[KERNEL][9.1] Performance Enhanced Overclock Kernel

Search This thread

rootfan

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2011
218
390
The latest kernel, R1.8, is for Shield experience 9.1. Supported Shield TVs include all 2015 and 2017 models. The 2019 models are not supported. Enjoy the kernel and leave any feedback that you may have :)

Install Instructions:
- Download and extract Kernel_R1_8.zip
- Flash Kernel_R1_8.img in fastboot using fastboot flash boot Kernel_R1_8.img
- You could also fastboot boot the kernel before flashing it to make sure everything is working correctly
- Once your shield has booted up again install the latest magisk app if you haven't already
- Open the magisk app and update / reboot if necessary
- I've seen the shield fail to boot when rebooting right after updating Magisk. If this happens, just unplug your shield tv and plug it back in and everything should work fine
- Install Shield_Tools_V1_4.apk and tune the kernel to your liking. By default, all settings are stock
- If you need exfat / ntfs support, then install the attached Vold9_0 Magisk module

Kernel R1.8 Features:
- Based on the kernel sources for shield experience 9.1
- 2.22 Ghz CPU overclock
- 1.23 GHz GPU overclock
- 1866 Mhz RAM Overclock
- Fully customizable fan settings
- The touchpad on the 2015 controller (blake) is enabled and works correctly
- The blake touchpad cursor speed is adjustable
- One of the the top triggers on the blake controller can be selected to act like a mouse button. This can be used along with the touchpad to scroll fairly conveniently
- The kernel version has been updated from 4.9.141 to 4.9.324 using the upstream android 4.9-q branch. Some changes have also been integrated from Linux for tegra
- Compiled with the latest aosp prebuilt clang, clang-r445002 version 14.0.2
- Compiled with -O3 speed optimizations and link time optimization (LTO)
- CFI is enabled for additional security


Note: The cpu throttles to around 2.0Ghz at 66C. Keep this in mind when setting fan speeds if you're trying to maximize performance. Also, regardless of what you set, the fan will always turn off when the temperature falls below the lowest value. I'll probably change this in a future shield tools release.

Old Changelogs:

R1.1:
Prerooted with magisk
Selinux is permissive by default

R1.2:
GPU Overclock up to 1.23 GHz
Boot frequencies are default and must be adjusted manually (using my app) to overclock
Ondemand and interactive governors added. Interactive is default
(debug feature) Serial console over ttyUSB0
First release of shield tools, an app to help tune this kernel. Shield Tools does not work with earlier releases

R1.3
First release for pie
Fully customizable fan settings
Shield tools updated to V1.1 with fan controls and changes needed for pie
Vendor and system verity are disabled
System as root is removed to support Magisk.

R1.3.1
Use kernel modules again to fix some bugs such as USB issues.

R1.4 / Shield Tools 1.2.1
Kernel updated from 4.9.140 to 4.9.162
1866 MHz RAM Overclock (Improves graphics performance significantly)
Power throttling added by Nvidia in the pie release has been removed
RAM control added to Shield Tools
Shield Tools saves settings and applies them on boot now
Shield Tools 1.2.1 fixes fan settings for 2017 shields.

R1.5 / Shield Tools 1.3
Kernel updated with Nvidia's latest rel-32-r7 sources
Many more selectable RAM frequencies
RAM voltage is slightly increased at frequencies above 1725 MHz
New installation method that doesn't modify the system or vendor partitions
Standby frequency reset issue fixed (actually fixed in Shield Tools 1.2.2)
Kernel version is 4.9.140 again, but the sdcard bootloop issue is gone

R1.6 / Shield Tools 1.4
First release for android 11
Kernel version updated from 4.9.141 to 4.9.309
Touchpad on blake controller is enabled by default and a problem with the cursor jumping on initial touch has been fixed
Blake touchpad speed can be adjusted
Either the top right or top left trigger on the blake controller can be selected to act like a mouse button. This makes scrolling using the touchpad fairly convenient
When setting fan speed values the same speed can now be repeated
The speed and temperature dialogs now automatically scroll together
Fan hysteresis is now set when changing temperatures to fix potential problems with the fan speed not decreasing properly
All security features are left enabled. I'll disable them if there's actually a need for it
Magisk's root directory overlay feature is used to load kernel modules

R1.7
Changes from the 9.0.2 release have been merged
Kernel version updated to 4.9.311
Werrors preventing compilation with clang 14 have been fixed
Several CFI failures have been fixed allowing enforcing CFI to be used (at least on 2015 shields)
Clang is now used to compile the kernel with LTO and CFI enabled
Debug tracing has been disabled to save some memory
In previous releases the voltage was too low on some shield tvs to reach a 2.22 GHz CPU overclock. This has been fixed.


