About Powersave Tweaks Conversation

Issues & Assistance Newbies
1

Hello Garuda community... Im not "New" or "Newbie" in the linux world but when i started looking for the "perfect" system i choose Garuda as my base for this "perfect" system.

So i came across something that actually confuse me a little bit it looks "simple" but as what i mention before im looking for the "perfect" system as possible on low-end "AMD" laptop...

What im asking here is not an real "Issue" but an "Assistance" by providing your opinion and feedback about the "Powersave Tweaks" with the packages and services "Garuda Assistant" provides...

For example and really what makes me open this "conversation" is those packages:

  • Power-profiles-daemon
  • Auto-cpufreq
  • Thermald
  • Or maybe something else ??!

Intel-undervolt not included because im using AMD Cpu.

I read about these packages but really i want a real feedback from someone using them or someone just know how they work with real PRACTICAL use to get the "best?" performance without destroying the battery life.

And last thing... before someone send "Arch Wiki" link please consider give some opinion or kind of recommended option for my hardware.

System:
  Kernel: 6.2.8-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.1
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=ade973e4-0704-4da1-b261-3d2889e3b6ce rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet systemd.show_status=auto rd.udev.log_priority=3
    vt.global_cursor_default=0
    resume=UUID=6cc7eeee-95bc-4b8a-8052-6f918c00c926 loglevel=3
    mitigations=off pcie_aspm=force ibt=off
  Desktop: GNOME v: 43.3 tk: GTK v: 3.24.37 wm: gnome-shell dm: GDM v: 43.0
    Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: HP product: HP 255 G6 Notebook PC
    v: Type1ProductConfigId serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: HP model: 8330 v: 27.35 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: Insyde
    v: F.53 date: 06/19/2020
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 22.0 Wh (76.7%) condition: 28.7/31.1 Wh (92.5%)
    volts: 12.4 min: 10.9 model: Hewlett-Packard PABAS0241231 type: Li-ion
    serial: <filter> status: charging
CPU:
  Info: model: AMD A6-9225 RADEON R4 5 COMPUTE CORES 2C+3G bits: 64 type: MCP
    arch: Excavator level: v3 note: check built: 2015 process: GF 28nm
    family: 0x15 (21) model-id: 0x70 (112) stepping: 0 microcode: 0x6006705
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 192 KiB
    desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x64 KiB L2: 2 MiB desc: 2x1024 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1296 high: 1297 min/max: 1300/2600 boost: enabled
    scaling: driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: schedutil cores: 1: 1295 2: 1297
    bogomips: 10381
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Stoney [Radeon R2/R3/R4/R5 Graphics] vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: GCN-3 code: Volcanic Islands
    process: TSMC 28nm built: 2014-19 ports: active: DP-1,eDP-1
    empty: HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 00:01.0 chip-ID: 1002:98e4 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.8
    compositor: gnome-shell driver: X: loaded: amdgpu
    unloaded: modesetting,radeon alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: radeonsi
    gpu: amdgpu display-ID: :1 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 2646x1024 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 700x271mm (27.56x10.67")
    s-diag: 751mm (29.55")
  Monitor-1: DP-1 mapped: DisplayPort-0 pos: primary,right
    model: AG Neovo F-419 serial: <filter> built: 2006 res: 1280x1024 dpi: 86
    gamma: 1.2 size: 376x301mm (14.8x11.85") diag: 476mm (18.8") ratio: 5:4
    modes: max: 1280x1024 min: 640x350
  Monitor-2: eDP-1 mapped: eDP pos: left model: BOE Display 0x06a5
    built: 2015 res: 1366x768 hz: 60 dpi: 101 gamma: 1.2
    size: 344x194mm (13.54x7.64") diag: 395mm (15.5") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 1366x768 min: 640x480
  API: OpenGL Message: Unable to show GL data. Required tool glxinfo
    missing.
Audio:
  Device-1: AMD vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    bus-ID: 1-1.1:4 chip-ID: 0d8c:0012 bus-ID: 00:01.1 chip-ID: 1002:15b3
    class-ID: 0300 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 15h Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:09.2 chip-ID: 1022:157a
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: C-Media USB Audio Device type: USB
    driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid
  Sound API: ALSA v: k6.2.8-zen1-1-zen running: yes
  Sound Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 running: no
  Sound Server-2: PipeWire v: 0.3.67 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168NGW [Stone Peak] driver: iwlwifi
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 02:00.0
    chip-ID: 8086:24fb class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 447.13 GiB used: 90.8 GiB (20.3%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: A-Data model: SU630 size: 447.13 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: SSD
    serial: <filter> rev: 7A0 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 308.53 GiB size: 308.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 6.05 GiB (2.0%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 600 MiB size: 598.8 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 608 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 308.53 GiB size: 308.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 6.05 GiB (2.0%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 308.53 GiB size: 308.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 6.05 GiB (2.0%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 308.53 GiB size: 308.53 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 6.05 GiB (2.0%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 11.16 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: 100
    dev: /dev/zram0
  ID-2: swap-2 type: partition size: 1 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2
    dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 60.1 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 60.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 214 Uptime: 4h 3m wakeups: 3 Memory: 11.16 GiB
  used: 2.62 GiB (23.5%) Init: systemd v: 253 default: graphical
  tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.1 Packages: 1116 pm: pacman pkgs: 1110
  libs: 334 tools: pamac,paru pm: flatpak pkgs: 6 Shell: fish v: 3.6.0
  default: Bash v: 5.1.16 running-in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.3.25
Garuda (2.6.16-1):
  System install date:     2023-03-24
  Last full system update: 2023-03-24
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager dracut
  Windows dual boot:       No/Undetected
  Failed units:
2

