SPEC CPU2017 Platform Settings for ASUSTek Systems

Operating System Tuning Parameters

cpupower:

The OS 'cpupower' utility is used to change CPU power governors settings. Available settings are:

• performance(default): Run the CPU at the maximum frequency.
• powersave: Run the CPU at the minimum frequency.

tuned-adm:

The 'tuned' provides a number of predefined profiles for typical use cases. The 'tuned-adm' command is used to change settings of the tuned daemon. The tuned-adm command can query current settings, list available profiles, recommend a tuning profile for the system, change profiles directly, or turn off tuning. Available profiles are:

• accelerator-performance: Throughput-performance based tuning with disabled higher latency STOP states.
• balanced: General non-specialized tuned profile.
• desktop: Optimize for the desktop use-case.
• hpc-compute: Optimize for HPC compute workloads.
• intel-sst: Configure for Intel Speed Select Base Frequency.
• latency-performance: Optimize for deterministic performance at the cost of increased power consumption.
• network-latency: Optimize for deterministic performance at the cost of increased power consumption, focused on low latency network performance.
• network-throughput: Optimize for streaming network throughput, generally only necessary on older CPUs or 40G+ networks.
• optimize-serial-console: Optimize for serial console use.
• powersave: Optimize for low power consumption.
• throughput-performance(default): Broadly applicable tuning that provides excellent performance across a variety of common server workloads.
• virtual-guest: Optimize for running inside a virtual guest.
• virtual-host: Optimize for running KVM guests.

Firmware / BIOS / Microcode Settings

Race To Halt (RTH):

Enable RTH will dynamically increase CPU frequency in order to enter Package C-State faster to reduce overall power. Values for this BIOS option can be: Enable/Disable. Current default is Enable.

Intel VT for Directed I/O (VT-d):

Enable/Disable Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) by reporting the I/O device assignment to VMM through DMAR ACPI Tables. Current default is Enable.

Software Guard Extensions (SGX):

Intel Software Guard Extensions is an extension to Intel architecture. With new CPU instructions and platform enhancements, enable this technology allows capable applications to create private areas to protect sensitive information. Sensitive information is protected even when attackers has full control of the platform. Values for this BIOS option can be: Enabled/Disabled/Software Controlled(Software that will actually use SGX functionality can manually enable it ). Current default is Disabled.

Hardware Prefetcher:

Enable Hardware Prefetcher can automatically analyze the processor's requirements and prefetch data and instructions from the memory into the Level 2 cache that are likely to be required in the near future. This reduces the latency associated with memory reads. Values for this BIOS option can be: Enabled/Disabled. Current default is Enabled.

Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch:

When enabled, two 64-byte cache lines are fetched into a 128-byte sector, regardless of whether the additional cache line has been requested or not. If this prefetcher is disabled, only one cache line (64 bytes) is collected, which contains the data required by the processor. Values for this BIOS option can be: Enabled/Disabled. Current default is Enabled.

Hyper-Threading[ALL]:

Enables Hyper Threading(Software Method to Enable Logical Processor threads.) Values for this BIOS option can be: Enabled/Disabled. Current default is Enabled.

SR-IOV Support:

In virtualization, single root input/output virtualization or SR-IOV is a specification that allows the isolation of the PCI Express resources for manageability and performance reasons. A single physical PCI Express can be shared on a virtual environment using the SR-IOV specification. If system has SR-IOV capable PCIe Devices, this option Enables or Disables Single Root IO Virtualization Support. Values for this BIOS option can be: Enabled/Disabled. Current default is Disabled.

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES):

These instructions enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption, using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) which is defined by FIPS Publication number 197. Values for this BIOS option can be: Enabled/Disabled. Current default is Enabled.

Intel Speed Shift Technology:

Intel Speed Shift Technology is an energy efficient method of frequency control by the hardware rather than relying on OS control. OS is aware of available hardware P-states and request a desired P-state or it can let the hardware determine the P-state. The OS request is based on its workload requirements and awareness of processor capabilities. Processor decision is based on the different system constraints for example: Workload demand, thermal limits while taking into consideration the minimum and maximum levels and activity window of performance requested by the Operating System. Values for this BIOS option can be

• Disabled(default): Like legacy P-states. OS decides what P-state to choose.
• Native Mode: OS provides high level hints or constraints to hardware and hardware makes P-state decisions by observing core statistics and OS provided guidance or hints.
• Out of Band Mode: Hardware autonomously makes P-state decisions with OS completely excluded from this process.

Engine Boost:

ASUS individual feature with the power acceleration design to increase CPU over-all performance. Available settings are: Disabled(default), Level1, Level2, and Level3(Max). A higher level means it could improve more performance, but comes with more power consumption.