Subject : Re: LUG: Frequency scaling controls in Ubuntu
From : Will Lane <will@jxxtech.[redacted]>
Date : Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:39:28 -0400
Also, you're computer is probably already doing this on its own as well. On my lenovo I can set in BIOS how it scales based on power source (wall adapter vs battery) and see all of the different 'states' my processor can be in (which you can also find in the manufacturer's manual for your processor -- mine is from intel).
Sidenote: Not a bad idea to have a manual of your processor on hand. Its nifty.
On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 12:29 PM, Will Lane < will@jxxtech.[redacted] > wrote:
I used my watt meter and only saw a 2-3 watt diff between 1.2 and 2.0 ghz. On a desktop c2d 4400.
Sent from my iPhoneHey all,
This is something that I forgot to mention last night. If you've ever used Vista on a laptop you will have noticed the power settings; Balanced, Power Saver, and High Performance. On laptops with a processor that supports frequency scaling (the ability to reduce its frequency to save power) then these settings will alter the frequency; for example, with my Core 2 Duo 2.0ghz, Power Saver mode keeps the processor running at 1.0ghz, High Performance keeps it at 2, and Balanced stays at 1 but increases up to 2 depending on the load.
The same thing can be done in Ubuntu, and easily! Just follow the instructions here and you'll be changing frequency in no time:
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/howto-change-cpu-frequency-scaling-in-ubuntu.html
Essentially the Gnome CPU monitor applet can also be used as a frequency selector, and just like in vista it has "Conservative, Ondemand, Performance, Powersave" modes, as well as specific frequency options (in mine, 1 Ghz, 1.33, 1.67, 2).
As a previous Vista user, I was very glad to see this option. Hope you find it useful as well!
-Ricket