180.11 powermizer still broken

[nldudok1]

installed 180.35
It is still broken.

Is it so hard to fix this?
Or do you have trouble to reproduce it?
Get a ACER aspire 6930G.
Install ubuntu 7.10 x86_64
Build and install kernel 2.6.27.6 with my supplied kernel config.
install nvidia 180.xx driver.
start glxgears
start nvidia-settings.
See that the higher powermizer levels are not reached.
Fix the driver untill it does.
Put driver releases on hold. Don't release any new drivers untill it it is fixed.
Any colleages that complain about not being able to release new drivers features:
Put them to work on fixing this issue.
Any bosses that complain about the driver being on hold.
Show them that this nvidia hardware does not perform with any driver release so far.
Show them the complains of their customers.
Tell them to contact us (customers) to explain why we have to keep working with broken non-performing drivers while they put up new marketing campains telling everybody that nvidia cards give you more performance.

THEY DON'T IF THE DRIVER IS BROKEN.

Here follows my experience with 180.35, still about the same as every driver I tested so far.

Since dmesg showed that MMCONF was used I tried the kernel parameter pci=nommconf.
This also did not help.

only performance level 0 and 1 (0: nvclock 169 memclock 100, 1: nvclock 275, memclock 250)
level 2 and 3 are never reached ( 2: nvclock 400 memclock 400, 3: nvclock 430, memclock 400)

64 bit system
driver: nvidia 180.35
system: ACER aspire 6930G
kernel: 2.6.27.6
kernelparams: pci=nommconf
distri: ubuntu gutsy 7.10 x86_64
Model: GeForce 9600M GS
IRQ: 16
Video BIOS: 62.94.3c.00.17
Card Type: PCI-E
DMA Size: 40 bits
DMA Mask: 0xffffffffff
Bus Location: 01.00.0

attached is my new nvidia-bug-report my kernel configuration and grub menu entry.

[Mostrapotski]

The thing that make me angry is that i saw people from nvidia posting around, AaronP, Stephen Warren, zander, ... and any of them are answering us. Not doing a good driver is a thing, ignoring us for a so long time is THE thing.

I won't let the post going down until someone from nvidia tell us "ok, we will fix it". I suggest everyone reading to post, once again, the bug report.

Here is mine, driver 180.29 (not the last i know but 35 is useless). Running on a MSI megabook GX620-069, with a 9600M GT.
Powermizer is going from 0 to 1, ignoring levels 2 and 3.
OpenSUSE 11.1, kernel 2.6.27.19-3.2-trace.

Join me plz, keep this post on the top

[wiresquire]

ws asked: For 8700M GT does powermizer ever get to performance level 0 ?

Originally Posted by kodiakmax

I have not seen it hit performance level 0 yet. I was thinking maybe that desktop effects were maybe the cause for that. Of course nividia-settings thinks my power source is Battery as well. I believe that is because I am having acpi issues too. I have no files in /proc/acpi/ac_adapter which I believe might be caused by a buggy DSDT.

Sorry, forgot to mention that I had disabled Compiz/desktop effects because of tearing etc, so it was running in Performance Mode: Desktop. The power source was also correctly detected. Mine still never get to Performance level 0 when running on AC :-(

ws

[nldudok1]

Installed 180.37
It is still broken, only lower powerlevers are ever used,

Only performance level 0 and 1 are used(0: nvclock 169 memclock 100, 1: nvclock 275, memclock 250)
level 2 and 3 are never reached ( 2: nvclock 400 memclock 400, 3: nvclock 430, memclock 400)

64 bit system
driver: nvidia 180.37
system: ACER aspire 6930G
kernel: 2.6.27.6
kernelparams: pci=nommconf
distri: ubuntu gutsy 7.10 x86_64
Model: GeForce 9600M GS
IRQ: 16
Video BIOS: 62.94.3c.00.17
Card Type: PCI-E


Attached are my new nvidia-bug-report, my kernel configuration and grub menu entry.

[skektek]

I went out of my way to purchase a Notebook with an Nvidia card specifically for the Linux support and I get screwed. 9800M GS crippled @ 169/100MHz (0 of 3 "Performance Levels") thanks to PowerMizer. Adding Dwords values to xorg.conf or /etc/modprobe.d unlock my card to a whopping 275/300MHz (1 of 3 "Performance Levels"). Running nvidia-settings in a loop has absolutely no impact on the "Performance Level".

Mandriva 2009 PWP 32bit
Kernel 2.6.27.14
GeForce 9800M GS
Driver Version 180.29
VBIOS 62.94.55.00.00
Xorg 1.4.2

[Mostrapotski]

This is nvidia dev's call of duty! Same prob

Same problem,
openSUSE 11.1,
driver 180.29,
kernel 2.6.27.

[lavoisier]

The topic should be renamed to "powermizer still broken". Maybe NVidia developers are ignoring this because of mentioning about version 180.11.

Within Gentoo installation I've gained much more 3D performance using solid kernel. Only ALSA modules and nvidia proprietary module are being used (must).

Glxgears (yes, no good performance test) shows ~1850 fps now. On previous distribution (Mandriva) it showed only 850-1250 fps (depending on configuration). It should be several thousands fps with PowerMizer working of course.

Gentoo 2008.0, driver 180.37, kernel 2.6.28.

[nldudok1]

Installed 185.13
It is still broken, only lower powermizer powerlevers are ever used,

Only performance level 0 and 1 are used(0: nvclock 169 memclock 100, 1: nvclock 275, memclock 250)
level 2 and 3 are never reached ( 2: nvclock 400 memclock 400, 3: nvclock 430, memclock 400)

64 bit system
driver: nvidia 185.13
system: ACER aspire 6930G
kernel: 2.6.27.6
kernelparams: pci=nommconf
distri: ubuntu gutsy 7.10 x86_64
Model: GeForce 9600M GS
IRQ: 16
Video BIOS: 62.94.3c.00.17
Card Type: PCI-E

Another problem I still have is:
After returning from the XServer to console mode (ctrl-alt-F1) all I can see is a black screen. I can still work at the console - guessing what I type in - but I'm not able to see what I do.
Screen is black, backlight seems to be off.

This problem has been reported before, but I would like to mention here that it is still not solved.
It could be related to the powermizer problems although I doubt it.

See these related posts about the black/blank console:
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=126854
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=128017
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=121355

Attached are my new nvidia-bug-report, my kernel configuration and grub menu entry.

[Mostrapotski]

Agreed, 185.13 doesn't help.

[lavoisier]

Same problem with blank screen in text console. Maybe stopping DM and forcing unload of nvidia kernel module could help, but I dont recommend it at all (dangerous !). Seems Nvidia drivers do something badly when using linux kernel. Waiting several months for the fix too.

But on the other side, NVidia drivers seem to be MUCH MUCH more stable than on Windows Vista. Never failed on Linux by me. On Vista it is usual the default behaviour when running 3D games :-). There is one site solving these problems and some of the solutions partially work (http://www.nvlddmkm.com/). So we should be satisfied, that 3D functionality works quite fine on linux.

But I will use Nouveau driver after getting more mature. I dont like binary blobs running in kernel mode. Only NVidia driver is the case.

[Reklawyks]

maybe mass emailing about the powermizer issues would bring more attentions.
everyone should send an email to linux-bugs@nvidia.com explaining (re-explaining..) the bug with the attached nvidia-bug-report.log

[Mostrapotski]

send...