Some readers may be about to experience déjà vu, and here is why. Intel’s Linux dev team is prepping the groundwork for next-generation performance monitoring capabilities in their upcoming Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake CPUs. While these processors promise a leap forward in processing power, a recent glimpse at the new Linux patches reveals a striking similarity to the performance monitoring features of Meteor Lake.
According to Phoronix, Intel has begun integrating these features into the Linux kernel’s “perf” subsystem, the section responsible for performance monitoring. The recently merged patches for Linux 6.11 introduce “model-specific bits” for these new CPU lines. The core Performance Monitoring Unit (PMU) itself appears largely unchanged from Meteor Lake, with a few key tweaks.
What are the major differences for Arrow & Lunar Lake?
The biggest difference lies in the monitoring capabilities for the power-efficient E-cores. These cores gain access to three new fixed counters, allowing for more granular monitoring of their performance. The performance-oriented P-cores retain their Performance Event Sampling (PEBS) functionality, but with an updated data source format. PEBS captures detailed information about branch instructions executed by the CPU, essentially allowing users to zoom in and pinpoint bottlenecks. The updated format suggests some improvements in the data capture process Beyond the core PMU, the patches hint at a more modern approach to performance monitoring with the introduction of:
- New Architectural Performance Monitoring V6
- New PEBS Format V6
- New RDPMC Metrics Clear Mode
Looking ahead to next-gen launches
The expected launch dates for these processors further solidify the feeling of continuity. Lunar Lake is expected to hit the market in September, closely followed by Arrow Lake in October. This timeframe suggests a smooth transition from Meteor Lake to its successors, with a focus on refining existing features rather than introducing entirely new ones.
Overall, the new Linux patches offer a glimpse into the future of performance monitoring for Intel’s next-generation processors. While they maintain a strong resemblance to Meteor Lake, the focus on improved efficiency and data capture suggests a continued commitment to providing developers and power users with the tools they need to optimize their systems.
