Gnome 3 Ati Fan always on

Question

Hello I am using Ubuntu 11.10 with Gnome 3 installed. I have issues with the fan (I know that there are many threads about this but nothing has worked).

I am using Dell Studio XPS 1640 running core2duo 2.67Gz intel processor and Ati radeon hd (mobility) 4670. If you need anymore specs, please let me know.

I just installed Ubuntu again trying to get everything sorted out. I then imediately updated:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

And then I install gnome 3

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell

Then I DID NOT install the proprietary drivers provided by ATI because I know that they are incredibly unstable with Gnome 3 (plus a ton of errors that I lived with on Unity for about 2 months including screen tearing, half the screen doesn't draw/update and lots of crashes).

The ui is smooth and fast with the open source ati drivers (installed when Ubuntu was installed). I then tried to reduce the fan by installing Jupiter:

sudo apt-get install jupiter

And CPU freq

sudo apt-get install indicator-cpufreq

And running sensors:

sudo apt-get install lm-sensors
sudo sensors-detect

I also read that I was suppose to run fancontrol

sudo pwmconfig
sudo fancontrol

However running pwnconfig gives me this output

/usr/sbin/pwmconfig: There are no pwm-capable sensor modules installed

So naturally fancontrol doesnt work.

After this, the fan is always on. I set the pc to powersaving mode and still always has the fan on. Typing sensors in terminal gives me this output

acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:        +56.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C)
temp2:        +46.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C)
temp3:        +60.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C)

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 0:       +51.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)
Core 1:       +51.0°C  (high = +105.0°C, crit = +105.0°C)

radeon-pci-0100
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:        +61.0°C

Which my radeon temperature is always around 60 (even cold boot). I go to my Windows 7 partition and the fan dies down quickly. I boot back to Ubuntu from shutdown and once the login screen comes up, the fan is on and loud (even if the laptop was cold from external temperatures). Also there is no option in bios to limit the fan speeds.

Furthermore, I have also done the steps listed on this webpage: http://javacolors.blogspot.com/2011/10/ubuntu-1110-ati-radeon-deal.html

Is there any other methods without installing the ati proprietary drivers to solve this fan solution?

Solution

I'd struggled with this problem during two weeks. I'm using desktop and ati 5770.

Opensource 'radeon' driver has some power management feature via adjusting gpu clock, but it didn't works very well.

Here is good article about radeon and fglrx power management.

The Current State Of Radeon Power Management

This is my alias for opensource radeon power management.

# radeon gpu power management
alias profilepm='sudo bash -c "echo profile > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_method"'
alias auto='profilepm && sudo bash -c "echo auto > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_profile"'
alias low='profilepm && sudo bash -c "echo low > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_profile"'
alias mid='profilepm && sudo bash -c "echo mid > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_profile"'
alias high='profilepm && sudo bash -c "echo high > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_profile"'
alias dynpm='sudo bash -c "echo dynpm > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_method"'
alias gpu="sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/radeon_pm_info /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_method"

First select default method.

• profilepm for manual clock setting
• dynpm for ondemand clock setting. But it just change between mid and high. Never going to low. At least to me.

If you select profilepm, select clock manually.

• low
• mid
• high
• auto

I never tried auto. But sounds like good for laptop.

Quote from X.org radeon wiki article,

"auto" selects between "mid" and "high" power states based on the whether the system is on battery power or not. The "low" power state are selected when the monitors are in the dpms off state.

Use 'gpu' command show current method and clock.

All about these settings are from here,

KMS Power Management Options

I used to 'low' in 11.10 but little bit sluggish when many firefox tabs and windows open. After jump to 12.04, I'm using unity and 'fglrx-updates' driver. It works quite well.

If you good with these settings, save them for reboot.

Install sysfsutils package then add rule to /etc/sysfs.conf file.

class/drm/card0/device/power_method = (profile or dynpm)
class/drm/card0/device/power_profile = (select between auto, low, mid, high if u choose 'profile' method)

You can remove second line If u select 'dynpm'

Comments

[user654628]

I tried from the ati website and it killed the ui (random graphic glitches everywhere) as well as screen tearing and slow down (dragging windows) feels as if it was rendering with software.

[user654628]

I just installed Catalyst 12.2 and now gnome 3 is flashing. Also the boot menu is screwed up (looks strange)

[crackout12]

You need to purge any previous installs of the fglrx propietary driver, before any other fglrx install. Let me find some commands to purge the installation and I will post it as answer ;)

[user654628]

I can't use them, it would slow down the ui so bad that it looks like it is rendering from software. Scrolling screen tears and dragging windows is slow and chunky. The fan does lower but the open source drivers are much smoother.

[user654628]

I did this and reverted, sure the fan was not loud but it was very very laggy (the interface). Other issues (probably the graphics card) is that when plugging in my second monitor it doesnt update some of my 2nd screen (it think it has one monitor even though there are two) and a bunch of other issues.

[user654628]

After following these steps and steps from here: wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/… this by updating the open source drivers to keep the fan lower. It doesn't turn off the fan but it is a solution that would give me a usable UI (vs installing from ati's site and gives me a laggy and screen tearing mess)

[Patryk]

As of now (14.04) you cannot edit /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_method: echo profile > /sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_method -bash: echo: write error: Invalid argument

[Mondane]

When you become superuser with sudo su, it still works.