Linux 7.3 improves performance when running out of vRAM
Linux kernel 7.3 includes new patches designed to improve system stability and performance when a computer runs out of video RAM (VRAM). The update aims to prevent crashes during memory-intensive tasks like gaming by optimizing how the kernel manages memory eviction to the CPU.
Why it matters
This technical improvement enhances the reliability of high-performance computing and gaming on Linux, addressing a common pain point for users with limited hardware resources.
Earlier this year, I blogged about work I did to improve VRAM management for games. Now, after many months of floating around in mailing lists, the kernel patches are finally merged upstream and queued for Linux 7.3! Hooray!
To celebrate, let’s look a bit deeper at one sentence I wrote in my previous post:
[Games] should perform much more stable - as long as the game itself doesn’t use more VRAM than you actually have.
So, one may ask: What if they do, in fact, use more VRAM than you actually have?
Typical expectations for this seem to be that once this happens you’re pretty much screwed. Games will start crashing left and right, performance plummets to unplayable levels, a good gaming experience becomes impossible.
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