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The Real Need For Nouveau Power Management

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  • The Real Need For Nouveau Power Management

    Phoronix: The Real Need For Nouveau Power Management

    We have already published a look at the Fedora 13 Beta, delivered ATI Radeon benchmarks atop Fedora 13 Beta, and have other articles on the way covering this new Fedora release, while in this article we are investigating Nouveau's power performance using this newest Fedora release. If you are a mobile user planning to use the Nouveau stack right now, or you care the least bit about energy savings with your desktop, its power consumption alone may rule this open-source driver out as even a current possibility.

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    Well, that sucks (for now).

    I've been going through the paces of the Fedora 13 test week for the Nouveau driver, and have been quite pleased with what I have been seeing so far. I did notice my laptop being a bit warmer, but I just thought that was because I am testing from the live beta DVD.

    But you know what? When Fedora 13 comes out, I will probably stick with the Nouveau driver anyway, as by then maybe some more improvements will have been made, and I can always file bug reports, right?

    Besides, this driver will only get better over time, I'm sure. The more that people use it, the quicker that day will come.

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    • #3
      Well, nouveau power management seems to be landed on Linux until kernel 2.6.34. I am waiting for it.

      My desktop 8600GT is still running at maximum performance mode if I turn on compiz. Does it burn more power than turnning off compiz using metacity?

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      • #4
        Originally posted by liangsuilong View Post
        My desktop 8600GT is still running at maximum performance mode if I turn on compiz. Does it burn more power than turnning off compiz using metacity?
        That's a bit odd. First, as far as I know, the desktop 8600GT variant doesn't have multiple power states (by default). Second, compiz doesn't create any noticeable GPU load if it isn't rendering effects.
        You shouldn't see an elevated power state most of the time, and certainly not if your system is idling.

        Maybe you have broken plugins enabled that cause permanent CPU/GPU load?

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        • #5
          Nice article. Just wanted to make it very clear that this isn't a regression as far as free drivers are concerned. VESA doesn't implement power management, and neither does nv. No F/OSS NVIDIA driver has ever done power management; only the proprietary driver does.

          I hope we'll be able to get some power management in for F14, that'd be nice.

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          • #6
            Maybe you should have added a link to this page to your article: http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/EmilVelikov
            @Phoronix: What about an interview with this guy on the state of pm and the remaining issues?

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