no freq scaling according to dev.cpu

[dinth]

Hey. I'm concerned about no frequency scalling and high CPU usage according to /sbin/sysctl dev.cpu on my system.
My pfsense is running on Dell R210II equiped with Xeon CPU.

Here's what dev.cpu shows:

[2.4.5-RELEASE][root@pfSense.wickhay]/root: /sbin/sysctl dev.cpu
dev.cpu.7.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.7.cx_usage_counters: 20642913 0 0
dev.cpu.7.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 27191us
dev.cpu.7.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.7.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.7.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.7.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.7.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU7
dev.cpu.7.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.7.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.6.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.6.cx_usage_counters: 25328489 0 0
dev.cpu.6.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 1160us
dev.cpu.6.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.6.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.6.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.6.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.6.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU6
dev.cpu.6.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.6.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.5.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.5.cx_usage_counters: 20176614 0 0
dev.cpu.5.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 15737us
dev.cpu.5.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.5.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.5.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.5.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.5.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU5
dev.cpu.5.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.5.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.4.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.4.cx_usage_counters: 25851891 0 0
dev.cpu.4.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 33885us
dev.cpu.4.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.4.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.4.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.4.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.4.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU4
dev.cpu.4.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.4.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.3.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.3.cx_usage_counters: 19359732 0 0
dev.cpu.3.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 7966us
dev.cpu.3.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.3.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.3.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.3.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.3.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU3
dev.cpu.3.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.3.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.2.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.2.cx_usage_counters: 240662877 0 0
dev.cpu.2.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 93us
dev.cpu.2.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.2.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.2.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.2.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.2.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU2
dev.cpu.2.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.2.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.1.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.1.cx_usage_counters: 16771522 0 0
dev.cpu.1.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 29356us
dev.cpu.1.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.1.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.1.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.1.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.1.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU1
dev.cpu.1.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.1.%desc: ACPI CPU
dev.cpu.0.cx_method: C1/mwait/hwc C2/mwait/hwc C3/mwait/hwc
dev.cpu.0.cx_usage_counters: 257581367 0 0
dev.cpu.0.cx_usage: 100.00% 0.00% 0.00% last 455us
dev.cpu.0.cx_lowest: C1
dev.cpu.0.cx_supported: C1/1/1 C2/2/59 C3/3/80
dev.cpu.0.freq_levels: 3401/69000 3400/69000 3300/66169 3100/60660 3000/57982 2900/55354 2800/52787 2600/47776 2500/45344 2400/42959 2200/38341 2100/36098 2000/33902 1900/31751 1700/28156 1600/26134
dev.cpu.0.freq: 3400
dev.cpu.0.%parent: acpi0
dev.cpu.0.%pnpinfo: _HID=none _UID=0
dev.cpu.0.%location: handle=\_PR_.CPU0
dev.cpu.0.%driver: cpu
dev.cpu.0.%desc: ACPI CPU

Especially those lines:

dev.cpu.0.freq_levels: 3401/69000 3400/69000 3300/66169 3100/60660 3000/57982 2900/55354 2800/52787 2600/47776 2500/45344 2400/42959 2200/38341 2100/36098 2000/33902 1900/31751 1700/28156 1600/26134
dev.cpu.0.freq: 3400

Seems that lower frequencies are available, but are not used, dev.cpu.0.freq stays at 3400, even if CPU utilization oscillates around 1-2%. What ccan i do to achieve the best power saving with pfsense?

[fireodo]

@dinth

Hi,

have you activated power management in extended system settings? If yes are they on hi-adaptive? If also yes try to go to adaptive.

Regards,
fireodo

[stephenw10]

Yeah you need to enable powerd to see the Speedstep freqs used.

Though in reality modern CPUs don't save much by using P-states. The savings from C-states are much larger in my experience. It all helps though.

Steve