RT-AX88U Hardware Revision A1 vs A1.1

[Max33Verstappen]

Just some joke, seeing so many guys desperately seeking the difference between these 2.

 

[ankhazam]

How about this...(just guess)
A1.1 is actually a cost cutting measure, so it got more integrated components used than A1, thus turning on this CPU idle feature to offset the thermal. (This conjecture can somewhat explain why ASUS re-enabled it on specific revision later on)
Why don't you guys try ‘pwr config --cpuwait off’ on the A1.1 to see its thermal performance.

A1.1 IDLE at
OFF -> 77 deg C
ON -> 69 deg C

Hence it works as designed

 

[Makaveli]

I will post soon. BTW one clear difference between A1 and A1.1 is the thermals. A1 CPU idles at 75° C and both my A1.1 CPUs idle at 58° C. Can anyone confirm this?

I don't believe a hardware revision is going to drop temps 17c.

its possible the power settings are set differently between them.

To view power options:

In SSH

Code:
pwr help
To lower CPU temp:

Code:
pwr config --cpuwait on
To go back to same CPU temp:

Code:
pwr config --cpuwait off

 

[RMerlin]

don't believe a hardware revision is going to drop temps 17c.

As I mentioned before, Asus disables CPU idling on HW revision 1.0.

 

[Makaveli]

As I mentioned before, Asus disables CPU idling on HW revision 1.0.

So 1.0 has it disabled by default and 1.1 its enabled by default?

 

[sanke1]

So 1.0 has it disabled by default and 1.1 its enabled by default?

Yes. But no one knows why.

 

[RMerlin]

So 1.0 has it disabled by default and 1.1 its enabled by default?

Yes. Asus made the change a few releases ago. Previously it was always enabled by default.

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ax88u-hardware-revision-a1-vs-a1-1.60974/page-2#post-543914

 

[gattaca]

I talked about "cpu wait" in general a while back in another thread for the AC86U. I'm speculating if ASUS is selectively enabling / disabling for HW versions, then they may be likely addressing a timing or performance challenge by reducing latencies from the CPUs sleeping. When enabling cpuwait, my gut says they are most likely tuning the system more toward the "power reduction / green cards" play because their performance guidelines are where they want them to be for this unit.

Intel has been designing CPUs for years with similar features. In some modes, the CPU is sleeping more than it's actually executing instructions. On Intel's platform, we can deliver substantial performance gains by disabling Intel's similar forms of "cpuwait" (C/P states, ...) So depending on your workload, you can choose. The settings for areas like HPC, Analytics, HFT, Genomics, etc are vastly different from the system "defaults."

FWIW, I run my personal AC86 with waits disabled. That works for me but YMMV. Just to be safe, I have a small 5v fan mounted to the rear to insure better cooling. You do not have to move a lot of air to help in this units. My approach is these chips are engineered to a certain thermal envelope but it never hurts to keep'm a bit cooler.

Under light loads, the CPUs are actually "sleeping" more than they are actually executing instructions, transferring frames, etc.. As the loading increases, they sleep less and less. The thing to understand is it takes time (usually in 10s-100's of uS) for a CPU to transition (or wake up) from "sleeping" to "processing" and all that transition time adds up when it's done many times per second. Human wise, it is hard for us to perceive but from the system's point-of-view.., it accumulates fast, very fast. There's a chart somewhere if I can find it, I'll link it in.

Again, my .02. YMMV.

 

[sanke1]

@gattaca I live in a hot country where summers can go to 50° C. If Asus has designed thermal envelope keeping in mind Europe/US/Taiwan which are relatively cooler, it really makes me worried as my A1 unit can hit 90° C under heavy loads when cpu wait is disabled and no cooling fan is used. So far, none of the routers have lasted beyond 2 years for me including 2 RT-AC68Us. Since AX88Us are not cheap, I have enabled cpu wait as well as placed a cooling fan below. Now it sits at acceptable 55° C. Time will tell how this experiment works out. The cheap fan I used to cool has already started to make grinding noises within a month.

 

[Makaveli]

Yup A1 units have poor thermals compared to A1.1.

Easy fix for this though using a laptop cooling pad.

My A1 unit has the same idle temps as the A1.1 because of that.

Yes Wifi6 certification is only for A1.1 model. I don;t know if it makes A1 model Wifi6 compliant automatically.

Where is that information posted?

i'm using A1 with AX and a Galaxy S10 just fine in Wifi 6 mode.

As far as I know certification is based on the chipset and both of these routers share the same so it doesn't make sense one would have it and the other wouldn't when the Wifi Chipset is identical.

 

[JemTheWire]

Ditto with my iPhone 11 Pro Max. On HW v 1.0.

 

[juched]

Has anyone been running an A1 with cpuwait on? Any issues or notice performance drop?

 

[sanke1]

Has anyone been running an A1 with cpuwait on? Any issues or notice performance drop?

Nope. All is well since 1 month.

 

[meeder]

I ran with it for a month without issues.
That being said I didn't have any issues before or after.
I don't run cpuwait at this moment, the chipset is designed with certain thermals in mind. The way it runs is most probably how they designed it.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn LYA-L09 met Tapatalk

 

[juched]

Nope. All is well since 1 month.

So you have turned on cpuwait? But confused by your answer. Just confirming.


I agree, the thermals are likely fine.

 

[sanke1]

So you have turned on cpuwait? But confused by your answer. Just confirming.


I agree, the thermals are likely fine.

CPU wait turned on and all is well since 1 month. Sorry if my previous reply was not clear.

 

[FTC]

I've been running with cpuwait turned on since last july in my RevA1 AX88 without issues caused by cpuwait. (I have been able to reproduce every issue I've had in this period without cpuwait also)

 

[juched]

I've been running with cpuwait turned on since last july in my RevA1 AX88 without issues caused by cpuwait. (I have been able to reproduce every issue I've had in this period without cpuwait also)

Any how do you enable it? A manual command added to init script?

 

[sanke1]

Any how do you enable it? A manual command added to init script?

Just type this in ssh

pwr config --cpuwait on

This way it is disabled after every reboot. To make it permanent, add it to init script.

 

[juched]

Just type this in ssh

pwr config --cpuwait on

This way it is disabled after every reboot. To make it permanent, add it to init script.

Thank you. I figured I could do that but was curious if anyone put it into a script to keep it over a reboot.

I have manually entered that command and it has dropped the temps. No issues yet.