Change NPS mode in BIOS

In this article, we have explained the idea behind NPS mode and how to change the NPS mode of a system using BIOS.

Table of contents:

  1. What is NPS mode?
  2. Steps to change NPS mode in BIOS

What is NPS mode?

NPS stands for Nodes per Socket. NPS mode is the mode that is supported in the system.

While running a benchmark application, one should consider to run on one socket only. The total number of sockets is fixed so the number of nodes is configured.

The communication cost between NUMA nodes in a socket is minimum compared to communication cost between NUMA nodes between two different sockets. NUMA node stands for Non-Uniform Memory Access.

There can be different NPS modes like:

  • NPS1: 1 node per socket
  • NPS2: 2 nodes per socket
  • NPS4: 4 nodes per socket

NPS mode can be configured manually using BIOS to different values.

Steps to change NPS mode in BIOS

The steps to change NPS mode in BIOS are:

  • Enter BIOS: While your system starts, press "delete" key to enter BIOS settings. The key varies across systems.
  • Once you enter BIOS, go to the following options to change NPS mode in BIOS:
Advanced -> CBS -> DF Common options -> Memory Addressing

Note: The exact steps can be different for the system you are using.

On clicking on "Memory Addressing", you can support different NPS modes available in your system like:

  • NPS1
  • NPS2
  • NPS4
  • NPS8

Once done, exit out of BIOS and save the changes. Be sure to click on "Save and Exit" option.

Once the system loads with the new BIOS settings, the NPS mode will have changed.

To check the NPS mode in your system, use the following command:

lscpu

This will have information like:

...
Core(s) per socket: 64
Socket(s): 2
NUMA node(s): 2
...
NUMA node0 CPU(s): 0-31,64-95
NUMA node1 CPU(s): 32-63,96-127

The above information is for a NPS1 mode system. Note that there are 2 nodes in total and 2 sockets in total, therefore, NPS is 1 (Number of Nodes per Socket).

It, also displays the information of which cores are available in each NUMA node.

With this article at OpenGenus, you must have the complete idea of how to set NPS mode of a system using BIOS settings.