GPU Not Detected
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**Check:**
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1. Mesa version ≥ 25.1: `glxinfo | grep Mesa`
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2. Kernel ≤ 6.14: `uname -r`
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3. nomodeset removed from GRUB
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4. Governor running: `systemctl status cyan-skillfish-governor-smu`
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### BIOS Settings Don't Stick
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**Solution:** Clear CMOS properly
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1. Power off, unplug
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2. Remove CMOS battery for 60 seconds
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3. While battery out, press power button 5 times
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4. Replace battery, boot, reconfigure
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### Game Crashes
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**Check:**
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1. VRAM allocation (try 10GB/6GB fixed if using 512MB dynamic with ZRAM)
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2. Disable ZRAM: `sudo systemctl disable zram-swap`
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3. Update Mesa to latest
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4. Check kernel version (use 6.18.18 LTS, 6.17.11+, or 6.12-6.14 LTS)
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### High Temperatures
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**Fix:**
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1. Check fans spinning: `sensors`
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2. Straighten heatsink fins
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3. Replace thermal paste
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4. Verify high static pressure fans (3+ mmH2O)
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[Full troubleshooting →](../troubleshooting/display.md)
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---
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## Important Warnings
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!!!danger "Critical Warnings"
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1. **Always clear CMOS after USB BIOS flash**
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2. **Disable IOMMU in BIOS** (IOMMU is broken - MUST disable)
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3. **Use nomodeset during install, remove after drivers installed**
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4. **Avoid kernel 6.15.0-6.15.6, 6.17.8-6.17.10** (GPU driver fails)
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5. **700mV minimum voltage** (GPU locks to 1500MHz below this)
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6. **Active DP-HDMI adapters break audio**
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7. **ACPI fix recommended** — SSDT tables enable CPU C-States (idle power) and P-States (frequency scaling 800-3200 MHz). Confirmed working on kernel 6.19.8. ([bc250-acpi-fix](https://github.com/bc250-collective/bc250-acpi-fix))
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8. **No HW video encode/decode** — VCN firmware blocked by Sony, software decoding only
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9. **Do NOT use Smokeless_UMAF** — may cause permanent damage to the board
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---
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## Key Community Resources
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### Official Documentation
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- **GitHub:** https://github.com/mothenjoyer69/bc250-documentation
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- **BIOS Repo:** https://gitlab.com/TuxThePenguin0/bc250-bios/
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- **Governor:** [Cyan Skillfish Governor SMU](https://github.com/filippor/cyan-skillfish-governor/tree/smu) (recommended)
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### Community
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- **Discord:** Active community, link in GitHub
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- **TheRetroWeb:** https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/amd-bc-250
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### Key Contributors
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- mothenjoyer69 - Setup scripts
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- Average Data Hoarder - Modded BIOS
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- Magnap - Cyan Skillfish Governor
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- FilippoR - COPR packages, Bazzite integration
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---
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**Need more detail?** See the full documentation sections:
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- [Getting Started](../getting-started/introduction.md)
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- [BIOS Flashing](../bios/flashing.md)
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- [Linux Setup](../linux/distributions.md)
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- [Troubleshooting](../troubleshooting/display.md)
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