RC6(9)

✨ RC6 ✨

okay so welcome to the RC6(9) page from the Kernel API Manual, bestie — this is the GPU beauty-sleep lore and it's honestly iconic. 🦋

RC6 is a special power stage which allows the GPU to enter a very low-voltage mode when idle, using down to 0V while at this stage. The way that works? This stage is entered automatically when the GPU is idle when RC6 support is enabled, and as soon as new workload arises the GPU wakes up automatically as well. 😴✨

There are different RC6 modes available in Intel GPU, which differentiate among each other with the latency required to enter and leave RC6 and voltage consumed by the GPU in different states. It's giving "same family, different energy." ⚡

The combination of the following flags define which states GPU is allowed to enter:

• RC6 — the normal RC6 state
• RC6p — the deep RC6
• RC6pp — deepest RC6

Their support by hardware varies according to the GPU, BIOS, chipset and platform. 👑 RC6 is usually the safest one and the one which brings the most power savings; deeper states save more power, but require higher latency to switch to and wake up. So yeah: deeper = more savings, but also more waiting around. 💅

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

• Kernel file ./drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt/intel_rc6.c

mwah 💋 this lil' page is RC6(9) from source/version ./drivers/gpu/drm/i915/gt, dated October 2026 — slay and goodnight. 🫶