In the latest exploration of the Linux 7.0 kernel, initial benchmarking efforts have revealed a mixed bag of results. The testing commenced on the Core Ultra X7 “Panther Lake” platform, where expectations were set high for improved performance, particularly with the evolving Arc B390 Xe3 graphics. However, the findings indicated notable performance regressions on this platform.
Shifting focus, the next phase of testing involved an AMD EPYC Turin server, which promised a more efficient environment for identifying any kernel performance regressions. The initial tests concluded without the regressions seen in the Panther Lake benchmarks, instead highlighting impressive performance enhancements for PostgreSQL database operations on Linux 7.0.
Benchmarking Insights
The benchmarking process compared the stable Linux 6.19 against the current development state of Linux 7.0 Git, as of February 19. Both kernels were compiled with identical configuration options and compiler toolchains, ensuring a fair comparison. The tests utilized an AMD EPYC 9755 single-socket setup, specifically on the new Gigabyte MZ33-AR1 server build.
In the realm of database performance, the upgrade from Linux 6.19 to Linux 7.0 yielded modest improvements for CockroachDB. However, the standout performance gains were observed with PostgreSQL 18.1, where Linux 7.0 demonstrated remarkable enhancements in both read and write operations. While read-heavy workloads remained consistent with the previous version, the read/write benchmarks showcased substantial performance boosts across various sizes and concurrency levels.
These improvements are particularly noteworthy as Linux 7.0 is set to support upcoming distributions such as Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora Server 44 this spring. The underlying reasons for these gains can be attributed to numerous low-level optimizations and enhancements made to kernel data structures during this development cycle. Further testing across diverse hardware configurations will be necessary to fully understand the impact of these changes.
In contrast, performance for in-memory databases like Memcached and Pogocache remained unchanged when transitioning from Linux 6.19 to Linux 7.0. However, slight performance improvements were noted for the Nginx HTTPS web server and the Open Image Denoise library under the new kernel.
While many CPU workloads exhibited stable performance, the absence of regressions—previously encountered with the Panther Lake tests—was a welcome outcome. The Panther Lake benchmarks had revealed significant increases in context switching times, a trend not replicated in the AMD EPYC Turin testing.
Interestingly, the Intel Panther Lake tests indicated enhancements in kernel message passing performance, a trend that was also observed in the AMD EPYC benchmarks, particularly with the Stress-NG tool. Additionally, improvements in socket activity and pthread performance were noted, further solidifying the positive trajectory of Linux 7.0.
In summary, the initial benchmarking of Linux 7.0 on the AMD EPYC 9755 server has highlighted significant advancements, particularly in PostgreSQL read/write performance. As the AMD EPYC 9005 series continues to excel in database operations, these enhancements promise to elevate the overall user experience with the upcoming kernel release. Ongoing benchmarking efforts at Phoronix will continue to shed light on the performance landscape as the Linux 7.0 merge window approaches its conclusion this Sunday, culminating in the release of Linux 7.0-rc1.
