AMD cpu slows down (I think)

From: Trevor Smith (trevor_at_haligonian.com)
Date: 10/30/04

  • Next message: Alexander Dalloz: "Re: Default FC2 Swap Space" 
    To: For users of Fedora Core releases <fedora-list@redhat.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 13:18:47 -0300

    I'm trying to find info on my laptop problem but can't find anything really
    explanatory. I assume it's something to do with CPU speed auto-setting on
    battery power and your site seems to be relevant.

    My situation: I have a Compaq Presario 2197CA, AMD Athlon XP-M 2800+ CPU. With
    Fedora Core 1, no problems on AC or battery power. After upgrade to FC2 with
    kernel-2.6.5-1.358, originally no problem (I don't recall). But at some point
    I updated the kernel to kernel-2.6.8-1.521 and possibly then, possibly
    because of some other "upgrade" my computer slips into a different mode when
    on battery power.

    In this "mode" it becomes extremely, irritatingly slow to use. A command shell
    takes visible time to scroll/update. GUI windows take maddening seconds to
    draw, etc.

    Research leads me to believe that this is a "feature" of the Powernowstuff or
    something, but it is definitely not a feature I want.

    A found a web site
    (http://www.codemonkey.org.uk/projects/cpufreq/powernow-k7.shtml) that says:

    "This meant that until version 2.6.6 of the kernel, Powernow was non
    functional on these laptops."
    and
    "Compaq Presario 2100. Has 14 PST tables. None of which match the cpuid of
    the processor (0x7A0)"

    I conclude that this means that my original FC1 and FC2 kernels (pre-2.6.6)
    would have had disfunctional support for Powernow but that my new kernel has
    "fixed" support for this. And this, I assume, is the source of my problem.

    However, I can find no docs about how to control Powernow or, better yet, turn
    it off (I use my laptop at school and home and I rarely use battery power so
    it's not an issue for me).

    After my long ramble, 4 questions:

    1. am I correct in my assessment of the situation, do you think?
    2. how could anybody want to use a system that is struggling to update windows
    and such, no matter how much longer it made their batteries last?
    3. is my problem more likely the result of poor/nonexistent graphics
    acceleration which causes the CPU to do graphics work as well as system work,
    thus when the CPU is slowed down, graphics slow down?
    4. how can I turn this damn Powernow thing off?

    Thanks in advance. 

    -- 
Trevor Smith // trevor@haligonian.com
-- 
fedora-list mailing list
fedora-list@redhat.com
To unsubscribe: http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
  • Next message: Alexander Dalloz: "Re: Default FC2 Swap Space"

    Relevant Pages

    • Re: Best bang for my laptop buck ?
      ... Does someone know of a SIMPLE online comparison of the CPU products from a potential user viewpoint? ... I don't need to buy the latest/fastest CPU for my laptop - I'm gonna use it to run ... ... VISTA thing settles down. ... You can certainly make a case for long battery life. ...
      (comp.sys.laptops)
    • Re: Thinking About Laptop Computers (yet) Again
      ... a week or so) to buy a new laptop computer. ... have to drive the display, as is the case with the 855GM and 955GM chipsets. ... Total bag weight is 12 lbs, ... Asus will sell a 90WH battery direct to ...
      (rec.audio.pro)
    • Corporate America (HELL) and Re: Returning Dell Products
      ... I've been a Dell customer for many years, since the days of Pentium 3 ... I had a Toshiba Satellite laptop. ... or more if I carried a spare battery. ... do production support but you don't have a computer at that location ...
      (alt.sys.pc-clone.dell)
    • Re: Urgent! College Students Dead i6000 Battery?
      ... Try it both with the battery installed and with the battery removed. ... There is probably a reset button on the laptop that you probably don't even know about. ... Hard drives sent in with laptops for service sometimes never come back, or they come back "wiped and reset to original factory configuration". ... Remove the battery from the laptop when the laptop is being used in a stationary location on AC power for long times at a stretch. ...
      (alt.sys.pc-clone.dell)
    • Re: Superdrive firmware update 2.1 (archive)
      ... research for my brother's Dell laptop and a replacement drive for it ... > that my battery was available for the replacement program. ... so I let him be a genius. ... There is always a small chance that a firmware upgrade will fail and cause problems. ...
      (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)