# Cpu speed problem

## mimo

Hey all..

I have a 2Ghz Intel Mobil laptop, but it only runs at 1.2 Ghz, i have set the right settings in my bios.. what can i do to make et run at 2 Ghz ?

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## magnet

how do you check the clock's speed ?

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## mimo

with cat /proc/cpuinfo

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## qnx

Anything you set in BIOS perhaps???

Also, there's an kernel option under General->Power Managment->ACPI->Thermal Zone but I can hardly think that it's causing your problem - you have to compile it into you kernel to get it working (if it works at all - there are known problems with ACPI under Linux...  :Sad:  ) and set it up propetly. So I should be something in your BIOS.

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## mimo

i have tried all of the options in my bios, and non of them makes any diffents. Its still run at the same speed. I have compiled all of the options in acpi in to my kernel..

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## qnx

Hmm..perhaps try without ACPI, only APM? But I'm not sure, I don't want to burn your CPU. But AFAIK the fans are controled by BIOS and not the OS (what would happen if your CPU already is hot on boot up and it loads OS without the cpufan on?). So perhaps, without that Thermal Zone. Try it..

Something else: have you tried running in Windows?? How does it work there?

Other Linux distros?? Same results?? Does it only happen in Gentoo??

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## mimo

in windows under system.. it says it runs with 756 mhz  :Neutral: 

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## qnx

Right..then you see..conclusion (which perhaps dissappoints you) it's not linux' fault! I really don't know how to help you since I have almost no experience at all with laptops  :Sad:  But the BIOS is the only thing I can think of.

Or, perhaps you've been swindled when you bought your laptop   :Rolling Eyes:  ?

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## mimo

i have just removed all support for acpid that didnt help at all. Only diffents is that my fan runs at max all the time.. 

her is the print out of my cat /proc/cpuinfo 

mimo root # cat /proc/cpuinfo

processor       : 0

vendor_id       : GenuineIntel

cpu family      : 15

model           : 2

model name      : Mobile Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 - M CPU 2.00GHz

stepping        : 7

cpu MHz         : 1195.584

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 pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm

bogomips        : 2385.51

so i dont they have swindled my.. then they have to give the cpu a diffent name.. and can that be done ?!... this sux  :Sad: 

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## nicodache

Don't forget Intel mobile processeur have a "feature" named StepSpeed, which consist in reduce CPU speed when on battery...

If you didi check cpu speed when on battery and that your cpu un StepSpeed capable, it is not impossible that is due to StepSpeed.

Try again with the laptop in the 220v current (or 110, depending on your country)  :Wink: 

ps : I'm not sure it is due to StepSpeed, but it might be an explanation...

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## mimo

i try with it plugin and on batteri... its the same speed i get..

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## mimo

ACPI: Processor [CPU0] (supports C1 C2 C3, 2 performance states, 8 throttling states)

is it not possible to chance to another throttling states ?! cant it be that it stuk in one of them.. but i dont know to chance it

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## magnet

on 2.5 series kernel ( I looked on 2.5.65-mm3 ) there is an option called cpufreq that allow you to set your cpu clock , maybe this could help.

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## mimo

are the 2.5 series not very unstable or is it ok.. for a desktop machine

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## magnet

I use a 2.5.65-mm3 on my laptop it's very stable.

don t worry about it.

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## jlg

does your system show the cpu speed before booting the OS? If so what does it show there?

also in your bios do you have any options to change the speed of your memory bus?  this acts as a multiplier making your final cpu speed. In the old days we had to do that with jumpers on the motherboard and calculate the multipliers when assembling a system.

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## mimo

its laptop pc... so jumpers on a motherboard, is a no no  :Smile: , i have tried diffent settings in my bios, and they all give the same result. And it shows the 2 ghz when i boot up... 

i'll the the 2.5.. kernel and see if that helps..

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## pilla

try the wolk-sources or other with the CPUFREQ patches.

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## jlg

well if it shows up at 2Ghz when booting then its definetly not a bios setting. It probably has to do with that intel energy saving thing... 

I'm curious.. lets say you make your laptop do lots of cpu intensive stuff like compiling then does the values in /proc/cpuinfo  change? I'm just throwing this out of the blue..

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## qnx

I'm with jgl. Try emerging something and see if it changes then? Perhaps it doensn't run at full frequency when it's not necessary just to safe batteries??

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## mimo

i have tried runing seti, compiled, taking the netpower away.. nothing happes to the Ghz it runs at 1.2 Ghz allways.. i'm trying to flush the bios with the one they have on there website, to se if that helps..

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## jlg

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> i'm trying to flush the bios with the one they have on there website, to se if that helps..
> 
> 

 

I would be very suprised if that changed anything since your system already show's up at 2Ghz  before loading the OS.

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## mimo

could be that the apic system in the bios, did work in the version i have...

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## deathdruid

 *mimo wrote:*   

> i try with it plugin and on batteri... its the same speed i get..

 

How did you test this? /proc/cpuinfo is only updated when you boot up -- if you were not using A/C at boot, but plugged it in later, the CPU will now run at normal speed, but /proc/cpuinfo will still show the slower speed. So please confirm that you are looking at /proc/cpuinfo after booting with the power cord connected.

Similarly, if your CPU automatically runs at lower speed when not under load, /proc/cpuinfo will not be able to tell you when it goes back up to the higher speed, say during compiles or SETI.

Get the cpufreq pathes working; you can then diagnose the problem better, and perhaps solve it. If you cannot get the patches working, then write a small test program (while loop iterating a few million/billion times). Run it while using the battery and then when the laptop is plugged in. See a difference?

-Rahul

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## mb4guns

I own a p3 mobile also stepspeed, 2.5 dev kernels I use on it allow me to use the full 1 ghz....

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## mimo

thx for all the help guys, but it helped with a bios updated, so know i got all my 2 Ghz wuuhooo  :Smile:  :Smile: 

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