Showing incorrect frequencies

[sygint]

I'm seeing incorrect CPU frequencies when I run sudo auto-cpufreq --stats after setting up the auto-cpuqfreq.service in systemd.

System information:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Linux distro: Arch Linux
Linux kernel: 5.15.2-arch1-1
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10875H CPU @ 2.30GHz
Cores: 16
Architecture: x86_64
Driver: intel_pstate

------------------------------ Current CPU stats ------------------------------

CPU max frequency: 2300 MHz
CPU min frequency: 800 MHz

Core    Usage   Temperature Frequency
CPU0:     0.0%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU1:     2.0%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU2:     5.9%     42 °C     2300 MHz
CPU3:     1.0%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU4:     1.0%     40 °C     2300 MHz
CPU5:     0.0%     40 °C     2300 MHz
CPU6:     1.0%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU7:     2.0%     40 °C     2300 MHz
CPU8:     0.0%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU9:     1.0%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU10:    3.0%     42 °C      800 MHz
CPU11:   13.2%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU12:    2.0%     40 °C      800 MHz
CPU13:    1.0%     40 °C     2300 MHz
CPU14:    2.0%     41 °C     2300 MHz
CPU15:    2.0%     40 °C     2300 MHz

auto-cpufreq version:
Version         : 1.7.2-1

Python: 3.9.7
psutil package: 5.8.0
platform package: 1.0.8
click package: 8.0.3
distro package 1.6.0

Computer type: Notebook
Battery is: discharging

auto-cpufreq system resource consumption:
cpu usage: 0.0 %
memory use: 0.03 %

Total CPU usage: 2.1 %
Total system load: 0.96
Average temp. of all cores: 40.75 °C

Currently using: powersave governor
Currently turbo boost is: off

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---

however, here is what sudo cpupower monitor is showing me:

    | Nehalem                   || Mperf              || Idle_Stats
 CPU| C3   | C6   | PC3  | PC6   || C0   | Cx   | Freq  || POLL | C1_A | C2_A | C3_A
   0|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  1.19| 98.81|   824||  0.00|  0.15|  3.59| 95.11
   8|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  1.21| 98.79|   815||  0.00|  0.10|  0.50| 98.25
   1|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  2.72| 97.28|   840||  0.00|  1.61|  2.55| 93.14
   9|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  1.13| 98.87|   813||  0.00|  0.00|  0.04| 98.88
   2|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  1.28| 98.72|   805||  0.00|  0.12|  3.16| 95.47
  10|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  0.37| 99.63|   828||  0.00|  0.01|  0.34| 99.30
   3|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  3.64| 96.36|   831||  0.00|  0.27|  3.15| 93.01
  11|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  1.52| 98.48|   819||  0.00|  8.37|  4.01| 86.22
   4|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  0.55| 99.45|   813||  0.00|  0.07|  0.82| 98.58
  12|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  7.89| 92.11|   828||  0.00|  0.07|  2.71| 89.40
   5|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  2.69| 97.31|   825||  0.00|  0.01|  1.92| 95.49
  13|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  0.29| 99.71|   824||  0.00|  0.00|  0.18| 99.54
   6|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  1.70| 98.30|   825||  0.00|  0.00|  0.11| 98.24
  14|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  0.42| 99.58|   821||  0.00|  0.00|  0.00| 99.59
   7|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  2.33| 97.67|   810||  0.00|  0.00|  0.63| 97.06
  15|  0.00|  0.00| 59.87|  0.00||  0.03| 99.97|  1014||  0.00|  0.00|  0.00| 99.97

While this is totally no big deal and this awesome software is working exactly as expected. I'd hate for you to get contact from people thinking it isn't work because of this incorrect readout. So I figured I'd at least bring it up in case it was not known.

[mhalano]

I have a same-but-worse case. It shows 2.3Ghz but my processor just support 1.8GHz

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Linux distro: Ubuntu 21.10 (Impish Indri)
Linux kernel: 5.15.4-051504-generic
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10510U CPU @ 1.80GHz
Cores: 8
Architecture: x86_64
Driver: intel_pstate

------------------------------ Current CPU stats ------------------------------

CPU max frequency: 1800 MHz
CPU min frequency: 400 MHz

Core    Usage   Temperature Frequency
CPU0:    11.2%     46 °C     2300 MHz
CPU1:     6.1%     47 °C     2300 MHz
CPU2:     2.1%     47 °C     2300 MHz
CPU3:     8.1%     47 °C     2300 MHz
CPU4:     5.1%     46 °C     2300 MHz
CPU5:     9.2%     47 °C     2300 MHz
CPU6:    10.2%     47 °C     1800 MHz
CPU7:     7.0%     47 °C     2300 MHz

---------------------------- CPU frequency scaling ----------------------------

Battery is: charging

Setting to use: "performance" governor

Total CPU usage: 5.7 %
Total system load: 0.77
Average temp. of all cores: 46.75 °C

Load optimal
setting turbo boost: off

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[AdnanHodzic]

@SYGINT thanks. I'm also having hard time making out what cpupower outputs. Can you help me out, and what exactly is the problem?

@mhalano I think you're looking at this wrong, and that's the beauty of auto-cpufreq. Your CPU base frequency is 1.8GHz, while your CPU can go up to 4.90GHz on turbo.

If you refer to my demo of auto-cpufreq on Youtube, you'll see that while my CPU base frequency is 1.8GHz, auto-cpufreq helps it go all the way up to 4.6GHz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkYRpVEEIlg

[mhalano]

@AdnanHodzic So I don't know what is wrong. I disabled Turbo Boost (which, I think, is responsible for increase frequency beyond max limit) via config file /etc/auto-cpufreq.conf (set the option as "never" as showed below) and via system with echo 1 |sudo tee /sys/devices/system/cpu/intel_pstate/no_turbo. But auto-cpufreq --stats keep showing the turbo boost active sometimes. The idea is not pass 1.8GHz. I also think even with low load the turbo boost is actived and high load is indicated. Can I set how much load is too much load, like a fine grain control?

[woolmonkey]

I get the same it always shows 2800 all cores even at no load. But cpupower shows lower frequencies. And considering my labtop isn't overly hot I think the 2800 from auto-cpufreq --stats is wrong. I have had this happen on fedora and Pop_os but from what I can remember Arch showed correctly.

[AdnanHodzic]

Just released v1.9.2 which adds ability to change power governor used by default with auto-cpufreq from balanced to performance using power_helper.py script. Curious to hear if you still have same problem if you switch to performance governor?

[AdnanHodzic]

Closing the issue due to inactivity.