# cpufrequtils working -- sort of

## rev138

I have a Pentium D 2.8GHz system that I've installed cpufrequtils on, and built support into the kernel.

At boot, the system says this:

```

ACPI: Processor [CPU1] (supports 16 throttling states)

ACPI: Processor [CPU2] (supports 16 throttling states)

```

However, when I start cpufrequtils, using the "ondemand" governor, it only throttles my CPU to 2.4GHz. I've confirmed that this is the lowest frequency it can handle:

```

burley ~ # cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_available_frequencies

2800000 2400000

```

The dmesg output leads me to believe that this processor can step down 16 increments, but the software only reports 2 possibilities.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

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## rev138

Anyone?

Could my BIOS be the limiting factor?

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## nerdbert

Maybe those 16 steps are between 2.4 and 2.8. Not a big range, but lots of freedom in between  :Wink: 

Apart from lame jokes from my side: It should go down to around 2.0. Maybe you've missed something in the kernel .config like CONFIG_X86_ACPI_CPUFREQ?

What does cpufreq-info say? Should be something like this:

```

  hardware limits: 800 MHz - 1.60 GHz

  available frequency steps: 1.60 GHz, 1.33 GHz, 1.07 GHz, 800 MHz

```

----------

## rev138

```

burley ~ # cpufreq-info

cpufrequtils 005: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2006

Report errors and bugs to cpufreq@vger.kernel.org, please.

analyzing CPU 0:

  driver: acpi-cpufreq

  CPUs which need to switch frequency at the same time: 0

  hardware limits: 2.40 GHz - 2.80 GHz

  available frequency steps: 2.80 GHz, 2.40 GHz

  available cpufreq governors: ondemand, performance

  current policy: frequency should be within 2.40 GHz and 2.80 GHz.

                  The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use

                  within this range.

  current CPU frequency is 2.40 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).

analyzing CPU 1:

  driver: acpi-cpufreq

  CPUs which need to switch frequency at the same time: 1

  hardware limits: 2.40 GHz - 2.80 GHz

  available frequency steps: 2.80 GHz, 2.40 GHz

  available cpufreq governors: ondemand, performance

  current policy: frequency should be within 2.40 GHz and 2.80 GHz.

                  The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use

                  within this range.

  current CPU frequency is 2.40 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).

```

----------

## disi

I was wondering myself, why I can't scale my AMD like my Pentium4.

The Pentium4 allows you to scale between 325MHz and 2600MHz (which is amazing)

The AMD X2 4600+ allows me to scale between 1000MHz and 2400MHz (which is kind of OK)

----------

## rev138

I installed an ubuntu kernel on this system, and it still only scales down to 2.4 GHz. I guess that's just the way it is.

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## nerdbert

Just one random thought/guess: Maybe the ACPI tables are just wrong. At least this would explain why Ubuntu behaves the same way. 

So if you really care you could try to update the BIOS.

And if you really, really want to make sure you could put the CPU on a different motherboard   :Wink: 

On the other hand I just read that the minimal multiplier (is that the correct term in English?) of the Pentium D is 12, which would totally match your values. FSB 800 means 200 MHz bus speed. 200x12=2400.

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## rev138

 *nerdbert wrote:*   

> So if you really care you could try to update the BIOS.

 

It's running the latest available BIOS version.

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## Cyker

 *rev138 wrote:*   

> At boot, the system says this:
> 
> ```
> 
> ACPI: Processor [CPU1] (supports 16 throttling states)
> ...

 

Mine says 8 states but my CPU only has 5.

I think this is more proof that ACPI operates in a completely different dimension to us normal 4D entities  :Razz: 

----------

## nerdbert

 *Cyker wrote:*   

> 
> 
> I think this is more proof that ACPI operates in a completely different dimension to us normal 4D entities 

 

Very well said   :Very Happy: 

Just because the BIOS is up to date doesn't mean it isn't at fault. But like I said some reading convinced me that the supported range is between 2.4 and 2.8. Let's wait for someone who knows better and let's assume in the meantime that it's just the way it is   :Wink: 

----------

## disi

I guess it is related to the kernel version.

I used the Gentoo-sources 2.6.25 before on the pentium 4 with p4_clockmod module and was able to scale between 325MHz and 2.6 GHz smoothless.

