# Power recommendations for laptop

## audiodef

Can anyone recommend which sys-power apps to install and run for my laptop? It runs very hot, and I want to be able to keep it from overheating. It will refuse to start if it's too hot, but it would be nice to keep it from getting to that point. 

This is a Gateway M-305CRV. 

cat /proc/cpuinfo:

```

processor   : 0

vendor_id   : GenuineIntel

cpu family   : 15

model      : 2

model name   : Mobile Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.20GHz

stepping   : 9

cpu MHz      : 2191.231

cache size   : 256 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 pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe up pebs bts cid xtpr

bogomips   : 4384.63

clflush size   : 64

power management:

```

lspci:

```

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 01)

00:00.1 System peripheral: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 01)

00:00.3 System peripheral: Intel Corporation 82852/82855 GM/GME/PM/GMV Processor to I/O Controller (rev 01)

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 01)

00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 01)

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)

00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-M) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 03)

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev 83)

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 03)

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801DBM (ICH4-M) IDE Controller (rev 03)

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) SMBus Controller (rev 03)

00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 03)

00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 03)

02:02.0 CardBus bridge: O2 Micro, Inc. OZ601/6912/711E0 CardBus/SmartCardBus Controller

02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB PRO/100 VE (MOB) Ethernet Controller (rev 83)

03:00.0 Network controller: Texas Instruments ACX 111 54Mbps Wireless Interface

```

Let me know what else I should post. Also, anything I should tweak in my kernel config for power management for this laptop.

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## slackline

You could look at your harddisk settings and tweak them using hdparm

Won't solve everything as most of the heat will be coming from the CPU, but it might help a little.

slack

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## Gef

audiodef,

Hi,

I realise that you asked about an app, but anyway, I'd definitely start making a kernel with those settings:

```

CONFIG_X86_ACPI_CPUFREQ=y

CONFIG_CPU_FREQ_GOV_PERFORMANCE=y

CONFIG_CPU_FREQ_GOV_POWERSAVE=y

CONFIG_CPU_FREQ_GOV_USERSPACE=y

CONFIG_CPU_FREQ_GOV_ONDEMAND=y

CONFIG_CPU_FREQ_GOV_CONSERVATIVE=y

CONFIG_CPU_FREQ_DEFAULT_GOV_ONDEMAND=y

```

(if they aren't already set).

You can then use sys-power/cpufrequtils to change on-the-fly the governor for your cpu (and any desktop app that can use cpufrequtils). You will have the option to choose a governor (see above), or a fixed frequency within the supported frequency list of you cpu.

My choice is to have ondemand governor set up as default in kernel, and this in /etc/apci/default.sh :

```

ac_adapter)

                case "$value" in

                        # Add code here to handle when the system is unplugged

                        # (maybe change cpu scaling to powersave mode).  For

                        # multicore systems, make sure you set powersave mode

                        # for each core!

                        *0)

                                cpufreq-set -g powersave

                                ;;

                        # Add code here to handle when the system is plugged in

                        # (maybe change cpu scaling to performance mode).  For

                        # multicore systems, make sure you set performance mode

                        # for each core!

                        *1)

                                cpufreq-set -g ondemand

                                ;;

                        *)      log_unhandled $* ;;

                esac

                ;;

```

About the governors : http://www.redhat.com/docs/wp/performancetuning/powermanagement/governor_types.html

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## alatar

You can possibly find a lot of recommendations and applications due to powersafe technologies here

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## Gef

And here : Gentoo.org : Power Management Guide

(Some details may not be relevant/up-to-date).

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