Setting CPU to performance mode

[finotti]

I am trying to set up all my CPU cores to performance mode at boot.

I've installed cpufrequtils and have set up /etc/init.d/cpufrequtils as (note GOVERNOR)

Code Select Expand


#!/bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:       cpufrequtils
# Required-Start: $remote_fs loadcpufreq
# Required-Stop:
# Default-Start:  2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:
# Short-Description: set CPUFreq kernel parameters
# Description: utilities to deal with CPUFreq Linux
#       kernel support
### END INIT INFO
#

DESC="CPUFreq Utilities"

PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
CPUFREQ_SET=/usr/bin/cpufreq-set
CPUFREQ_INFO=/usr/bin/cpufreq-info
CPUFREQ_OPTIONS=""

# use lsb-base
. /lib/lsb/init-functions

# Which governor to use. Must be one of the governors listed in:
#   cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_available_governors
#
# and which limits to set. Both MIN_SPEED and MAX_SPEED must be values
# listed in:
#   cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_available_frequencies
# a value of 0 for any of the two variables will disabling the use of
# that limit variable.
#
# WARNING: the correct kernel module must already be loaded or compiled in.
#
# Set ENABLE to "true" to let the script run at boot time.
#
# eg:   ENABLE="true"
#       GOVERNOR="ondemand"
#       MAX_SPEED=1000
#       MIN_SPEED=500

ENABLE="true"
#GOVERNOR="ondemand"
GOVERNOR="performance"
MAX_SPEED="0"
MIN_SPEED="0"

check_governor_avail() {
        info="/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_available_governors"
        if [ -f $info ] && grep -q "\<$GOVERNOR\>" $info ; then
                return 0;
        fi
        return 1;
}

[ -x $CPUFREQ_SET ] || exit 0

if [ -f /etc/default/cpufrequtils ] ; then
        . /etc/default/cpufrequtils
fi

# if not enabled then exit gracefully
[ "$ENABLE" = "true" ] || exit 0

if [ -n "$MAX_SPEED" ] && [ $MAX_SPEED != "0" ] ; then
        CPUFREQ_OPTIONS="$CPUFREQ_OPTIONS --max $MAX_SPEED"
fi

if [ -n "$MIN_SPEED" ] && [ $MIN_SPEED != "0" ] ; then
        CPUFREQ_OPTIONS="$CPUFREQ_OPTIONS --min $MIN_SPEED"
fi

if [ -n "$GOVERNOR" ] ; then
        CPUFREQ_OPTIONS="$CPUFREQ_OPTIONS --governor $GOVERNOR"
fi

CPUS=$(cat /proc/stat|sed -ne 's/^cpu\([[:digit:]]\+\).*/\1/p')
RETVAL=0
case "$1" in
        start|force-reload|restart|reload)
                log_action_begin_msg "$DESC: Setting $GOVERNOR CPUFreq governor"
                if check_governor_avail ; then
                        for cpu in $CPUS ; do
                                log_action_cont_msg "CPU${cpu}"
                                $CPUFREQ_SET --cpu $cpu $CPUFREQ_OPTIONS 2>&1 > /dev/null || \
                                        RETVAL=$?
                        done
                        log_action_end_msg $RETVAL ""
                else
                        log_action_cont_msg "disabled, governor not available"
                        log_action_end_msg $RETVAL
                fi
                ;;
        stop)
                ;;
        *)
                echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|reload|force-reload}"
                exit 1
esac

exit 0


It seems that the governor was changed at boot:

Code Select Expand


# service cpufrequtils status
● cpufrequtils.service - LSB: set CPUFreq kernel parameters
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/init.d/cpufrequtils; generated)
     Active: active (exited) since Fri 2025-03-21 08:18:51 EDT; 13min ago
Invocation: a2f6ec03da2e4525949e64454acabed8
       Docs: man:systemd-sysv-generator(8)
    Process: 1098 ExecStart=/etc/init.d/cpufrequtils start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
   Mem peak: 2.1M
        CPU: 8ms

Mar 21 08:18:51 debian systemd[1]: Starting cpufrequtils.service - LSB: set CPUFreq kernel parameters...
Mar 21 08:18:51 debian cpufrequtils[1098]: CPUFreq Utilities: Setting performance CPUFreq governor...CPU0...CPU1...CPU2...CPU3...CP>
Mar 21 08:18:51 debian systemd[1]: Started cpufrequtils.service - LSB: set CPUFreq kernel parameters.


