Solved CPU microcode question?

Argentum

Argentum

Hello!

FreeBSD provides a mechanism to load CPU microcode. Is there any good reason to do that?

I have tried
Code: 
kldload cpuctl
and also installed the port: devcpu-data

Code: 
service microcode_update onestart

Everything works. Also, running the single core integer and pointer performance test after the microcode upgrade shows 0.1% (yes 0.1 per cent) decline in performance.
Another, more sophisticated GPU test (glmark2) gives me (hudge) 31.8% performance decline after microcode upgrade.

My question here is - is there any good reason to make the CPU microcode upgrade permanent during boot?
 
I see. (but I have AMD on that machine)

And also please ignore this glmark2 result. Seems that this is heavily dependent on WM.
 
I think it's up to you, the end-user.

If running an internet-facing server, or a VM host, or anything with sensitive data on it - you'll need these fixes and have to take the performance penalties.

If a home machine that you use for emails and browsing, maybe not.

Personally I'm using everywhere and not noticed any life-changing impacts so - for me - it seems to be fine. YMMV!
 
We had a very random infrequent hang on our Mongodb servers at a previous job. It was particularly insidious because the server seemed to behave normally. Reads would succeed and be correct. Writes apparently succeeded, but actually did nothing. We figured this was because Mongodb is made out of fire, but a brilliant co-worker tracked it down to an Intel microcode bug. Ignore microcode updates, and your databases may wind up full of angry poisonous lizards. You've been warned.
 
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