Weird CPU speed

[Octopuss]

I have pfSense installed on one of the miniPC boxes running Intel N100, but the system is reporting weird CPU speed:

It's also not doing anything, the actual CPU load is 1%. I even set the Speed Shift slider all the way to energy efficiency, but it made no difference at all....
Shall I start digging in the BIOS, or is this perhaps pfSense related bug?

[stephenw10]

Almost certainly something BIOS is passing. Is it actually using speedshift? Try setting it disabled and see if it then shows values for speedstep.

Check the boot logs for hwpstate messages from Speedshift.

Run: sysctl -a | grep freq
What levels are shown?

Steve

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 said in Weird CPU speed:

hwpstate

hwpstate_intel3: <Intel Speed Shift> on cpu3
hwpstate_intel2: <Intel Speed Shift> on cpu2
hwpstate_intel1: <Intel Speed Shift> on cpu1
hwpstate_intel0: <Intel Speed Shift> on cpu0

and then
[2.7.2-RELEASE][admin@rozcestnik.lan]/root: sysctl -a | grep freq
Timecounter "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 950
Event timer "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 550
Event timer "HPET1" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET2" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET3" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET4" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "RTC" frequency 32768 Hz quality 0
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
Event timer "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 100
Timecounter "ACPI-fast" frequency 3579545 Hz quality 900
Timecounter "TSC" frequency 806401610 Hz quality 1000
kern.timecounter.tc.TSC.frequency: 806401610
kern.timecounter.tc.ACPI-fast.frequency: 3579545
kern.timecounter.tc.i8254.frequency: 1193182
kern.timecounter.tc.HPET.frequency: 19200000
kern.ntp_pll.time_freq: 18360527011520
kern.ntp_pll.pps_freq: 14937882624000
device cpufreq
kern.eventtimer.et.i8254.frequency: 1193182
kern.eventtimer.et.RTC.frequency: 32768
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET4.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET3.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET2.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET1.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.LAPIC.frequency: 806401610
kern.acct_chkfreq: 15
debug.cpufreq.verbose: 0
debug.cpufreq.lowest: 0
debug.uart_poll_freq: 50
machdep.tsc_freq: 806401610
machdep.i8254_freq: 1193182
machdep.acpi_timer_freq: 3579545
dev.cpufreq.3.freq_driver: hwpstate_intel3
dev.cpufreq.3.%parent: cpu3
dev.cpufreq.3.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.3.%location:
dev.cpufreq.3.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.3.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.2.freq_driver: hwpstate_intel2
dev.cpufreq.2.%parent: cpu2
dev.cpufreq.2.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.2.%location:
dev.cpufreq.2.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.2.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.1.freq_driver: hwpstate_intel1
dev.cpufreq.1.%parent: cpu1
dev.cpufreq.1.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.1.%location:
dev.cpufreq.1.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.1.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.0.freq_driver: hwpstate_intel0
dev.cpufreq.0.%parent: cpu0
dev.cpufreq.0.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.0.%location:
dev.cpufreq.0.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.0.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.%parent:
dev.cpu.3.freq_levels: 806/-1
dev.cpu.3.freq: 1658
dev.cpu.2.freq_levels: 806/-1
dev.cpu.2.freq: 1534
dev.cpu.1.freq_levels: 806/-1
dev.cpu.1.freq: 1612
dev.cpu.0.freq_levels: 806/-1
dev.cpu.0.freq: 1502

[stephenw10]

Ok so that looks relatively normal for speedshift. There's probably no issue there.

Try setting speedshift disabled so speedstep is used. See what levels are reported then.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 But why is the damn thing running at so high frequency when it's not doing anything?

[stephenw10]

Speedshift responds orders of magnitude faster than speedstep. When I was first testing it I had problems seeing what it's doing because simply running the command to report it bumps the CPU speed.

However I would not expect that if it's set to maximum efficiency.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 Hm, I have disabled Speed Shift, and now pfSense doesn't even display any frequency at all. That's not right I guess?

[stephenw10]

Mmm, perhaps SpeedStep (EIST) is not enabled in the BIOS then.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 Weirdly, the frequency info appeared after a few seconds. It also disappears after page refresh.
Speedstep is enabled.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 Btw does the Intel Core somerthing thermal sensor option apply to any Intel CPU? I'm not sure what to choose: this or the generic ACPI value? Both seem to work.

[stephenw10]

The coretemp driver should work there.

Yes, with speedstep it generally only shows frequency info when the CPU is running at a reduced frequency.

