[Tfug] Got an odd one: laptop AMD CPU stuck at 800mhz, won't jump to 1, 600

[Jim March]

Hmmm.  Well I have an article on how to take direct control over the
speed controls, at:

http://www.pantz.org/software/cpufreq/usingcpufreqonlinux.html

I'll try that next.

I *know* the CPU speed is boogered.  I suspect the video drivers are
OK but I don't quite know for sure.  Well OK...first step is to deal
with the CPU, test the video more once I know the CPU is straightened
out.

I now realize "Speedstep" isn't the right term with an AMD chip.
Amusingly, that's what the Dell BIOS calls it (snort).

I've had it open enough to check the memory and WiFi card, and it
looks very clean inside and out.  For now I'm assuming it's not a temp
issue, although I'm going to try going back into the BIOS and see if I
can read off the temps.  It's always possible there's a hosed temp
sensor in hardware?  Thing is, I know this isn't actually temp-related
because it's happening in the first minutes after a cold boot.

Jim

On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 1:47 PM, John Gruenenfelder
<jetpackjohn at gmail.com> wrote:
> I would guess that for some reason the kernel has chosen an incorrect
> frequency scaling driver.  Speedstep proper is only on Intel CPUs, but there
> are equivalent drivers for AMD Mobile and AMD64 CPUs.  It could be an
> incorrect choice there.  There is also a more modern ACPI P-States frequency
> scaling driver that I suppose could have been loaded.
>
> The kernel config help also still says that AMD CPUs should use the
> conservative CPU governor instead of the ondemand governor.  I don't think
> this is true on the newer chips, though.  And, in any case, this particular
> module choice shouldn't affect your direct choice of speeds.
>
> That said, I suppose if you inadvertently had the powersave governor loaded,
> it might restrict you to the lowest speed.
>
> As for other slowness possibilities... maybe your distro has incorrectly
> decided to use a 3D desktop but the OSS Radeon driver is only doing software
> 3D via Mesa?  The Radeon driver has gotten much better now, though, and even
> supports 3D on my RV770 chip (I can't even get the proprietary driver to
> work correctly anymore).  But it's something to check.
>
> --John Gruenenfelder
> Systems Manager, MKS Imaging Technology, LLC.
> Try Weasel Reader for PalmOS -- http://weaselreader.org
> "This is the most fun I've had without being drenched in the blood of my
> enemies!"
> --Sam of Sam & Max
>
> On Jan 21, 2012 11:20 AM, "Jim March" <1.jim.march at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Folks,
>>
>> Somebody gave me a Dell Latitude D531, has an AMD CPU (dual-core
>> TL-50) that can "speedstep" between 800mHz and 1.6gHz.
>>
>> I dropped my existing hard disk from another laptop over to it, fired
>> it up.  Existing install is Mint 12, 32bit (similar to Ubuntu
>> Oneiric).
>>
>> Seemed ghastly slow on the "new" machine.  I noticed that my CPU
>> frequency scaling toolbar thingie that I always run showed it locked
>> to 800mHz.  This tool can also show available speeds and if you want,
>> lock the CPU to one speed or another.
>>
>> It would not accept a command to crank it up to 1.6.  Literally wouldn't
>> take.
>>
>> I tried turning off Speedstep in the BIOS, locking it to high speed.
>> No joy - the frequency scaler broke at that point but performance
>> testing of, say, flash videos (plus slow boot times and more) showed
>> the speed was still stinking.
>>
>> OK, what the hell?
>>
>> Has anybody seen anything like this before?
>>
>> I'm going to try swapping the RAM over (2gig PC5300 on both my old and
>> this "new" lappy) and see if that helps?  But...I don't think that's
>> it.
>>
>> What would cause the CPU to be locked into stupid mode?
>>
>> What else...video card on the old machine (physically falling apart!)
>> is an Intel 965/X3100 type, new (the "slow machine") is an ATI 1270.
>> The ATI video drivers seem to be working OK (open source Radeon).
>>
>> Jim
>>
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