Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

bigidea · 2025-07-08 03:33:09

Preface: I've been using Arch for a couple years on a fairly old laptop that hasn't given me any issues, so I'm new to both Nvidia on Linux and posting here. I wouldn't know where to begin posting logs and the like, so please feel free to ask for whatever is needed.

I did a fresh install on an inherited Acer Aspire R with an Nvidia GeForce 940MX today. I've been installing different drivers and the like trying to figure out how to get the card going. KDE System Info says it is currently using "Intel HD Graphics 620 [Integrated]". The whole system is taking more time to 1. boot up and 2. launch programs than I thought it would. It's not a super modern PC, but not a slow one, based on what I know (which, granted, isn't a ton).

I'd love a hand in diagnosing one or both of these. Again, if there's a good starting point for logs or outputs to share, just lmk. Thanks in advance!

seth · 2025-07-08 06:48:13

I wouldn't know where to begin posting logs and the like, so please feel free to ask for whatever is needed.

Please post your complete system journal for the boot:

sudo journalctl -b | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

for a global oversight.

Nvidia GeForce 940MX

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA (it's a Maxwell chip)

KDE System Info says it is currently using "Intel HD Graphics 620 [Integrated]".

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA_Optimus - but that's usually fine and very unlikely the cause of

The whole system is taking more time to 1. boot up and 2. launch programs than I thought it would.

bigidea · 2025-07-08 14:40:40

http://0x0.st/8G3r.txt

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA (it's a Maxwell chip)

I do have the nvidia driver specified for the Maxwell chip installed. I'm following those steps as I can. It's slow going, a lot of the language goes over my head haha

Edit: I'm not sure what was different between my attempt to set them up this time vs. the last, but KDE Info Center now lists "Graphics Processor 1: NVIDIA GeForce 940MX [discrete]" and "Graphics Processor 2: Intel HD Graphics 620 [integrated]," so that's a win. The slowness is definitely still present, and I'm unsure how it decides which is being used a the moment (I've read you have to specify when launching a program for it to use the GPU. I'd love for that not to be the case).

Last edited by bigidea (2025-07-08 14:52:38)

seth · 2025-07-08 16:29:59

I do have the nvidia driver specified for the Maxwell chip installed.

Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: nvidia: loading out-of-tree module taints kernel.
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: nvidia: module verification failed: signature and/or required key missing - tainting kernel
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: nvidia-nvlink: Nvlink Core is being initialized, major device number 240
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: nvidia 0000:01:00.0: enabling device (0506 -> 0507)
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: NVRM: The NVIDIA GPU 0000:01:00.0 (PCI ID: 10de:134d)
                                    NVRM: nvidia.ko because it does not include the required GPU
                                    NVRM: www.nvidia.com.
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: nvidia 0000:01:00.0: probe with driver nvidia failed with error -1
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: NVRM: The NVIDIA probe routine failed for 1 device(s).
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: NVRM: None of the NVIDIA devices were initialized.
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: nvidia-nvlink: Unregistered Nvlink Core, major device number 240
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: nvidia-nvlink: Nvlink Core is being initialized, major device number 240
Jul 07 20:12:23 archghostII kernel: NVRM: The NVIDIA GPU 0000:01:00.0 (PCI ID: 10de:134d)
                                    NVRM: nvidia.ko because it does not include the required GPU
                                    NVRM: www.nvidia.com.

pacman -Qs nvidia

resp.

Edit: I'm not sure what was different between my attempt to set them up this time vs. the last

please post an updated journal.
Also please post the output of

find /etc/systemd -type l -exec test -f {} \; -print | awk -F'/' '{ printf ("%-40s | %s\n", $(NF-0), $(NF-1)) }' | sort -f

and

systemd-analyze critical-chain

but right off the bat, disable the iwd.service and see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … et_on_boot resp. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … Fi_backend if you actually want to use iwd instead of wpa_supplicant to provide the wifi carrier.

