A few new firmware files were upstreamed today to the linux-firmware.git repository for supporting a new GFX12.0.1 (RDNA4) “Kicker” graphics processor. There was also an AMDGPU kernel graphics driver patch that just landed as well in Linux 6.17 for the RDNA4 Kicker variant.
Besides updating firmware files for various generations of existing AMD Radeon graphics hardware support, appearing today in linux-firmware.git are a few new firmware files for the first time: GC 12.0.1 kicker, PSP 14.0.3 kicker, and SMU 14.0.3 kicker.
GFX (GC) 12.0.1 / GFX1201 is the graphics IP version correlated to the Radeon AI PRO R9700 and Radeon RX 9070 XT. It’s the Radeon RX 9060 XT that is GFX1200 (GFX 12.0.0). Now within linux-firmware.git is this new GFX 12.0.1 “kicker” variant along with the aforementioned other IP block variants.
It’s not clear what this new AMD GFX1201 Kicker variant is for considering the existing released AMD Radeon graphics hardware is already supported by the firmware previously upstreamed. Previously there was an AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT 8GB “Kicker” graphics card and a few days ago was news of a reported Radeon RX 9060 (non-XT) 8GB variant. But if this new “Kicker” variant is for that RX 9060 graphics card it’s a bit odd to be on GFX1201 rather than being GFX1200 derived like the RX 9060 XT.
Typically AMD doesn’t upstream new firmware files for graphics processors until right around product launch time.
Also merged today as part of the DRM “fixes” for the Linux 6.17 kernel was the AMDGPU fixes that include “Add new kicker handling.” That patch adds support for kicker firmware loading across GFX12 / SMU 14 / PSP 14 blocks. The 0x7551 PCI device ID is mentioned there which according to one Google search result might correlate to the Radeon AI PRO R9700 but if that’s actually the case then AMD really dropped the ball on the Linux support if the necessary firmware loading support is only now being upstreamed post-launch. I don’t have a Radeon AI PRO R9700 to confirm if this indeed is/depends upon “Kicker” or not. It would be very surprising if this is required for the Radeon AI PRO R9700 and only upstreaming now considering how important Linux is to AMD’s ROCm/AI efforts. Perhaps some new Radeon AI PRO variant to come?
So for the moment it’s not clear with this AMD GFX1201 Kicker variant is for, but whatever the case, the firmware files for it are now upstream in the latest linux-firmware.git code and the AMDGPU kernel graphics driver bits have just been merged for Linux 6.17.
