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@nbykov0 nbykov0 commented Jan 21, 2026

What this PR does

Sets default cpu frequency scheduler to performance.
Disables cpu energy saving options.

Release note

Default cpu frequency scheduler set to performance.
Cpu energy saving options disabled.

Summary by CodeRabbit

  • Chores
    • Added kernel boot parameters across system profiles to optimize CPU frequency scaling and power management, configuring performance-focused CPU governor settings and idle state handling for improved system performance.

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Signed-off-by: nbykov0 <166552198+nbykov0@users.noreply.github.com>
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coderabbitai bot commented Jan 21, 2026

📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Kernel performance parameters are added across multiple Talos profile configurations. The generation script and six profile YAML files now include three kernel arguments: cpufreq.default_governor=performance, amd_pstate=active, and intel_idle.max_cstate=0.

Changes

Cohort / File(s) Summary
Profile Generation Script
packages/core/talos/hack/gen-profiles.sh
Adds customization.extraKernelArgs block to generated Talos profiles with three performance-tuning kernel parameters
Talos Profile Configurations
packages/core/talos/images/talos/profiles/initramfs.yaml, installer.yaml, iso.yaml, kernel.yaml, metal.yaml, nocloud.yaml
Each profile now includes a customization section with extraKernelArgs containing the same three kernel parameters: cpufreq.default_governor=performance, amd_pstate=active, and intel_idle.max_cstate=0

Estimated code review effort

🎯 2 (Simple) | ⏱️ ~10 minutes

Poem

🐰 Six profiles dressed in kernel gear,
Performance tuned with args so clear,
CPU governors standing tall,
AMD states and idleness fall,
Speedy boots for one and all!

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 3
✅ Passed checks (3 passed)
Check name Status Explanation
Description Check ✅ Passed Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check ✅ Passed The title accurately describes the main change: setting the CPU frequency scheduler to performance mode across all Talos profile configurations.
Docstring Coverage ✅ Passed No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

✏️ Tip: You can configure your own custom pre-merge checks in the settings.

✨ Finishing touches
  • 📝 Generate docstrings

Warning

Tools execution failed with the following error:

Failed to run tools: 13 INTERNAL: Received RST_STREAM with code 2 (Internal server error)


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Summary of Changes

Hello @nbykov0, I'm Gemini Code Assist1! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request standardizes the CPU performance settings across various Talos profiles by configuring the kernel to prioritize performance over energy efficiency. By setting the CPU frequency governor to 'performance' and disabling specific energy-saving mechanisms, the changes aim to ensure that Talos systems consistently operate at their maximum potential, which is crucial for workloads requiring predictable and high computational throughput.

Highlights

  • CPU Performance Governor: The default CPU frequency governor is now set to 'performance' across various Talos profiles to ensure consistent high clock speeds and prevent throttling.
  • Energy Saving Options Disabled: CPU energy saving features, specifically amd_pstate and intel_idle.max_cstate, are explicitly disabled to ensure maximum CPU performance without power-saving interventions.

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@nbykov0 nbykov0 marked this pull request as ready for review January 21, 2026 14:00
@dosubot dosubot bot added the size:M This PR changes 30-99 lines, ignoring generated files. label Jan 21, 2026
@nbykov0 nbykov0 self-assigned this Jan 21, 2026
@dosubot dosubot bot added the enhancement New feature or request label Jan 21, 2026
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Code Review

This pull request updates Talos profiles to enhance performance by setting the CPU frequency governor to performance and disabling certain CPU power-saving features. The changes are made in the profile generation script and propagated to all generated profile YAML files. While the intent to boost performance is clear, one of the chosen kernel parameters, intel_idle.max_cstate=0, is very aggressive. My review includes a comment highlighting the potential negative side effects of this setting, such as increased power consumption and potential impacts on Intel Turbo Boost frequencies, and suggests a more balanced alternative.

extraKernelArgs:
- cpufreq.default_governor=performance
- amd_pstate=active
- intel_idle.max_cstate=0
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high

The setting intel_idle.max_cstate=0 is very aggressive as it disables all deep power-saving C-states for Intel CPUs. While this can reduce latency, it has significant drawbacks:

  • Increased Power Consumption & Heat: Idle power consumption will increase significantly, leading to more heat.
  • Potential Performance Impact: On some Intel CPUs, disabling deep C-states can negatively affect the maximum Turbo Boost frequency. For peak performance, some cores need to enter deep sleep states to free up power/thermal budget for other cores to boost higher.

This setting is applied to all profiles, including the installer and ISO, which might be undesirable (e.g., on a laptop).

Consider using a less aggressive setting like intel_idle.max_cstate=1. This still provides good latency characteristics while being safer regarding power and turbo performance. If max_cstate=0 is intentional, please consider adding a comment to the script explaining the rationale.

Suggested change
- intel_idle.max_cstate=0
- intel_idle.max_cstate=1

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