Powermizer works poorly with compiz and cannot be set from xorg.conf

[Wise Ferret]

I use geforce 9400M G on ubuntu 10.10 64 bit. My driver version is 260.19.26.

Up until recently I could set the powermizer mode to "Maximum performance" using xorg.conf. However, this does not work any more. My system starts with powermizer mode set to "adaptive", and I have to change it manually back.

This wouldn't be a problem if adaptive mode would work properly, but it doesn't. When I play 3d games while using compiz, like lugaru (or any other), in adaptive mode, the game starts fine but then I experience severe drops in the frame rate. It is as if the powermizer does not know a 3d app is running. This happens regardless whether the laptop runs on AC power or battery.

So my questions are:

1. Can adaptive mode be made to work when compiz runs, so it is actually adapts the clock speed to the system demands?

2. If it cannot, can the powermizer be set automatically so I do not have to open nvidia-settings and change it manually after reboot? the xorg.conf line stopped working after upgrading the drivers.

3. Can I supply more useful information in order to solve the problem(s)?

My xorg.conf is:

Section "ServerFlags"
	Option		"IgnoreABI" "True"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier	"Default Screen"
	DefaultDepth	24
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier	"Default Device"
	Driver	"nvidia"
	Option  "FlatPanelProperties"  "Scaling = Aspect-Scaled"
	Option  "OnDemandVBlankInterrupts" "true"
	Option	"NoLogo"	"True"
	Option  "coolbits" "1"
	Option "RegistryDwords" "PowerMizerEnable=0x1; PerfLevelSrc=0x3322; PowerMizerDefaultAC=0x1"
EndSection

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "enable synaptics SHMConfig"
        MatchIsTouchpad "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection

[NvFuchs]

You can always use

nvidia-settings -a [gpu:0]/GPUPowerMizerMode=0

on the commandline, therefore you can also script it, bind it to compiz startup or other conditions such as ACPI events (battery / AC state, etc.)

Fuchs

(0 would be adaptive state, 1 would be maximum performance)

[Wise Ferret]

Originally Posted by NvFuchs

You can always use

nvidia-settings -a [gpu:0]/GPUPowerMizerMode=0

on the commandline, therefore you can also script it, bind it to compiz startup or other conditions such as ACPI events (battery / AC state, etc.)

Fuchs

(0 would be adaptive state, 1 would be maximum performance)

Thanks for the tip, I will use it.

It would be better though if my settings were just kept after I set them in the gui tool - it's not too much to ask for. The best would be, of course, that adaptive mode wouldn't stop functioning in the presence of compiz.