bigidea · 2025-07-08 18:45:33

http://0x0.st/8G6A.txt

this is after removing the iwd.service:

dbus-org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher.service | system
dbus-org.freedesktop.timesync1.service   | system
display-manager.service                  | system
fstrim.timer                             | timers.target.wants
getty@tty1.service                       | getty.target.wants
NetworkManager.service                   | multi-user.target.wants
NetworkManager-wait-online.service       | network-online.target.wants
nvidia-hibernate.service                 | systemd-hibernate.service.wants
nvidia-resume.service                    | systemd-hibernate.service.wants
nvidia-resume.service                    | systemd-suspend.service.wants
nvidia-resume.service                    | systemd-suspend-then-hibernate.service.wants
nvidia-suspend.service                   | systemd-suspend.service.wants
p11-kit-server.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-pulse.socket                    | sockets.target.wants
pipewire-session-manager.service         | user
pipewire.socket                          | sockets.target.wants
remote-fs.target                         | multi-user.target.wants
systemd-timesyncd.service                | sysinit.target.wants
systemd-userdbd.socket                   | sockets.target.wants
wireplumber.service                      | pipewire.service.wants
xdg-user-dirs-update.service             | default.target.wants

graphical.target @14.280s
└─sddm.service @14.277s
  └─systemd-user-sessions.service @14.215s +54ms
    └─network.target @14.207s
      └─wpa_supplicant.service @13.933s +267ms
        └─basic.target @12.102s
          └─dbus-broker.service @11.399s +693ms
            └─dbus.socket @11.326s
              └─sysinit.target @11.325s
                └─systemd-update-utmp.service @11.287s +37ms
                  └─systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service @10.749s +528ms
                    └─local-fs.target @10.726s
                      └─home.mount @10.347s +376ms
                        └─systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-12b83df7\x2de7bb\x2d4617\x2d9e18\x2dd11ab88e653e.service @9.830s +516ms
                          └─dev-disk-by\x2duuid-12b83df7\x2de7bb\x2d4617\x2d9e18\x2dd11ab88e653e.device @9.827s

but right off the bat, disable the iwd.service and see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … et_on_boot resp. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Networ … Fi_backend if you actually want to use iwd instead of wpa_supplicant to provide the wifi carrier.

Got it. What does "resp." mean in this context?

seth · 2025-07-08 20:29:52

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respectively

this is after removing the iwd.service:

Not in the journal you posted.

seth wrote:

pacman -Qs nvidia

cause

Jul 08 07:44:42 archghostII kernel: NVRM: The NVIDIA GPU 0000:01:00.0 (PCI ID: 10de:134d)
                                    NVRM: installed in this system is not supported by open
                                    NVRM: nvidia.ko because it does not include the required GPU
                                    NVRM: System Processor (GSP).
                                    NVRM: Please see the 'Open Linux Kernel Modules' and 'GSP
                                    NVRM: Firmware' sections in the driver README, available on
                                    NVRM: the Linux graphics driver download page at
                                    NVRM: www.nvidia.com.

Replase nvidia-open w/ nvidia and post an updated journal - the latest one has you still waiting > 10s for the wifi, but that (no longer) fits the critical chain

You're (still) spending

bigidea · 2025-07-09 02:46:57

Just rebooted, all up to date:

New Journal:
http://0x0.st/8GU5.txt

Seth wrote:

Not in the journal you posted.

This is the output of

systemctl status iwd

○ iwd.service - Wireless service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/iwd.service; disabled; preset: disabled)
     Active: inactive (dead)
       Docs: man:iwd(8)
             man:iwd.config(5)
             man:iwd.network(5)
             man:iwd.ap(5)

Is there another way to disable it? Again, new to some of this, could be missing something

seth wrote:

pacman -Qs nvidia

local/egl-gbm 1.1.2.1-1
    The GBM EGL external platform library
local/egl-wayland 4:1.1.19-1
    EGLStream-based Wayland external platform
local/egl-x11 1.0.2-1
    NVIDIA XLib and XCB EGL Platform Library
local/libvdpau 1.5-3
    Nvidia VDPAU library
local/linux-firmware-nvidia 20250627-1
    Firmware files for Linux - Firmware for NVIDIA GPUs and SoCs
local/nouveau-fw 340.108-1
    This package provides video & pgraph firmwares for all NVIDIA chipsets that
    need them
local/nvidia 575.64.03-2
    NVIDIA kernel modules
local/nvidia-utils 575.64.03-1
    NVIDIA drivers utilities
local/vulkan-nouveau 1:25.1.5-1
    Open-source Vulkan driver for Nvidia GPUs
local/xf86-video-nouveau 1.0.18-1 (xorg-drivers)
    Open Source 3D acceleration driver for nVidia cards

Seth wrote:

Replase nvidia-open w/ nvidia and post an updated journal - the latest one has you still waiting > 10s for the wifi, but that (no longer) fits the critical chain

I don't have the nvidia-open package installed currently, is there somewhere else I need to remove mention of it?