Now that I use the 2.6.18 openvz sources I can scale the same CPU with the same BIOS settings only between 2.2 GHz and 2.6 GHz

With P-State drivers or without and all the translation libs options or not in the kernel, it's all the same. I'll try to install the 2.6.20 openvz test sources this evening and see if there is any change... after work  :Sad: 

//edit: Linux 2.6.24-ovz006 (i686) - everything back to normal 325MHz to 2.6 GHz after kernelupgrade

----------

## Autie

My freq can't be changed anymore, kinda odd:

```
cpufreq-info

cpufrequtils 005: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2006

Report errors and bugs to cpufreq@vger.kernel.org, please.

analyzing CPU 0:

  driver: acpi-cpufreq

  CPUs which need to switch frequency at the same time: 0

  hardware limits: 2.00 GHz - 2.50 GHz

  available frequency steps: 2.50 GHz, 2.33 GHz, 2.00 GHz

  available cpufreq governors: conservative, userspace, powersave, ondemand, performance

  current policy: frequency should be within 2.00 GHz and 2.00 GHz.

                  The governor "powersave" may decide which speed to use

                  within this range.

  current CPU frequency is 2.00 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).

  cpufreq stats: 2.50 GHz:0,03%, 2.33 GHz:0,00%, 2.00 GHz:99,97%  (9)

analyzing CPU 1:

  driver: acpi-cpufreq

  CPUs which need to switch frequency at the same time: 1

  hardware limits: 2.00 GHz - 2.50 GHz

  available frequency steps: 2.50 GHz, 2.33 GHz, 2.00 GHz

  available cpufreq governors: conservative, userspace, powersave, ondemand, performance

  current policy: frequency should be within 2.00 GHz and 2.00 GHz.

                  The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use

                  within this range.

  current CPU frequency is 2.00 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).

  cpufreq stats: 2.50 GHz:0,01%, 2.33 GHz:0,00%, 2.00 GHz:99,99%  (13)

analyzing CPU 2:

  driver: acpi-cpufreq

  CPUs which need to switch frequency at the same time: 2

  hardware limits: 2.00 GHz - 2.50 GHz

  available frequency steps: 2.50 GHz, 2.33 GHz, 2.00 GHz

  available cpufreq governors: conservative, userspace, powersave, ondemand, performance

  current policy: frequency should be within 2.00 GHz and 2.00 GHz.

                  The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use

                  within this range.

  current CPU frequency is 2.00 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).

  cpufreq stats: 2.50 GHz:0,01%, 2.33 GHz:0,00%, 2.00 GHz:99,99%  (10)

analyzing CPU 3:

  driver: acpi-cpufreq

  CPUs which need to switch frequency at the same time: 3

  hardware limits: 2.00 GHz - 2.50 GHz

  available frequency steps: 2.50 GHz, 2.33 GHz, 2.00 GHz

  available cpufreq governors: conservative, userspace, powersave, ondemand, performance

  current policy: frequency should be within 2.00 GHz and 2.00 GHz.

                  The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use

                  within this range.

  current CPU frequency is 2.00 GHz (asserted by call to hardware).

  cpufreq stats: 2.50 GHz:0,01%, 2.33 GHz:0,00%, 2.00 GHz:99,99%  (10)

```

As you see, current cpu freq is set between 2.00 and 2.00....

Is there a place i can change those values?

----------

## disi

This should do it:

```
$ cpufreq-set

At least one parameter out of -f/--freq, -d/--min, -u/--max, and

-g/--governor must be passed
```

----------

## drescherjm

 *disi wrote:*   

> I was wondering myself, why I can't scale my AMD like my Pentium4.
> 
> The Pentium4 allows you to scale between 325MHz and 2600MHz (which is amazing)
> 
> The AMD X2 4600+ allows me to scale between 1000MHz and 2400MHz (which is kind of OK)

 

It's getting worse my Opteron 285 has 5 p-states while my my core2 quad 9550 only has 3. 2.0GHz, 2.4GHz, 2.83GHz. And 3 voltages 1.05V, 1.1V, and 1.15V

Maybe it does not matter much though.

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## drescherjm

 *Quote:*   

> Linux 2.6.24-ovz006

 

I have been using that for months without problems. On my home machine I moved up to 2.6.26 openvz since November with a few (3 to 5 each) 2.6.24 and 2.6.26 openvz kernels at work. Both are quite stable. However the 2.6.27 openvz version is not yet stable for me.

BTW, I am just grabbing the git versions now because the released versions happen much slower than the openvz patches. Although since both 2.6.24 and 2.6.26 are stable (I do not mean gentoo stable because no bug reports have been created in a month, I mean 24/7 bug free on multiple machines), I guess this is not necessary now.

----------

