AMD Submits Its Long-Awaited HDMI 2.1 FRL Support For Linux 7.2 AMDGPU
It's happening! The long-awaited HDMI 2.1 Fixed Rate Link "FRL" support for handling higher resolutions and higher refresh rates on modern AMD Radeon graphics cards with the upstream AMDGPU open-source driver has been submitted to DRM-Next ahead of this month's Linux 7.2 merge window!
Back in May -- and to much surprise -- AMD posted HDMI 2.1 FRL patches for their AMDGPU driver. It was also noted that they intend to provide a full HDMI 2.1 implementation for the AMDGPU driver, years after HDMI Forum was blocking HDMI 2.1 support in the open-source AMD driver. Since then AMD has begun also posting HDMI DSC patches and other elements.
In time for the upcoming Linux 7.2 merge window in mid-June, yesterday's AMDGPU pull request to DRM-Next is landing the HDMI 2.1 support!
This pull request includes the initial HDMI 2.1 FRL support. As previously noted though it's temporarily disabled by default until Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support on HDMI is ready to go with the upstream AMDGPU driver.
That pull request also has a BT.2020 fix for DCE, various bug fixes, initial Display Core Next (DCN) 4.2.1 IP for upcoming hardware, and enabling a number of other IP blocks too. GFX 11.5.6 support is introduced in pointing toward more "RDNA 3.5" refresh APUs. Along with GFX 11.5.6 is SDMA 6.4, NBIO 7.11.5, IH 6.4, HDP 6.4, MMHUB 3.4.2, SMU 15.0.5, ATHUB 3.4.2, and VPE 2.2.
A very hearty last minute pull to DRM-Next for Linux 7.2 with feature work toward this next kernel version winding down. This is great news seeing HDMI 2.1 FRL make it for AMDGPU in Linux 7.2 considering this kernel will be used by Ubuntu 26.10 and other H2'2026 Linux distributions.
Back in May -- and to much surprise -- AMD posted HDMI 2.1 FRL patches for their AMDGPU driver. It was also noted that they intend to provide a full HDMI 2.1 implementation for the AMDGPU driver, years after HDMI Forum was blocking HDMI 2.1 support in the open-source AMD driver. Since then AMD has begun also posting HDMI DSC patches and other elements.
In time for the upcoming Linux 7.2 merge window in mid-June, yesterday's AMDGPU pull request to DRM-Next is landing the HDMI 2.1 support!
👁 HDMI 2.1 FRL initial support
This pull request includes the initial HDMI 2.1 FRL support. As previously noted though it's temporarily disabled by default until Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support on HDMI is ready to go with the upstream AMDGPU driver.
That pull request also has a BT.2020 fix for DCE, various bug fixes, initial Display Core Next (DCN) 4.2.1 IP for upcoming hardware, and enabling a number of other IP blocks too. GFX 11.5.6 support is introduced in pointing toward more "RDNA 3.5" refresh APUs. Along with GFX 11.5.6 is SDMA 6.4, NBIO 7.11.5, IH 6.4, HDP 6.4, MMHUB 3.4.2, SMU 15.0.5, ATHUB 3.4.2, and VPE 2.2.
A very hearty last minute pull to DRM-Next for Linux 7.2 with feature work toward this next kernel version winding down. This is great news seeing HDMI 2.1 FRL make it for AMDGPU in Linux 7.2 considering this kernel will be used by Ubuntu 26.10 and other H2'2026 Linux distributions.