But as soon as I log in, even in a virtual terminal, it is changed to "powersave".

Code Select Expand


# cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave
powersave


I also tried a script to manually change the governor on boot, which ran successfully, but it was also reverted to powersave every time.  (But if I run it after login, it seems to stick.)

Does anyone have any idea what is changing the governor to powersave?

Some info about the system:

Code Select Expand


$ inxi -v3
System:
  Host: debian Kernel: 6.13.7-1-siduction-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    compiler: gcc v: 14.2.0
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.3.2 Distro: siduction 2024.1.0 shine-on - kde -
    (202412261719) base: Debian GNU/Linux trixie/sid
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: ASUS product: N/A v: N/A serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: ASUSTeK model: TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI v: Rev 1.xx
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: 0237
    date: 09/20/2024
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Mouse B330/M330/M331
    charge: 55% (should be ignored) status: discharging
CPU:
  Info: 8-core model: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: N/A rev: 0
    cache: L1: 640 KiB L2: 8 MiB L3: 32 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2991 min/max: 600/5581 boost: enabled cores: 1: 2991
    2: 2991 3: 2991 4: 2991 5: 2991 6: 2991 7: 2991 8: 2991 9: 2991 10: 2991
    11: 2991 12: 2991 13: 2991 14: 2991 15: 2991 16: 2991 bogomips: 121364
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm
Graphics:
  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Navi 23 [Radeon RX 6600/6600
    XT/6600M] vendor: ASRock driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: RDNA-2
    bus-ID: 03:00.0
  Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Granite Ridge [Radeon Graphics]
    vendor: ASUSTeK driver: amdgpu v: kernel bus-ID: 0e:00.0 temp: 26.0 C
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.16 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.6 driver: X:
    loaded: amdgpu unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,radeon,vesa dri: radeonsi
    gpu: amdgpu resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: amd mesa v: 25.0.2-1 glx-v: 1.4
    direct-render: yes renderer: AMD Radeon RX 6600 (radeonsi navi23 LLVM
    19.1.7 DRM 3.61 6.13.7-1-siduction-amd64)
  Info: Tools: api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
    de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor gpu: amdgpu_top wl: wayland-info
    x11: xdriinfo, xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE vendor: ASUSTeK driver: r8169 v: kernel
    port: e000 bus-ID: 0a:00.0
  IF: eno1 state: down mac: 60:cf:84:cc:9d:90
  Device-2: MEDIATEK vendor: AzureWave driver: mt7925e v: kernel port: N/A
    bus-ID: 0b:00.0
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: c0:bf:be:70:10:58
  IF-ID-1: tailscale0 state: unknown speed: -1 duplex: full mac: N/A
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 3.64 TiB used: 45.6 GiB (1.2%)
Info:
  Memory: total: 60 GiB note: est. available: 60.48 GiB used: 5.15 GiB (8.5%)
  Processes: 493 Uptime: 17m Init: systemd
  Packages: 4264 Compilers: gcc: 14.2.0 Shell: Bash v: 5.2.37 inxi: 3.3.37


[whistler_mb]

Regardless of the name, the governor powersave lets the CPU decide on the frequency.

Maybe it's just a naming problem

Code Select Expand

cpufreq-info
cpufrequtils 008: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2009
Report errors and bugs to cpufreq@vger.kernel.org, please.
analyzing CPU 0:
  driver: amd-pstate-epp
  CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 0
  CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 0
  maximum transition latency: 4294.55 ms.
  hardware limits: 400 MHz - 4.45 GHz
  available cpufreq governors: powersave
  current policy: frequency should be within 2.38 GHz and 4.45 GHz.
                  The governor "powersave" may decide which speed to use
                  within this range.
  current CPU frequency is 2.38 GHz.


[finotti]

Thanks for the reply!

I don't think that "performance" and "powersave" are the same: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/cpu-freq/governors.txt

It's recommended to set the governor to "performance" for recording music, as any small interruption can cause artifacts with the recording in real time.  (See, for instance, https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/system_configuration#cpu_frequency_scaling.)