Try running sysctl -a | grep freq again to see what levels are now shown.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 said in Weird CPU speed:

sysctl -a | grep freq

Timecounter "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 950
Event timer "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 550
Event timer "HPET1" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET2" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET3" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET4" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "RTC" frequency 32768 Hz quality 0
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
Event timer "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 100
Timecounter "ACPI-fast" frequency 3579545 Hz quality 900
Timecounter "TSC" frequency 806401669 Hz quality 1000
Timecounter "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 950
Event timer "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 550
Event timer "HPET1" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET2" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET3" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET4" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "RTC" frequency 32768 Hz quality 0
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
Event timer "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 100
Timecounter "ACPI-fast" frequency 3579545 Hz quality 900
Timecounter "TSC" frequency 806402450 Hz quality 1000
Timecounter "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 950
Event timer "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 550
Event timer "HPET1" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET2" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET3" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET4" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "RTC" frequency 32768 Hz quality 0
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
Event timer "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 100
Timecounter "ACPI-fast" frequency 3579545 Hz quality 900
Timecounter "TSC" frequency 806401594 Hz quality 1000
Timecounter "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 950
Event timer "HPET" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 550
Event timer "HPET1" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET2" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET3" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "HPET4" frequency 19200000 Hz quality 440
Event timer "RTC" frequency 32768 Hz quality 0
Timecounter "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 0
Event timer "i8254" frequency 1193182 Hz quality 100
Timecounter "ACPI-fast" frequency 3579545 Hz quality 900
Timecounter "TSC" frequency 806402560 Hz quality 1000
kern.timecounter.tc.TSC.frequency: 806402560
kern.timecounter.tc.ACPI-fast.frequency: 3579545
kern.timecounter.tc.i8254.frequency: 1193182
kern.timecounter.tc.HPET.frequency: 19200000
kern.ntp_pll.time_freq: 5467471872000
kern.ntp_pll.pps_freq: 5467471872000
device cpufreq
kern.eventtimer.et.i8254.frequency: 1193182
kern.eventtimer.et.RTC.frequency: 32768
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET4.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET3.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET2.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET1.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.HPET.frequency: 19200000
kern.eventtimer.et.LAPIC.frequency: 806402560
kern.acct_chkfreq: 15
debug.cpufreq.verbose: 0
debug.cpufreq.lowest: 0
debug.uart_poll_freq: 50
machdep.tsc_freq: 806402560
machdep.i8254_freq: 1193182
machdep.acpi_timer_freq: 3579545
dev.cpufreq.3.freq_driver: est3
dev.cpufreq.3.%parent: cpu3
dev.cpufreq.3.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.3.%location:
dev.cpufreq.3.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.3.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.2.freq_driver: est2
dev.cpufreq.2.%parent: cpu2
dev.cpufreq.2.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.2.%location:
dev.cpufreq.2.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.2.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.1.freq_driver: est1
dev.cpufreq.1.%parent: cpu1
dev.cpufreq.1.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.1.%location:
dev.cpufreq.1.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.1.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.0.freq_driver: est0
dev.cpufreq.0.%parent: cpu0
dev.cpufreq.0.%pnpinfo:
dev.cpufreq.0.%location:
dev.cpufreq.0.%driver: cpufreq
dev.cpufreq.0.%desc:
dev.cpufreq.%parent:
dev.est.3.freq_settings: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160
dev.est.2.freq_settings: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160
dev.est.1.freq_settings: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160
dev.est.0.freq_settings: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160
dev.cpu.3.freq_levels: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160
dev.cpu.3.freq: 801
dev.cpu.2.freq_levels: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160
dev.cpu.2.freq: 801
dev.cpu.1.freq_levels: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160
dev.cpu.1.freq: 801
dev.cpu.0.freq_levels: 801/6000 800/6000 700/5160

No idea what part of it is relevant.
PowerD is disabled if it matters.

[stephenw10]

It must have been enabled at some point because the est(4) driver, speedstep, is loaded. The levels it's reporting, which are passed by the BIOS, are not useful though.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 Yes it was. I previously flipped several settings around.
What baffles me is the reported speed. And there's no way to tell whether it's real or not.

[stephenw10]

Which one?

The speedstep levels there could be correct just not helpful. 700MHz and 800MHz are just that. 801MHz implies 800+turbo which could be anything, speedstep doesn't see the actual turbo speeds.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 The 1700-1900MHz one. That's with Speed Shift.

[stephenw10]

Speedshift does report the actual speed so I'd expect that to be real.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 Hmm, ok. But then something is not right anyway, because 1700MHz when there's less than 1% load.... that's just weird.

[stephenw10]

That's unexpected if it set to maximum efficiency for sure. At higher performance levels it might be since as I said just opening the dashboard would ramp it up significantly.

[Octopuss]

@stephenw10 I tried both extremes, and at max performance it went even higher, but never lower than 1700. But again, I don't know if it's the real speed, because the BIOS might be sketchy.