Framework Desktop Power Mode Tuning For Better Performance Or Power Efficiency
For those wondering about the power mode impact with the Framework Desktop using AMD Ryzen AI Max, hopefully all of these data points were useful in weighing the performance-per-Watt benefits of going with the power-saver mode or conversely how much more performance can be squeezed out of the system by opting for the performance mode.
On a geo mean basis for the 100+ benchmarks conducted, the performance mode yielded around 4% better performance than the default balanced mode. Going for the power saver mode saw around 87% the performance of the default mode.
What makes the power saver mode interesting is that it achieved 87% the out-of-the-box performance but for AC wall power was at 79% the average power use of the defaults. But for the performance mode that 4% performance increase came at the cost of 26% higher system power use (wall power). There was a very significant power increase observed out of the performance mode.
When looking specifically at the CPU/SoC power consumption exposed via PowerCap interfaces, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 was at 75% the power of the default while again on a geo mean basis was hitting 87% the out-of-the-box performance as a nice efficiency win.
Obviously the power-saver and performance modes led to quite a difference in the CPU thermals overall.
The memory temperature wasn't too different besides the peak in the performance mode.
For those wondering about the CPU peak frequency differences observed across these different power modes for the Framework Desktop.
Those considering between these different power modes for the Framework Desktop can learn more via this result file for the full raw data set of all the benchmarks I conducted. Thanks to Framework Computer for the Framework Desktop review sample that makes this ongoing Linux benchmarking possible.
If you enjoyed this article consider joining Phoronix Premium to view this site ad-free, multi-page articles on a single page, and other benefits. PayPal or Stripe tips are also graciously accepted. Thanks for your support.