Bug 35988

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the original launchpad bug is at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-ati/+bug/488152

FWIW, I'm using this card:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV630 [Radeon HD 2600 Series]
Under Debian's 2.6.38-2-amd64, and the temperature is currently 74°C according to the "sensors" command, and the card is nearly too hot to touch. I've never tried the proprietary driver.

Xavier - do the dynamic or profile-based power management settings work for you?  This bug is about those settings not working.

If I understand things correctly, a hot GPU is to be expected when using the open-source driver without these settings.

Please see the power management section on this page to configure a lower power state:
http://wiki.x.org/wiki/RadeonFeature

Alex,

I read that page (didn't know it had something more useful than the progress table, thanks), and did a subsequent:
echo low >/sys/class/drm/card0/device/power_profile

Now it looks like my pc has deadlocked. I didn't get a prompt after that command, and all network connexions are stuck. I'll reboot it when I'm back home (the pc is at home, I'm at work), but in the meantime it means no more mails for me (it's also my mail server). I'll try to follow the bugzilla in the remaining time.

(In reply to comment #3)
> Xavier - do the dynamic or profile-based power management settings work for
> you?  This bug is about those settings not working.
> 
> If I understand things correctly, a hot GPU is to be expected when using the
> open-source driver without these settings.

$ lspci | grep ATI
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc M93 [Mobility Radeon HD 4500 Series]

This is an HP 4720s notebook. I have tried both "dynpm" and "low" settings, and while it does not lock up, it still runs hot - 60+ degrees, fan constantly on high.

Mine is a HP 4710s, with the same video card as Alexey's.

Soory, forgot to mention that I am the reporter of the launchpad bug, and I experience the computer running hot too.

I have the same card on DELL Studio 15". I wouldn't say that power management does not work. I'm using "profile" method with "low" setting. After about ~20 mins of uptime this is the "sensors" output:

acpitz-virtual-0
Adapter: Virtual device
temp1:       +57.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C)                  
temp2:       +58.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C)                  
temp3:       +65.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C)                  

coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 0:      +53.0°C  (high = +90.0°C, crit = +90.0°C)  

coretemp-isa-0001
Adapter: ISA adapter
Core 1:      +55.0°C  (high = +90.0°C, crit = +90.0°C)  

radeon-pci-0100
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:       +69.0°C      

# cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/radeon_pm_info
default engine clock: 500000 kHz
current engine clock: 219370 kHz
default memory clock: 800000 kHz
current memory clock: 299250 kHz
voltage: 900 mV
PCIE lanes: 16
                            

With "mid" setting temp goes beyond 70° C, and sometimes I experience GPU lockup when playing with heavy graphics (e.g. Flightgear simulator):

[ 4357.360138] radeon 0000:01:00.0: GPU lockup CP stall for more than 10000msec
[ 4357.360189] GPU lockup (waiting for 0x0007476B last fence id 0x0007476A)

Radeon pm feature are just not enough aggressive. With fglrx driver radeon-pci-0100 temp stays well below 60° C and fan doesn't run all the time.

Unfortunately Radeon driver isn't really usable for me on my laptop, but thank you for improving it. Fglrx driver isn't really an alternative for me.

(running radeon from git commit e8d0d437957b15252dfad775796a3949ed50dbcf Tue Jul 12 11:43:25 2011 -0400)

I have same problem with my Acer 4810TG notebook. The average temperature - is 70 degrees C. With proprietary driver - the temperature is 35-40 degrees C.

#lspci -nn| grep VGA
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: ATI Technologies Inc M92 LP [Mobility Radeon HD 4300 Series] [1002:9552]

#uname -a
Linux 3.3.4-4.fc17.x86_64

#cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/radeon_pm_info
default engine clock: 450000 kHz
current engine clock: 299530 kHz
default memory clock: 600000 kHz
current memory clock: 299250 kHz
voltage: 900 mV
PCIE lanes: 16


I'd tried to use dynpm and profile (low) options, but it doesn't help me.

I am willing to help with testing of the solution. A lot of people complain about the heat when using the open driver that causes them to use the proprietary driver.

Fix released downstream.