Changelog for the latest release R1.8:
Changes from the 9.1 release have been merged
Kernel version updated to 4.9.324
CFI failure in the realtek ethernet driver that caused the 2017 shield to bootloop should be fixed



Big thanks to Magisk.

Standard Disclaimer: You're responsible for what you do to your devices, so don't blame anyone else if something goes wrong.

Kernel Sources: https://github.com/rootfan/
 

Attachments

  • CPU-Z_20190705_143555.png
    CPU-Z_20190705_143555.png
    91 KB · Views: 6,338
  • Linpack_20190927_190330.png
    Linpack_20190927_190330.png
    81.6 KB · Views: 4,759
  • 3DMark_20191019_210902.png
    3DMark_20191019_210902.png
    110 KB · Views: 3,977
  • stock_3dmark.png
    stock_3dmark.png
    102 KB · Views: 4,072
  • Kernel_R1.5.1_Beta.zip
    17.3 MB · Views: 1,533
  • Shield_Tools_V1_4.apk
    4 MB · Views: 706
  • Shield Tools_20220331_192352.png
    Shield Tools_20220331_192352.png
    111.4 KB · Views: 865
  • Kernel_R1_8.zip
    18.9 MB · Views: 566
  • Vold9_0.zip
    2.4 MB · Views: 226
Last edited:

Wildheart

Member
Jun 22, 2011
18
3
anyone else try this, I couldn't get it to flash, says invalid zip. I installed the boot.img through fla**** but it wasnt a clean install and became unresponsive. My next step is to try it on a clean install.
 

ha7msterx

Member
Jan 7, 2010
14
3
flashed on darcy android 8 - wifi broken

I tried this kernel on the android 8 AOSP that was floating around a few months back, which I use because the adoptive storage works (unlike 7.2.3).

Anyway, it booted, seems noticeably faster, but wifi radio is piffed, which is a dealbreaker, so I restored back with TWRP.

Are there any alternate flashable radios for darcy?

thanks for your efforts
 
  • Like
Reactions: meksis

imoldchen

Member
May 7, 2019
5
0
Hi, I flash this kernel on my Shield TV 2017, but USB slot does not work, everything else is fine.
 
Last edited:
Hi, I flash this kernel on my Shield TV 2017, but USB slot does not work, everything else is fine.

Can anyone else confirm this?
Since op states only cpu clock, selinux mode and magisk is added, this shouldn't break usb right?

Also, right now I'm on 7.2.3 rooted.
Can I just do fastboot boot steel01's twrp and then flash the zip and done?
No bootloop no reflashing anything in bootloader? No dm-verity issues?
 

imoldchen

Member
May 7, 2019
5
0
Can anyone else confirm this?
Since op states only cpu clock, selinux mode and magisk is added, this shouldn't break usb right?

Also, right now I'm on 7.2.3 rooted.
Can I just do fastboot boot steel01's twrp and then flash the zip and done?
No bootloop no reflashing anything in bootloader? No dm-verity issues?

I use developer firmware to disable dm-verity via adb root, Yes, the Sheild TV 2017 version of USB does not work, And it can't into twrp, only flash boot.img in boodbloader mode.
 

bum2kev

Member
Jan 2, 2012
26
4
This kernel is only for the latest shield TV software version, 7.2.3. Do not flash it on older versions or lineage OS. The only major addition to this kernel is the 2.22 GHz overclock. The ramdisk is from the shield developer release, so adb root is available. The twrp flashable zip is below. It works with Steel01's latest experimental twrp. I've only tested it on the shield pro, but it "should" work on other variants. Please make a backup of boot before flashing to be safe. As usual, the standard disclaimer applies. Your warranty will most likely be void, and I can't be held responsible for any damages flashing or overclocking may cause your device. Full sources can be viewed and / or downloaded at https://github.com/rootfan/nvidia-4.9-kernel. I hope this kernel works well for you. If it does, please give the thanks button a press :)

