Arch Linux

tpolich

Member

Registered: 2009-08-07

Posts: 44

CPU scalling issue

I have an old PC that I am using as a server that has an old Pentium 2 in it. I have been trying to get cpu scaling working on it. Every time I try cpufreq-info I get

analyzing CPU 0:
  no or unknown cpufreq driver is active on this CPU
  maximum transition latency: 0.00 ms.

I have tried the acpi-cpufreq, p4-clockmod, speedstep-ich, speedstep-lib, and speedstep-smi modules. Some just give the "No such device" error and others work but still give no results in cpufreq-info.

If someone could point me in the right direction I would be really grateful.

I have included my /proc/cpuinfo

[root@basement-server tim]# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
cpu family      : 6
model           : 5
model name      : Pentium II (Deschutes)
stepping        : 2
cpu MHz         : 397.344
cache size      : 512 KB
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 2
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pse36 mmx fxsr up
bogomips        : 795.80
clflush size    : 32
cache_alignment : 32
address sizes   : 36 bits physical, 32 bits virtual
power management:

graysky

Wiki Maintainer

From: :wq

Registered: 2008-12-01

Posts: 10,597

Website

Re: CPU scalling issue

...does this hardware even support scaling?  Might be that you need a depreciated kernel module that isn't in the standard arch kernel to do it.  You could try compiling your own kernel; look in the APCI options for that.

http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=32877

Last edited by graysky (2010-06-03 00:14:45)

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tpolich

Member

Registered: 2009-08-07

Posts: 44

Re: CPU scalling issue

I am pretty sure it does. At least from what I found on Intel's website.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will take a look at it.

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: CPU scalling issue

I am pretty sure it does. At least from what I found on Intel's website.

Do you have a link for that? Because as far as I know, the first processor that does freq scaling is Pentium4-M (yes, the M variant, the desktop one only does clock modulation).

stqn

Member

Registered: 2010-03-19

Posts: 1,191

Website

Re: CPU scalling issue

I'd say if one is going to work, it's probably p4-clockmod. That was the only one that worked when I hadn't yet patched speedstep-centrino to work on my pentium-m.

Wintervenom

Member

Registered: 2008-08-20

Posts: 1,011

Re: CPU scalling issue

I'd say if one is going to work, it's probably p4-clockmod. That was the only one that worked when I hadn't yet patched speedstep-centrino to work on my pentium-m.

p4-clockmod is NOT true CPU frequency scaling, it just forces the CPU to idle on a periodic duty cycle and has no effect on CPU frequency.  The clock modulation feature is basically just engaging the same mechanism the CPU uses to reduce heat output when it gets too hot, and which is not meant as a power saving mechanism.  When engaged, it does reduce heat output and power usage, but not as much as it reduces system performance, and means the system will simply take longer to return to idle.  In short, using p4-clockmod can only increase power usage in any real workload.

Last edited by Wintervenom (2010-06-03 23:03:39)

Anikom15

Banned

From: United States

Registered: 2009-04-30

Posts: 836

Website

Re: CPU scalling issue

Pentium II doesn't have CPU scaling, I'm pretty sure that's a recent innovation.

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