diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index 20f9c62..4b303e7 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -186,6 +186,22 @@
         "url": "https://flakehub.com/f/NixOS/nixpkgs/0.1"
       }
     },
+    "nixpkgs-firmware": {
+      "locked": {
+        "lastModified": 1786418624,
+        "narHash": "sha256-xvXBdo9CcGlpywV1P3JBRsJ56LLlR758Q+4Q2Gt723Y=",
+        "owner": "nixos",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs",
+        "rev": "144aa15a159c75bf60a0d8582851e1fc80d5c07d",
+        "type": "github"
+      },
+      "original": {
+        "owner": "nixos",
+        "ref": "master",
+        "repo": "nixpkgs",
+        "type": "github"
+      }
+    },
     "nixpkgs-stable": {
       "locked": {
         "lastModified": 1782847189,
@@ -311,6 +327,7 @@
         "home-manager": "home-manager",
         "niri": "niri",
         "nixpkgs": "nixpkgs_4",
+        "nixpkgs-firmware": "nixpkgs-firmware",
         "noctalia": "noctalia",
         "noctalia-greeter": "noctalia-greeter",
         "spicetify-nix": "spicetify-nix",
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 7083221..49e7496 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 
     nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs?ref=nixos-unstable";
 
+    # tracks nixpkgs master, used only to pull the freshest linux-firmware
+    # (mesa is already at the newest version available anywhere in nixpkgs
+    # via the nixos-unstable pin above, so it needs no separate override)
+    nixpkgs-firmware.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs?ref=master";
+
     filaments.url = "github:suri-codes/filaments";
     # then reference inputs.filaments.packages.${system}.default
 
@@ -48,6 +53,7 @@
       self,
       darwin,
       nixpkgs,
+      nixpkgs-firmware,
       helix,
       filaments,
       noctalia,
@@ -63,6 +69,13 @@
             doCheck = false;
           });
         })
+
+        # pull the freshest linux-firmware from nixpkgs master; nixos-unstable
+        # lags the channel-promotion delay (currently several weeks behind)
+        (final: prev: {
+          linux-firmware =
+            (import nixpkgs-firmware { inherit (final) system; }).linux-firmware;
+        })
       ];
     in
     {
diff --git a/hosts/Styx/configuration.nix b/hosts/Styx/configuration.nix
index 0b0b6a7..b420ed3 100644
--- a/hosts/Styx/configuration.nix
+++ b/hosts/Styx/configuration.nix
@@ -157,7 +157,10 @@
   # to let i2c-piix4 claim that range, so the driver never binds to the
   # SMBus PCI device (00:14.0 stays disabled) and no I2C bus is created for
   # OpenRGB to reach the Corsair Vengeance RGB controller on the DIMMs.
-  boot.kernelParams = [ "acpi_enforce_resources=lax" ];
+  boot.kernelParams = [
+    "acpi_enforce_resources=lax"
+    "amdgpu.dcdebugmask=0x10"
+  ];
 
   # i2c-dev/i2c-piix4 otherwise only get autoloaded lazily during the
   # session, which loses the race against openrgb.service at boot: the
diff --git a/modules/home/term/ghostty/ghostty/config b/modules/home/term/ghostty/ghostty/config
index e5c9937..2942fde 100644
--- a/modules/home/term/ghostty/ghostty/config
+++ b/modules/home/term/ghostty/ghostty/config
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ custom-shader = ./shaders/cursor_blaze.glsl
 confirm-close-surface = false
 
 
+
 # font-family = ""
 # font-family = "Monaspace Krypton SemiBold"
 
diff --git a/modules/home/wm/niri/config.kdl b/modules/home/wm/niri/config.kdl
index af42ca5..043d4d9 100644
--- a/modules/home/wm/niri/config.kdl
+++ b/modules/home/wm/niri/config.kdl
@@ -93,10 +93,14 @@ binds {
     XF86MonBrightnessUp { spawn-sh "noctalia msg brightness-up"; }
     XF86MonBrightnessDown { spawn-sh "noctalia msg brightness-down"; }
     
-    // my specifc keybinds
+    // // my specifc keybinds
     Mod+Shift+Return hotkey-overlay-title="Open Ghostty" {spawn "ghostty" "-e" "zellij" "-l" "welcome";}
     Mod+Return hotkey-overlay-title="Open Ghostty" {spawn "ghostty";}
 
+    
+    // my specifc keybinds
+    // Mod+Shift+Return hotkey-overlay-title="Open Ghostty" {spawn "env" "DRI_PRIME=pci-0000_76_00_0" "ghostty" "-e" "zellij" "-l" "welcome";}
+    // Mod+Return hotkey-overlay-title="Open Ghostty" {spawn "env" "DRI_PRIME=pci-0000_76_00_0" "ghostty";}
     // Open/close the Overview: a zoomed-out view of workspaces and windows.
     // You can also move the mouse into the top-left hot corner,
     // or do a four-finger swipe up on a touchpad.
@@ -327,11 +331,12 @@ window-rule {
 
 debug {
   honor-xdg-activation-with-invalid-serial
+  wait-for-frame-completion-before-queueing true
 }
 
 window-rule {
   background-effect {
-    blur true
+    blur false
     xray false
   }
 }
@@ -352,9 +357,9 @@ layer-rule {
 }
 
 blur {
-  passes 2        // more passes = stronger blur (default: 3)
+  passes 1        // more passes = stronger blur (default: 3)
   offset 3.0      // sample distance per pass (default: 3.0)
-  noise 0.03      // grain overlay (default: 0.02)
+  noise 0.05      // grain overlay (default: 0.02)
   saturation 1.0  // color saturation boost (default: 1.5)
 }