Changelog:
R1.1:
. Prerooted with magisk
. Selinux is permissive by default

Have you tested this on the new Pie release?
 

imoldchen

Member
May 7, 2019
5
0
Please tell me what is the fastboot command to flash the kernel. thanks

Thanks for adding GPU overclocking, The issue of GPU overclocking on github was submitted by me. :highfive:

The 2017 and PRO versions compare the extra files:
lib/firmware/tegra210b01_xusb_firmware
lib/firmware/tegra21x_xusb_firmware
sbin/slideshow
Add these files to the kernel, and USB will work on the 2017 version.

About the APK app, I hope to provide a complete language XML file.
This makes it easy for users to submit translations in other languages.
 
Last edited:

Adromir

Senior Member
What are the steps to flash this kernel please

fastboot flash boot boot.img

But I highly recommend you not to do it, because as you weren't able to figure it out your own, indicates you are lacking basic knowledge about adb/fastboot and problem solving you should have in case something goes wrong in that process. I don't want to shame you for not knowing this, but every tempering with your shield on this level has the potential risk of bricking it, so you should know exactly what you are doing and how to fix problems, which I honestly doubt if you need to ask something that you could have found out with a 10 seconds Google search
 

bum2kev

Member
Jan 2, 2012
26
4
Thanks for adding GPU overclocking, The issue of GPU overclocking on github was submitted by me. :highfive:

The 2017 and PRO versions compare the extra files:
lib/firmware/tegra210b01_xusb_firmware
lib/firmware/tegra21x_xusb_firmware
sbin/slideshow
Add these files to the kernel, and USB will work on the 2017 version.

About the APK app, I hope to provide a complete language XML file.
This makes it easy for users to submit translations in other languages.


can you add this info to the github issues? This is the one thing that is stopping me from doing this. Have you run any benchmarks with the CPU/GPU overclock?
@rootfan, BTC address to send tip? :)
 
Last edited:

rootfan

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2011
218
390
@bum2kev, @imoldchen, and anyone else who's interested, here's something to try that should fix the 2017 shield USB issue, if it boots. It's a Magisk zip that replaces the installed kernel with my modified version. The magisk installer is set to preserve dm-verity and this kernel should disable dm-verity, so hopefully it'll work on the 2017 shield. You can install it with this twrp I put together: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BCfXg9pUpFm_3sPXp_nEwBlkNU9nelkg Make sure you're on a stock boot.img before flashing the kernel. Let me know if it boots and be prepared to restore your shield (just the boot.img) if it doesn't :)
The attached file is only for 7.2.3
 

Attachments

  • ShieldOC_Magisk_Test.zip
    14.8 MB · Views: 392
Last edited:

Sdkfreak

New member
Apr 7, 2018
3
2
@bum2kev, @imoldchen, and anyone else who's interested, here's something to try that should fix the 2017 shield USB issue, if it boots. It's a Magisk zip that replaces the installed kernel with my modified version. The magisk installer is set to preserve dm-verity and this kernel should disable dm-verity, so hopefully it'll work on the 2017 shield. You can install it with this twrp I put together: Make sure you're on a stock boot.img before flashing the kernel. Let me know if it boots and be prepared to restore your shield (just the boot.img) if it doesn't :)

Tried it on my Shield 2017 version and I can confirm that it works. Shield booted up fine and the USB ports are now working! Thank you for the work you have done! :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rootfan

pop4xda

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2017
67
17
My shield 2017 (16gb) is still on fw 7.1.0 with working trwp and magisk rooted already.

Since I don't have PC around to do fastboot method, is it possible to upgrade to pie and root it with this guide by using only exiting trwp. If so, how?

Thanks.
 

