Saving Power on a Linux Laptop - Chris Titus Tech
video description
I was wondering if there's a way I can be confident I'm turning off the dedicated GPU when not needed and using the iGPU.
If it helps, i'm using the Mesa open source drivers (those are the ones I selected during the instalation anyway)
In the video (and other videos) there's a tray icon with the NVIDIA logo that can be used to turn off the NVIDIA GPU and switch to the Intel iGPU, but obviously I don't have an NVIDIA tray icon because I don't have an NVIDIA GPU (or an Intel one).
Thanks!
Date: 2022-03-21
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Comments and reviews: 9
Jan
Great video! It's really great!
At the beginning I was a bit sceptical about that. I had a fair amount of issues with TLP etc (probably because of not configuring it right).
However, I can confirm that auto-cpufreq is a game changer for me! My Linux laptop now works as it should!
Before installation my CPU (i5-8265U) freq were locked at 1600 MHz with 'powersave' governor doesn't matter if connected or not. I had no idea why wouldn't it go down on idle. I've never found answer for that.
But now, after installing auto-cpufreq as daemon my freqs scale properly down to 400MHz on battery and the governor switches to performance on AC.
BTW. I had to switch off intel_pstates in grub (as mentioned in auto-cpufreq troubleshooting guide on its github).
With that, not even my battery and temps are better but also performance while on AC.
I'm wondering why that level of CPU power management is not a part of kernel?
reply
Great video! It's really great!
At the beginning I was a bit sceptical about that. I had a fair amount of issues with TLP etc (probably because of not configuring it right).
However, I can confirm that auto-cpufreq is a game changer for me! My Linux laptop now works as it should!
Before installation my CPU (i5-8265U) freq were locked at 1600 MHz with 'powersave' governor doesn't matter if connected or not. I had no idea why wouldn't it go down on idle. I've never found answer for that.
But now, after installing auto-cpufreq as daemon my freqs scale properly down to 400MHz on battery and the governor switches to performance on AC.
BTW. I had to switch off intel_pstates in grub (as mentioned in auto-cpufreq troubleshooting guide on its github).
With that, not even my battery and temps are better but also performance while on AC.
I'm wondering why that level of CPU power management is not a part of kernel?
reply
FeelingShred
anyone with Ryzen APU out there? I'm noticing that my Ryzen never goes below 41 C degrees on idle, while it does cool down to 35 C on Windows 10. Besides cpufreq, is there another tool that I can use to monitor frequencies in real-time with more accuracy? Or even monitor the Watts Power that is being drawn by the CPU in real time? That would help me diagnose if the CPU is able to idle into C-States or not (do these even exist on Linux side of things?)
It's intriguing to me because my previous laptop had intel cpu, and I got same idle temps on windows and linux.
reply
anyone with Ryzen APU out there? I'm noticing that my Ryzen never goes below 41 C degrees on idle, while it does cool down to 35 C on Windows 10. Besides cpufreq, is there another tool that I can use to monitor frequencies in real-time with more accuracy? Or even monitor the Watts Power that is being drawn by the CPU in real time? That would help me diagnose if the CPU is able to idle into C-States or not (do these even exist on Linux side of things?)
It's intriguing to me because my previous laptop had intel cpu, and I got same idle temps on windows and linux.
reply
Aditya
I have MSI modern 15 and i tried fedora 34 on laptop.
Issue 1 - Battery indicator is delayed and not updating state of charging when i plug or unplug the charger (this is the case on many distros and many laptops)
Issue 2 - random screen brightness change when i restart the upower service or whenever upower updates battery information
Please make video on this issue
Great videos!!
reply
I have MSI modern 15 and i tried fedora 34 on laptop.
Issue 1 - Battery indicator is delayed and not updating state of charging when i plug or unplug the charger (this is the case on many distros and many laptops)
Issue 2 - random screen brightness change when i restart the upower service or whenever upower updates battery information
Please make video on this issue
Great videos!!
reply
FeelingShred
Another problem that I just noticed on Linux a few weeks ago:
Seems like the system does not switch back after you unplug power cable out of the power outlet (AC Adapter, charger) After I unplug the cable and plug it back, I noticed my Ryzen APU seems to be locked down in -battery save- mode which results in a lot of stuttering on the desktop and internet browser for example
reply
Another problem that I just noticed on Linux a few weeks ago:
Seems like the system does not switch back after you unplug power cable out of the power outlet (AC Adapter, charger) After I unplug the cable and plug it back, I noticed my Ryzen APU seems to be locked down in -battery save- mode which results in a lot of stuttering on the desktop and internet browser for example
reply
Airgeddon1337
Thank you, Chris! I never knew about this. I've been using TLP since the first time I've moved from Windows to Linux to save power.
I believe Linux can change the world! When Linux is at the level of Windows of hardware and software support, that's the day that Windows will no longer be needed by anyone.
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Thank you, Chris! I never knew about this. I've been using TLP since the first time I've moved from Windows to Linux to save power.
I believe Linux can change the world! When Linux is at the level of Windows of hardware and software support, that's the day that Windows will no longer be needed by anyone.
reply
itech
Absolutely BS, i never checked how efficient my laptop is, but i get at least 4 hours on my ubuntu without any changes to default config and the spec for my laptop states 5 hour battery. I am sure its possible to make it get much more battery life but to say -linux is power hungry- is absolute BS clickbait
reply
Absolutely BS, i never checked how efficient my laptop is, but i get at least 4 hours on my ubuntu without any changes to default config and the spec for my laptop states 5 hour battery. I am sure its possible to make it get much more battery life but to say -linux is power hungry- is absolute BS clickbait
reply
FeelingShred
4:40 ok that's a bit dangerous too...
Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure (specially in the case of these recently released Ryzen APU chips on the market...) if you can use your CPU locked down in Powersave Mode for prolonged periods of time like that without causing damage
reply
4:40 ok that's a bit dangerous too...
Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure (specially in the case of these recently released Ryzen APU chips on the market...) if you can use your CPU locked down in Powersave Mode for prolonged periods of time like that without causing damage
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Xperience
For me Windows 11 is using more ram while using 40% more battery compared to Zorin OS 16 wich is using around 30% less ram than Windows. CPU and GPU are around the same most of the time. Windows even a little more hungry occasionally when running windows things in the background.
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For me Windows 11 is using more ram while using 40% more battery compared to Zorin OS 16 wich is using around 30% less ram than Windows. CPU and GPU are around the same most of the time. Windows even a little more hungry occasionally when running windows things in the background.
reply
Gold
Helo chris
please make a video on decreasing cpu and ram and heat on linux laptop, specially when playing videos on browsers or on laptop ..
hardware acceleration and such things ..
with easy solutions for non experts.
Thank you
reply
Helo chris
please make a video on decreasing cpu and ram and heat on linux laptop, specially when playing videos on browsers or on laptop ..
hardware acceleration and such things ..
with easy solutions for non experts.
Thank you
reply
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