Linux 6.2 Performance Option Helps Extend The Longevity Of Intel Skylake Era PCs
As expected and similar to the prior Xeon E3 v5 testing, the Core i7 8700K enjoyed immediate performance benefits when booting the Linux 6.2 kernel with retbleed=stuff rather than the default kernel configuration relying on IBRS for this Coffee Lake system. However, even with the performance uplift out of Call Depth Tracking, all of the other CPU mitigations still active mean a lot of lost performance still as shown by the mitigations=off run.
For the operations involving the kernel, booting with retbleed=stuff is an easy way to help recover some lost performance when using Linux 6.2+ on Skylake/Skylake-derived systems without going full bore and running with mitigations=off.
Whether you are running a laptop, desktop, or server with a Skylake-era processor, switching over to Call Depth Tracking with retbleed=stuff is an easy way to still keep your Linux PC secure while enjoying better performance than is otherwise seen out-of-the-box.