Arch Linux

2wpxmDvX6x

Member

Registered: 2021-04-12

Posts: 10

[SOLVED] Is my OpenGL really using my discrete GPU?

I've installed arch linux on my new msi bravo17 and these packages about amdgpu are installed :

xf86-video-amdgpu
mesa
glew
mesa-demos

Here's my neofetch output, it shows two GPUs:

                   -`                    archamd@host
                  .o+`                   ------------
                 `ooo/                   OS: Arch Linux x86_64
                `+oooo:                  Host: Bravo 17 A4DDR REV:1.0
               `+oooooo:                 Kernel: 5.12.4-arch1-2
               -+oooooo+:                Uptime: 19 mins
             `/:-:++oooo+:               Packages: 796 (pacman)
            `/++++/+++++++:              Shell: bash 5.1.8
           `/++++++++++++++:             Resolution: 1920x1080
          `/+++ooooooooooooo/`           DE: Xfce 4.16
         ./ooosssso++osssssso+`          WM: Xfwm4
        .oossssso-````/ossssss+`         WM Theme: Orchis-dark
       -osssssso.      :ssssssso.        Theme: Orchis-dark [GTK2/3]
      :osssssss/        osssso+++.       Icons: Flatery-Dark [GTK2/3]
     /ossssssss/        +ssssooo/-       Terminal: xfce4-terminal
   `/ossssso+/:-        -:/+osssso+-     Terminal Font: Monospace 16
  `+sso+:-`                 `.-/+oso:    CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800H with Radeon Graphics (16) @ 2.900GHz
`++:.                           `-/+/   GPU: AMD ATI Radeon RX 5500/5500M / Pro 5500M            (discrete)
.`                                 `/   GPU: AMD ATI 07:00.0 Renoir               (CPU intergrated?)
                                         Memory: 1242MiB / 15463MiB

I guess this "Renoir" GPU is my intergrated GPU.

and here is my glxinfo output:

OpenGL vendor string: AMD
OpenGL renderer string: AMD RENOIR (DRM 3.40.0, 5.12.4-arch1-2, LLVM 11.1.0)         (RENOIR again ,CPU intergrated one?)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.6 (Core Profile) Mesa 21.1.0
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 21.1.0
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL profile mask: compatibility profile
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.2 Mesa 21.1.0
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.20

Can anyone tell me if this "RENOIR" AMD GPU is an intergrated from my AMD Ryzen 7 4800H or not?

If it is, is my OpenGL using my intergrated GPU? How to change it to my AMD RX 5500M discrete GPU?

Last edited by 2wpxmDvX6x (2021-05-18 08:32:49)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 23,201

Re: [SOLVED] Is my OpenGL really using my discrete GPU?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/PRIME# … rs_-_PRIME

You might want to use [ code ] [ /code ] tags without the spaces for command outputs in the future.

Last edited by V1del (2021-05-18 08:08:58)

Ropid

Member

Registered: 2015-03-09

Posts: 1,069

Re: [SOLVED] Is my OpenGL really using my discrete GPU?

Yes, the "Renoir" name is the integrated graphics of the CPU. The OpenGL library is using the integrated graphics by default. To start a program on the second GPU, try this here at the bash command line:

DRI_PRIME=1 glxinfo -B

This runs the glxinfo program with the environment variable "DRI_PRIME=1" set. This will then make the OpenGL library switch to using the second GPU. You will need to do this for every program you want to run on the second GPU.

For programs you launch through your desktop environment, the way you add the "DRI_PRIME=1" to their command line is like this, with an "env" word at the start of the command line:

env DRI_PRIME=1 program_name_here

You can edit the command line for entries in the XFCE menu with the "menulibre" program from the AUR. Also, if you use the "whisker menu" launcher in your XFCE panel, you can right-click on entries in the menu to edit the command line.

To learn more about this hybrid graphics stuff, check the "PRIME" article in the ArchWiki. There's also other articles named "hybrid graphics", "Nvidia Optimus", "External GPU". You can look at all of those because they might show something interesting. I think you don't actually have to do anything with the configs to get things working, you just need to know about that "DRI_PRIME=1" for the program command line. The default setup for the Xorg config files on Arch should make things work automatically.

I don't have hybrid graphics here so this post is just what I remember. I can't actually experiment with this here right now.