The packages are fine, they do what they are meant to do and they work well enough. That is why they were included in the Powersave Tweaks bundle in the first place.

I would suggest placing less value on the opinions of others, and focus more on testing the tools for yourself to come up with your own conclusions. Everyone here is using different hardware, so the same tool can work really well for one person and be less effective for another.

Since you are using AMD, I would also investigate using the P-state driver, which can enable very significant power savings. It has been discussed here in this forum, for example here: Discussing Linux kernels for Garuda Linux - #6 by Austin

See also this lengthy discussion from another forum: How to use AMD P-State in Linux - Kernel, boot, graphics & hardware - EndeavourOS

The ArchWiki is arguably the best source for Linux documentation of all time. Typically when someone links to an article, it is because it contains useful information relevant to whatever you are trying to learn about.

If you are interpreting linking to the wiki as dismissive or condescending, I will suggest you are misreading the practice. It is usually meant to be helpful.

6 Likes
3

Garuda's tools are intuitive so that the user just clicks and starts using them, for example Thermal PowerSave are kernel modules I understand.

If you want more efficiency for your laptop that you said has an AMD processor, I recommend that you compile a kernel on a multi-core machine with AMD-specific hardware and better consumption.

But for that you have to read the documentation and know what to touch and what not to touch in the kernel but the least you should do is put AMD Processor instead of the generic one and see the power options.

4

First thing i really appreciate your reply thank you, I was confused about the fact that you cant install them in the same time so “what they do ?” i read about them in arch wiki and understand why and how they work, and i was using “TLP” before… however i agree with “HARDWARE DIFFERENT” thing so i asked about practical use for these tools…

I know you cant tell anything from people opinions but still its like pointing me to the direction…

For P-state driver i will check it and really again i appreciate your effort & time writing this reply.

The “ArchWiki” indeed the best source for linux in general and arch to be specific… But if you read my message again i dont mean “DONT SEND” just consider give recommended that can point me to the right direction.

5

Thanks for replying but i really think you miss what im looking for. :sweat_smile:

6

I find what i was looking for, i will mark this as solution.

7

Please describe your solution for the benefit of others, then mark the solution.

3 Likes
8

As you mention before you need to do your own tests to decide whats the perfect solution for your hardware.

For me im using low-end HP laptop (HP 255 G6 Notebook) With (AMD A6-9225) CPU With (RADEON R4).

I Start by removing power-profiles-daemon that comes pre-installed with gnome edition and replaced it with auto-cpufreq... And keep in mind that thermald & intel-undervolt does not work with AMD chips.

Then i installed linux-lts and start using it instead of linux-zen not becuase i had any issue with it but just linux-lts give more stability and reliability for the laptop.

I did not configure anything just auto-cpufreq works good out of the box.

And i removed unused services & packages from the laptop.

Last thing AMD P-State work only with "zen based" (Zen 2 and newer) cpus. So im using the default acpi_cpufreq.

2 Likes
9

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