Intel Releases Its March 2024 Open-Source Linux GPU Compute Stack Update

Intel is ending out the month and quarter with the latest update to its open-source Compute Runtime and Intel Graphics Compiler (IGC) code that enables OpenCL and Level Zero support on Linux systems and is also used by their Windows driver too.

Intel Compute Runtime 24.09.28717.12 is the first new release since mid-February and thus a lot of new code in store for this open-source user mode compute driver. The Intel Compute Runtime continues supporting from Meteor Lake and DG2/Alchemist back through Broadwell era integrated graphics.

There isn't any concise change-log for this new version but appears to be a lot of new code all over the board. The 200+ new patches in this version bring various performance tuning/optimizations, enabling bindless mode for Level Zero on DG2/Alchemist, various alterations for the Intel Xe DRM driver alternative to i915, new introspection APIs for the command queue and command list, L3 fabric error reporting, improvements for the Blender 3D modeling use, cl_khr_extended_bit_ops support for OpenCL, adding more Raptor Lake Refresh PCI IDs, and various other updates. The Intel Xe kernel driver support work appears to be a big one for this release.

The updated Intel Compute Runtime for Linux can be downloaded in source form as well as Ubuntu binaries via GitHub. Fresh Intel Arc Graphics compute benchmarks soon on Phoronix.

Also out today is the IGC 1.0.16238.4 graphics compiler update as the adjoining IGC release for use by the updated Compute Runtime.