Top Liked Posts

  • There are no posts matching your filters.
  • 41
    The latest kernel, R1.8, is for Shield experience 9.1. Supported Shield TVs include all 2015 and 2017 models. The 2019 models are not supported. Enjoy the kernel and leave any feedback that you may have :)

    Install Instructions:
    - Download and extract Kernel_R1_8.zip
    - Flash Kernel_R1_8.img in fastboot using fastboot flash boot Kernel_R1_8.img
    - You could also fastboot boot the kernel before flashing it to make sure everything is working correctly
    - Once your shield has booted up again install the latest magisk app if you haven't already
    - Open the magisk app and update / reboot if necessary
    - I've seen the shield fail to boot when rebooting right after updating Magisk. If this happens, just unplug your shield tv and plug it back in and everything should work fine
    - Install Shield_Tools_V1_4.apk and tune the kernel to your liking. By default, all settings are stock
    - If you need exfat / ntfs support, then install the attached Vold9_0 Magisk module

    Kernel R1.8 Features:
    - Based on the kernel sources for shield experience 9.1
    - 2.22 Ghz CPU overclock
    - 1.23 GHz GPU overclock
    - 1866 Mhz RAM Overclock
    - Fully customizable fan settings
    - The touchpad on the 2015 controller (blake) is enabled and works correctly
    - The blake touchpad cursor speed is adjustable
    - One of the the top triggers on the blake controller can be selected to act like a mouse button. This can be used along with the touchpad to scroll fairly conveniently
    - The kernel version has been updated from 4.9.141 to 4.9.324 using the upstream android 4.9-q branch. Some changes have also been integrated from Linux for tegra
    - Compiled with the latest aosp prebuilt clang, clang-r445002 version 14.0.2
    - Compiled with -O3 speed optimizations and link time optimization (LTO)
    - CFI is enabled for additional security


    Note: The cpu throttles to around 2.0Ghz at 66C. Keep this in mind when setting fan speeds if you're trying to maximize performance. Also, regardless of what you set, the fan will always turn off when the temperature falls below the lowest value. I'll probably change this in a future shield tools release.

    Old Changelogs:

    R1.1:
    Prerooted with magisk
    Selinux is permissive by default

    R1.2:
    GPU Overclock up to 1.23 GHz
    Boot frequencies are default and must be adjusted manually (using my app) to overclock
    Ondemand and interactive governors added. Interactive is default
    (debug feature) Serial console over ttyUSB0
    First release of shield tools, an app to help tune this kernel. Shield Tools does not work with earlier releases

    R1.3
    First release for pie
    Fully customizable fan settings
    Shield tools updated to V1.1 with fan controls and changes needed for pie
    Vendor and system verity are disabled
    System as root is removed to support Magisk.

    R1.3.1
    Use kernel modules again to fix some bugs such as USB issues.

    R1.4 / Shield Tools 1.2.1
    Kernel updated from 4.9.140 to 4.9.162
    1866 MHz RAM Overclock (Improves graphics performance significantly)
    Power throttling added by Nvidia in the pie release has been removed
    RAM control added to Shield Tools
    Shield Tools saves settings and applies them on boot now
    Shield Tools 1.2.1 fixes fan settings for 2017 shields.

    R1.5 / Shield Tools 1.3
    Kernel updated with Nvidia's latest rel-32-r7 sources
    Many more selectable RAM frequencies
    RAM voltage is slightly increased at frequencies above 1725 MHz
    New installation method that doesn't modify the system or vendor partitions
    Standby frequency reset issue fixed (actually fixed in Shield Tools 1.2.2)
    Kernel version is 4.9.140 again, but the sdcard bootloop issue is gone

    R1.6 / Shield Tools 1.4
    First release for android 11
    Kernel version updated from 4.9.141 to 4.9.309
    Touchpad on blake controller is enabled by default and a problem with the cursor jumping on initial touch has been fixed
    Blake touchpad speed can be adjusted
    Either the top right or top left trigger on the blake controller can be selected to act like a mouse button. This makes scrolling using the touchpad fairly convenient
    When setting fan speed values the same speed can now be repeated
    The speed and temperature dialogs now automatically scroll together
    Fan hysteresis is now set when changing temperatures to fix potential problems with the fan speed not decreasing properly
    All security features are left enabled. I'll disable them if there's actually a need for it
    Magisk's root directory overlay feature is used to load kernel modules

    R1.7
    Changes from the 9.0.2 release have been merged
    Kernel version updated to 4.9.311
    Werrors preventing compilation with clang 14 have been fixed
    Several CFI failures have been fixed allowing enforcing CFI to be used (at least on 2015 shields)
    Clang is now used to compile the kernel with LTO and CFI enabled
    Debug tracing has been disabled to save some memory
    In previous releases the voltage was too low on some shield tvs to reach a 2.22 GHz CPU overclock. This has been fixed.


