[Solved] Best GPU driver for a Lenovo ThinkPad X140e with AMD A4-5000/HD8330 iGPU?

[SweetBearCub]

I know that it's netbook class and not all that powerful, but many games from Steam just force close when started, which makes me think that perhaps I am not availing myself of the best possible driver. (For example, both Skyrim LE and SE do not get to the launcher, BioSock does show the menu at all of 8 FPS, etc)

System: Linux Mint 20 Ulyana, Cinnamon, x64

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inxi -G
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Kabini [Radeon HD 8330] driver: radeon v: kernel 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.8 driver: ati,radeon 
  unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa resolution: 1366x768~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: AMD KABINI (DRM 2.50.0 5.4.0-42-generic LLVM 10.0.0) 
  v: 4.5 Mesa 20.0.8 

[trytip]

drivers for amd graphics are now in the kernel. default kernel should do just fine. if it doesn't you may have bought a lemon chrome book

[SweetBearCub]

X140e isn't a Chromeook, but thanks for the answer.

I bought this as an ultraportable to Reddit with a nice screen and keyboard, stream media, and have a better user experience than a phone. So far it's done all of that very well. Any gaming that it can manage is gravy, as some say.

[antikythera]

It's possible to use the amdgpu experimental support with Kabini GPU because they are first generation GCN. The amdgpu driver performs marginally better but do not expect miracles.

Alter your /etc/default/grub so it reads the following. If you already have other commands on that line, just supplement them. Do not start a new line.

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GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="radeon.si_support=0 radeon.cik_support=0 amdgpu.si_support=1 amdgpu.cik_support=1"

then do

sudo update-grub

followed by a restart of course.

[SweetBearCub]

It's possible to use the amdgpu experimental support with Kabini GPU because they are first generation GCN. The amdgpu driver performs marginally better but do not expect miracles.

I just got a very similar reply from Reddit and rebooted after making those changes... to see an email letting me know of your suggestion.

Thanks though!

[antikythera]

No problem, at least it's here too for people who don't like reddit