# linux on notebook == short battery life...

## phranzee

Hi.

The problem is quite simple: when i run linux on my notebook (dell d800) it consumes more than 20W of power (compared to ~14W while running windows). The cpu scaling is not an issue here. 

I have noticed that it's gpu (nvidia gf4200) heats more when running linux (no beryl, etc.) than in windows.

Is there any way to fix it? I really need help with it.

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## Enverex

What driver are you using for the graphics card?

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## phranzee

 *Enverex wrote:*   

> What driver are you using for the graphics card?

 nvidia 9626. 9629 doesn't support this gpu (?). 

I had this problem with every nvidia driver for few years.

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## esperto

just for curiosity, how do you measure this?  :Shocked: 

ps: great avatar  :Laughing: 

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## phranzee

 *esperto wrote:*   

> just for curiosity, how do you measure this? 

 cat /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/status or something like that  :Wink: 

 *esperto wrote:*   

> ps: great avatar 

 ^^'

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## Enverex

I've heard many things about issues like this even on the Ubuntu forums, it's probably a mix of the not as good power management features mixed with the extra CPU time used due to X-Org's generally inefficient nature. Also, I'd try setting your kernel to 100Hz rather than 1000Hz in the Processor section, apparently 1000Hz uses quite a bit more power due to the CPU never being left alone.

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## phranzee

it's not the cpu that gets hot. it's the _gpu

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## Enverex

What I said had nothing to do with heat.

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## Lubomir

Look at the speed of your gpu and the ram of the gpu. In windows there is the 2d and 3d modus. Maybe your card is running the whole time in the 3d modus (the difference is the higher speed of the gpu that is not needed).

Look what's the minimum speed thats possible under windows. Go 10mhz down and test with 3dmark03 or other benchmark the stability. When its stable go the next 10mhz until the system freeze. Then go again 10mhz up and try the speed in linux with 

http://www.linuxhardware.org/nvclock/

 :Wink: 

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## phranzee

i've already tried this with rivatuner to conserver power under windows, but it made no difference. and... nvclock doesn't run on geforce go  :Razz: 

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## VoVaN

For the new 9631 driver there's additional options in /etc/modules.d/nvidia

```
# If you have a mobile chip, you may need to enable this option

# if you have hard lockups when starting X.

#

# See: Appendix I. Configuring your laptop

# In /usr/share/doc/nvidia-drivers-1.0.9631/README.gz for full details

#

# Choose the appropriate value for NVreg_Mobile from the table:

#        Value          Meaning

#        ----------     --------------------------------------------------

#        0xFFFFFFFF     let the kernel module autodetect the correct value

#        1              Dell laptops

#        2              non-Compal Toshiba laptops

#        3              all other laptops

#        4              Compal Toshiba laptops

#        5              Gateway laptops

#

#options nvidia NVreg_SoftEDIDs=0 NVreg_Mobile=3
```

I don't have a nvidia mobile chip, but I'd advise to check readme for all details, maybe it helps...

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## phranzee

 *VoVaN wrote:*   

> ...

 thanks, i'll try it  :Smile: 

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## VoVaN

 *phranzee wrote:*   

>  *VoVaN wrote:*   ... thanks, i'll try it 

 

Keep us informed...  :Wink: 

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## phranzee

 *VoVaN wrote:*   

> Keep us informed... 

 ok.

right now the discharge rate is about 19~20W (xorg, openbox, idle, hdd spinning), but it's still higher than in windows.

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## aysther

HP nc6400

My discharge rate is about 1500mA... this seems QUITE high. Considering the capacity is about 5000mA

The battery is rated to last 5 hours in this laptop. On linux I get close to 3.

I use laptop_mode, screen dimming, tmpfs on /tmp, swapspace disabled, etc....

Any more ideas?

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