    Changelog for the latest release R1.8:
    Changes from the 9.1 release have been merged
    Kernel version updated to 4.9.324
    CFI failure in the realtek ethernet driver that caused the 2017 shield to bootloop should be fixed



    Big thanks to Magisk.

    Standard Disclaimer: You're responsible for what you do to your devices, so don't blame anyone else if something goes wrong.

    Kernel Sources: https://github.com/rootfan/
    3
    @dfl and @imoldchen I've been working on an overclock kernel for 8.0. The kernel is basically ready to go, but I want to provide full fan control which will require some additions to the shield tools app. Hopefully I'll be able to get something out soon. @snake218 if you're on full android oreo and not pie, your best bet is to use the zip and twrp provided in this post https://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=80110657&postcount=18. The problem is that you need the shield tools app to enable overclocking, and that is designed for android tv so it may not work on the full android that you're using.
    3
    I was under the impression magisk is root and kernal is for overclocking totally separate. I think once I read through the thread again the kernal is for overclocking and it is separate but only works on 7.2.3 guess I totally missed it I swear I've read this thread 10 times now. So root works on 8.0 but kernal only on 7.2.3. Can anyone confirm please.
    Yes, as it says on the main thread.

    kernel is part of the boot.img
    So both zip's contains a kernel, one of them has an edited kernel containing overclocks, other one dosnt.
    Both are rooted with magisk.

    The one for 7.2.3, is overclocked and rooted.
    The one for 8.0 is rooted.
    3
    Thank you so much for this! The performance increase is amazing on Shield 2015.

    For questions regarding Compatibility: Check that the first five digits of your kernel version under System-> Info match with the one you are about to flash (4.9.140-xxxxxxxxx), that should work, I am on Shied TV 8.2.2 .

    Widevine (Netflix etc.) is not affected.

    Flashing instructions:

    1. Boot to fastboot ( adb reboot bootloader )
    2. Unlock bootloader - this will wipe ALL of your data ( fastboot oem unlock )
    3. Reboot and reenable developer options
    4. Boot to twrp ( fastboot boot your/twrp/image.img
    5. Via MTP place the Kernel in the shields /sdcard
    6. With mouse flash the kernel using the gui
    7. Boot the device
    8. Install Shieldtools.apk ( adb install path/to/your/shield-tools.apk
    9. Launch Shield tools and grant root permissions permanently
    10. Tweak your settings
    11. Enjoy your overclocked Shield!

    I have maxed out all settings and it is working great, additionally I changed the fan settings for >70°C to max speed, since then I don't get any freezes.


    I have tested one game of which I knew performs badly on stock shield settings (Mario Kart WII on luigi circuit) and Dolphin MMJR, on stock Kernel. With all performance enhancing tweaks the max game speed on the first map is 78%, native Wii resolution.
    Using the same conditions with maxed out kernel and performance governor the max game speed goes as high as 92% - when there is not too much action going on on screen! It is definitly playable now though.

    On 720p Fps vary around 44 and 47 and the game speed is between 70% and 80%, looks nice, but feels slow.

    Sling Shot Extreme Open GL ES 3.1 on 3DMark gives 4438 points and Sling Shot on 3DMark gives 512 points, making it better than 95% than all other shields according to the stats.

    Thank you very much for this development.
    3
    @SkOrPn, upgrading Magisk should work fine with R1.4. I upgraded directly from Magisk Manager without issue. The problem you had seems to be that Shield Tools was denied root access. If you have any further problems make sure that Shield Tools has been granted root permission in Magisk Manager. @urkelz, I haven't seen the cpu overclock reset when coming out of standby. If it's an issue that others are having I'll look into fixing it.

    Magisk Rooted / Overclockable Boot.img
    Below you'll find a fastboot flashable magisk rooted overclock kernel. Extract the zip and fastboot boot the image to see if it works. If all goes well, you can flash it. Hopefully this will make the installation process easier for those that have had problems. You cannot update Magisk when using this version though and you may need to install the Magisk Manager app seperately. Also, as I only have the 2015 shield pro, you'll have to let me know if it works on the other models. @DumbKing@letthemeatspam, go ahead and give this a try. You don't need a mouse for it.