• Linux 7.0 Brings Several Enhancements For Modern Laptops Some of the x86 platform driver highlights for Linux 7.0 include: - The AMD Platform Management Framework (PMF) driver has seen various fixes as well as support for exposing AMD Ryzen AI NPU metrics to user-space and use by other drivers. • The NPU metrics is read from the platform management firmware and can then be consumed by other drivers like the actual AMDXDNA accelerator driver. • The Ryzen AI NPU metrics currently consist of the clock frequency, the busy state of the NPU as a percent, the NPU power use in mW, the NPU frequency, the NPU read bandwidth, and the NPU write bandwidth. • - The ASUS WMI driver has landed improved backlight control handling as well as supporting multiple interfaces for controlling keyboard and RGB brightness. • - The HP WMI driver added support for manual fan control on HP Victus S laptop models. • - The Lenovo WMI driver now exposes hardware monitoring reporting via the HWMON interfaces.
Article Summaries:
- Linux 7.0 introduces a suite of driver updates aimed at improving laptop performance and usability. Key changes include the AMD Platform Management Framework (PMF) driver now exposing Ryzen AI NPU metrics-such as frequency, power use, and bandwidth-to user‑space and other drivers. ASUS, HP, and Lenovo WMI drivers receive enhanced backlight, fan control, and hardware‑monitoring support. The NVIDIA Mellanox driver prepares for next‑generation HI173/HI174 Ethernet switches and a new DGX system. Uniwill adds custom TGP settings for discrete GPUs on TUXEDO laptops, and WMI marshalling aligns more closely with Windows ACPI/WMI handling. These updates target modern x86 laptops, boosting hardware integration and control.
Sources: