amd-bc250-docs/docs/reference/quick-reference.md

Quick Reference Guide

Fast answers to common questions. For detailed information, see the full documentation pages.

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Quick Start Checklist

Hardware Setup

• BC-250 board
• 300W+ 12V PSU with PCIe 8-pin
• High static pressure 120mm fan (Arctic P12/P14)
• DisplayPort cable or passive DP-HDMI adapter
• USB stick (FAT32) for BIOS flash
• M.2 NVMe SSD (optional but recommended)
• USB WiFi adapter (board has no wireless)

Software Setup

1. Flash BIOS - Get modded BIOS from GitLab
2. Set VRAM to 512MB in BIOS after flashing
3. Clear CMOS (critical after USB flash)
4. Install Fedora/Bazzite with "Basic Graphics Mode"
5. Run setup script to install Mesa 25.1+ and governor
6. Remove nomodeset from GRUB after drivers installed
7. Test a game!

Full quick start guide →

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Critical Settings

BIOS Configuration

Setting	Value	Why
UMA Frame Buffer Size	512MB	Dynamic VRAM allocation
IOMMU	Disabled	Prevents display issues
Fan Control	Customize	Stock is too aggressive or too quiet

BIOS guide →

Kernel Requirements

• Use: Kernel 6.15.7 - 6.17.7 (best) or 6.12.x - 6.14.x LTS (stable)
• Avoid: Kernel 6.15.0-6.15.6 and 6.17.8+ (GPU initialization fails)
• Boot parameter: nomodeset during install, remove after drivers installed

Kernel Parameters

# Required in /etc/default/grub GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT:
quiet

# Optional performance boost:
mitigations=off

# For older kernels <6.10 only:
amdgpu.sg_display=0

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Power & Cooling

Power Draw

State	Consumption
Idle	50-80W
Light gaming	100-150W
Heavy gaming	150-200W
Maximum (RT)	Up to 235W

Temperature Targets

State	Temperature	Status
Idle	40-60°C	✅ Good
Gaming	70-85°C	✅ Good
Stress	85-90°C	⚠️ Caution
Critical	>90°C	❌ Too hot

Recommended Fans

1. Arctic P12 Max - 6.9 mmH2O, best value
2. Noctua NF-A12x25 - Quieter, premium
3. Arctic P14 Max - 140mm option

!!!warning "High Static Pressure Required" You NEED fans with 3+ mmH2O static pressure. Regular case fans won't work.

Cooling guide →

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Software Requirements

Operating System

Recommended:

• Fedora 42/43 Workstation (easiest)
• Bazzite (best for gaming)
• CachyOS (best performance, harder setup)

Also works:

• Manjaro, Arch, Debian (with effort)

Doesn't work:

• Windows (no GPU drivers)
• SteamOS (Mesa too old)

Driver Versions

Component	Minimum	Recommended
Mesa	25.1.3	25.1.5+
Kernel	6.12.x	6.12-6.14 LTS
Governor	Any	Latest from COPR

Linux setup guide →

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VRAM Configuration

512MB Dynamic (Recommended)

• Automatically allocates between CPU/GPU
• ~10-15GB CPU RAM, up to 12GB VRAM when needed
• Best for most users

Fixed Allocations

• 10GB/6GB - Best for AAA gaming, fixes ZRAM conflicts
• 8GB/8GB - Balanced, good for AI/compute
• 12GB/4GB - Light gaming, maximum system RAM

!!!info "ZRAM Conflict" If RDR2 or Company of Heroes 3 crashes, switch from 512MB dynamic to 10GB/6GB fixed.

VRAM guide →

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Display Connection

Working Solutions

Method	Resolution	Audio	Notes
Native DP	Up to 4K60	✅	Best option
Passive DP-HDMI	Up to 1440p60	✅	Most common
Active DP-HDMI	4K60+	❌	Video only, no audio
USB DAC	N/A	✅	Workaround for audio

!!!danger "Active Adapters Break Audio" Active (powered) DP-to-HDMI adapters don't pass audio properly. Use passive adapters.

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GPU Governor

The governor controls GPU frequency and voltage. Required for gaming performance.