New critical chain just in case:

graphical.target @20.444s
└─sddm.service @20.438s
  └─systemd-user-sessions.service @20.372s +55ms
    └─network.target @20.370s
      └─wpa_supplicant.service @19.245s +1.120s
        └─basic.target @13.766s
          └─dbus-broker.service @12.884s +875ms
            └─dbus.socket @12.791s
              └─sysinit.target @12.789s
                └─systemd-update-utmp.service @12.739s +49ms
                  └─systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service @12.207s +518ms
                    └─local-fs.target @12.188s
                      └─home.mount @11.875s +312ms
                        └─systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-12b83df7\x2de7bb\x2d4617\x2d9e18\x2dd11ab88e653e.service @11.491s +378ms
                          └─dev-disk-by\x2duuid-12b83df7\x2de7bb\x2d4617\x2d9e18\x2dd11ab88e653e.device @11.488s

seth · 2025-07-09 05:43:34

Jul 08 19:10:01 archghostII kernel: NVRM: The NVIDIA GPU 0000:01:00.0 (PCI ID: 10de:134d)
                                    NVRM: installed in this system is not supported by open
                                    NVRM: nvidia.ko because it does not include the required GPU
                                    NVRM: System Processor (GSP).
                                    NVRM: Please see the 'Open Linux Kernel Modules' and 'GSP
                                    NVRM: Firmware' sections in the driver README, available on
                                    NVRM: the Linux graphics driver download page at
                                    NVRM: www.nvidia.com.

rebuild the initramfs?
Also remove vulkan-nouveau and xf86-video-nouveau

Jul 08 19:10:01 archghostII systemd-journald[279]: Time spent on flushing to /var/log/journal/53581e7faa3946559857e7ce0db68503 is 3.667238s for 904 entries.
Jul 08 19:10:01 archghostII systemd-journald[279]: System Journal (/var/log/journal/53581e7faa3946559857e7ce0db68503) is 40M, max 4G, 3.9G free.
Jul 08 19:10:07 archghostII systemd-journald[279]: Received client request to flush runtime journal.
Jul 08 19:10:07 archghostII kernel: nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
Jul 08 19:10:07 archghostII kernel: Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint

flushing the journal takes a considerable amount of time, other than that there not massive stalls, the system just moves at glacial speed.

sudo cpupower frequency-info

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Improv … itigations (but I don't think it would have *that* much of an impact)

Might also be the disk… https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Benchmarking#dd

bigidea · 2025-07-09 17:31:33

Just rebuilt initramfs and removed those packages.

seth wrote:

Might also be the disk… https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Benchmarking#dd

I ran the test here and this does seem quite slow, especially compared to tests I'm running on my other machines.

1024+0 records in
1024+0 records out
1073741824 bytes (1.1 GB, 1.0 GiB) copied, 10.5214 s, 102 MB/s

The previous owner just informed me the computer's got M.2 drives over SATA3, which could explain.

seth wrote:

sudo cpupower frequency-info

analyzing CPU 2:
  driver: intel_pstate
  CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 2
  CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 2
  energy performance preference: balance_performance
  hardware limits: 400 MHz - 3.50 GHz
  available cpufreq governors: performance powersave
  current policy: frequency should be within 400 MHz and 3.50 GHz.
                  The governor "powersave" may decide which speed to use
                  within this range.
  current CPU frequency: 600 MHz (asserted by call to kernel)
  boost state support:
    Supported: yes
    Active: yes

seth · 2025-07-10 13:50:45

100MB/s is not slow enough to explain the slow boot.
Does the CPU clock up if you https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Stress_testing#stress it a bit?

Last edited by seth (2025-07-10 13:51:01)

Arch Linux

#1 2025-07-08 03:33:09

Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#2 2025-07-08 06:48:13

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#3 2025-07-08 14:40:40

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#4 2025-07-08 16:29:59

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#5 2025-07-08 18:45:33

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#6 2025-07-08 20:29:52

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#7 2025-07-09 02:46:57

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#8 2025-07-09 05:43:34

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#9 2025-07-09 17:31:33

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

#10 2025-07-10 13:50:45

Re: Fresh Arch Install Running Slow + Nvidia Issues

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