Linux kernel module unlocks full FP/BF16 throughput on Nvidia RTX 3000 GPUs
A new open-source Linux kernel module called GPU-unlock removes Nvidia's artificial cap on FP16/BF16 instruction issue rates for GeForce RTX 3000-series cards based on the GA102, GA103, GA104 and GA106 chips, bringing them up to the rate normally reserved for professional cards. It works by writing specific speed-selector registers and performing a function-level reset before the stock Nvidia driver loads, avoiding the need for manual driver patching after each update. Community-reported benchmarks on cards like the RTX 3090 Ti, 3090, 3080 and 3070 show BF16 GEMM throughput gains ranging roughly from 25% to over 80%.