this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2023
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I’m considering picking up a cheapish laptop for development, with the intent of installing Linux on it. Typically it’ll be Java development or other stuff in docket containers. Is there a best chipset to pick for Linux or are they pretty much identical these days?

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[–] SteveTech@programming.dev 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The last update for Zen 3, Zen 3+, Zen 4 was 08/08/2023 and the last update for Zen, Zen+, Zen 2 was 19/07/2023.

For reference, Intel also last updated theirs 08/08/2023.

Yes you can argue that we don't explicitly know what CPUs in those families were updated, but I don't really care.

[–] Frederic@beehaw.org 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We know, here's the list, it's pretty poor, AMD don't release often its microcode, and when they do it's only for a few select CPUs

https://salsa.debian.org/hmh/amd64-microcode/-/blob/main/amd-ucode/README

If you are lucky, someone will extract its microcode from his BIOS and put it there:

https://github.com/platomav/CPUMicrocodes/tree/master/AMD

[–] SteveTech@programming.dev 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That first link is still whole generations of CPUs I believe, all the way back to K10 from 2007. Wikichip has a table to convert the hex to generation.

And the microcode usually gets patched by Linux, so why does the BIOS matter? (I'm aware it can be disabled, but why would you)

[–] Frederic@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Take an example at the Cezanne CPU from your link, https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/amd/cores/cezanne AMD CPU Family 19h, Model 50h. There is 26 CPUs from 2021. Check the microcode update at https://salsa.debian.org/hmh/amd64-microcode/-/blob/main/amd-ucode/README there is no model 0x50.

AMD can release microcode to integrator/OEM who put it in their BIOS. But giving it to linux community? super rare. People have to know that AMD do not release microcode, I don't know why people think that the hundreds of AMD CPUs get new microcode every time there's an update?!?