Installation

# Fedora:
sudo dnf copr enable filippor/bazzite
sudo dnf install oberon-governor

# Bazzite:
curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vietsman/bc250-documentation/refs/heads/main/oberon-setup.sh | sudo sh

# Arch:
# Build from source - see full guide

Configuration

Edit /etc/oberon-config.yaml:

# Safe starting point:
min_frequency: 1000  # MHz
max_frequency: 2000  # MHz
min_voltage: 700     # mV (hard minimum, don't go lower)
max_voltage: 1050    # mV

Restart governor after changes:

sudo systemctl restart oberon-governor

Check GPU Frequency

cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/pp_dpm_sclk
# Should show multiple frequencies, current one marked with *

Without governor, GPU is stuck at 1500MHz = poor performance.

Governor guide →

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Common Commands

System Info

# Check Mesa version
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"

# Check GPU
lspci | grep VGA
vulkaninfo | grep deviceName

# Check RAM/VRAM split
free -h
cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/mem_info_vram_total

# Check temperatures
sensors

# Monitor GPU
nvtop

GRUB Configuration

# Edit boot parameters
sudo nano /etc/default/grub

# Update GRUB (Fedora/RHEL):
sudo grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg

# Update GRUB (Debian/Ubuntu):
sudo update-grub

# Reboot
sudo reboot

Governor Management

# Check status
systemctl status oberon-governor

# Start/stop
sudo systemctl start oberon-governor
sudo systemctl stop oberon-governor

# Restart after config change
sudo systemctl restart oberon-governor

# View logs
journalctl -u oberon-governor -f

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Gaming Performance

Launch Options (Steam)

For most games:

RADV_DEBUG=nohiz %command%

For games with visual glitches:

RADV_DEBUG=nohiz,nocompute %command%

Expected FPS (1080p)

Game	Settings	FPS Range
Cyberpunk 2077	High, FSR	60-90
Control	High, RT off	60+
Control	Medium, RT on	30-40
DMC 5	High	100+
CS2	High	120+
Elden Ring	High	60 (capped)

Game compatibility list →

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Troubleshooting Quick Fixes

No Display

Solution: Boot with nomodeset parameter

# At GRUB, press 'e'
# Add 'nomodeset' to linux line
# Press Ctrl+X to boot

GPU Not Detected

Check:

1. Mesa version ≥ 25.1: glxinfo | grep Mesa
2. Kernel ≤ 6.14: uname -r
3. nomodeset removed from GRUB
4. Governor running: systemctl status oberon-governor

BIOS Settings Don't Stick

Solution: Clear CMOS properly

1. Power off, unplug
2. Remove CMOS battery for 60 seconds
3. While battery out, press power button 5 times
4. Replace battery, boot, reconfigure

Game Crashes

Check:

1. VRAM allocation (try 10GB/6GB fixed if using 512MB dynamic with ZRAM)
2. Disable ZRAM: sudo systemctl disable zram-swap
3. Update Mesa to latest
4. Check kernel version (use 6.15.7-6.17.7 or 6.12-6.14 LTS)

High Temperatures

Fix:

1. Check fans spinning: sensors
2. Straighten heatsink fins
3. Replace thermal paste
4. Verify high static pressure fans (3+ mmH2O)

Full troubleshooting →

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Important Warnings

!!!danger "Critical Warnings" 1. Always clear CMOS after USB BIOS flash 2. Disable IOMMU in BIOS (causes display issues) 3. Use nomodeset during install, remove after drivers installed 4. Avoid kernel 6.15.0-6.15.6 and 6.17.8+ (GPU driver fails) 5. 700mV minimum voltage (crashes below this) 6. 980 MHz is unstable (skip this frequency) 7. Active DP-HDMI adapters break audio

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Key Community Resources

Official Documentation

• GitHub: https://github.com/mothenjoyer69/bc250-documentation
• BIOS Repo: https://gitlab.com/TuxThePenguin0/bc250-bios/
• Governor: Multiple forks (Oberon, Cyan Skillfish)

Community

• Discord: 1000+ members, link in GitHub
• TheRetroWeb: https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/amd-bc-250

Key Contributors

• mothenjoyer69 - Setup scripts
• Average Data Hoarder - Modded BIOS
• Segfault - Oberon Governor
• FilippoR - COPR packages, Bazzite integration

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Need more detail? See the full documentation sections:

• Getting Started
• BIOS Flashing
• Linux Setup
• Troubleshooting