Controlling Fan Speed for ATI Cards

[truthy]

Is there something similar to ATI Tool for controlling the fan speed with Linux - cause after about 5 minutes the fan speed goes up to maximum and thats anoying/too loud. (Not just when needed to cool down when i play e.g. CS:S with wine )

regards
truthy

[nonnii]

Use "aticonfig"

POWERplay Options:
Following options will not change the config file.
These options will be effective immediately. Other options on
the same command line will be ignored.
--lsp, --list-powerstates
Print information about power states and exit.
--set-powerstate=NUMBER
Set a power state listed by --list-powerstates.

I for my self used to manually run "aticonfig --set-powerstate=1" and now I have a small script to run it at the start of kde. It really does not control the fan, but results to the wanted effect.

[truthy]

thx for your answer - the bad thing is - i only have 1 powerstate.

aticonfig --lsp or --list-powerstates shows:

core/mem      [flags]
-----------------
* 1: 581/699 MHz  [default state]

any idea how to configure another one ...

system-info:
ATI Radeon X1950 Pro 512MB AGP (Sapphire)
Mandriva Linux 2007.0 Power Pack
Kernel: 2.6.17.8mdv
X Window System Version 7.1.1
ati-proprietary-driver version 8.34.8

[nonnii]

In that case I don't know how to help you, sry.

[mlau]

How do the windows tools control fanspeed? I suppose it's just a simple
PWM controlled via a software-bitbanged I2C bus?
Maybe one of the tool writers can give information about that, writing
a simple test app shouldn't be too difficult (provided it's not required
to write to some chip-specific registers to access pwm controls)

[truthy]

well, I have to say that I have no idea of PWM or how the windows tool controls fanspeed ... but i found something here

i think i didn't explain my problem quite well - so heres another try:

under windows xp without anything like ATI Tool - just with the Catalyst Control Center (Windows Driver) - the fan speed is ok/acceptable (it just raises when i play games etc. - like it should be)
but under linux - when i do nothing and wait about 5 minutes - the fan speed goes up to maximum without any reason.

so is there a way/program to somehow control that - cause I don't know how to write a simple test app ...
or should I write a mail to the developers of ati tool and ask about that - the tool is used more for overclocking than for fan controll ...

[Postmortem]

Originally Posted by truthy

well, I have to say that I have no idea of PWM or how the windows tool controls fanspeed ... but i found something here

i think i didn't explain my problem quite well - so heres another try:

under windows xp without anything like ATI Tool - just with the Catalyst Control Center (Windows Driver) - the fan speed is ok/acceptable (it just raises when i play games etc. - like it should be)
but under linux - when i do nothing and wait about 5 minutes - the fan speed goes up to maximum without any reason.

so is there a way/program to somehow control that - cause I don't know how to write a simple test app ...
or should I write a mail to the developers of ati tool and ask about that - the tool is used more for overclocking than for fan controll ...

I can confirm this problem, and it manifests on my X1950 with latest (Feb 21) driver ONLY...so far it manifests both on FC6 and opensuse10.2.

[truthy]

and ... did you find a way to solve it?
is it possible to add another powerstate and to set it with aticonfig
(could be the easiest way if its possible ...)

and do you know if this is a driver related problem or a hardware related problem? Cause if its a driver related problem we could write it to the ATI/AMD Linux Driver Crew and wait for a new driver version where it might get solved ...

another way might be to write a simple test app like mlau suggested, but i have to say i am too dumm to do that (never was quite fond of programming anyway)

i will write an email to the developers of ati tool and ask them for linux support/info - i will inform you when i get an answer.

regards

edit:
the fan speed under windows normally is 40% ... and raises if needed - temperature
so the question is how to set 2 powerstages - one with 40 % fan speed and the other one with 100% fan speed
or how to get the card to watch for the temperature and automatically adjust the fan speed
but that just is like that for the X1950 Pro if you have the Sapphire version (they have their own 'special' fan) - the fan speed for the GeCube, the MSI or the PowerColor version could be different!

[Postmortem]

Originally Posted by truthy

and ... did you find a way to solve it?
is it possible to add another powerstate and to set it with aticonfig
(could be the easiest way if its possible ...)

and do you know if this is a driver related problem or a hardware related problem? Cause if its a driver related problem we could write it to the ATI/AMD Linux Driver Crew and wait for a new driver version where it might get solved ...

another way might be to write a simple test app like mlau suggested, but i have to say i am too dumm to do that (never was quite fond of programming anyway)

i will write an email to the developers of ati tool and ask them for linux support/info - i will inform you when i get an answer.

regards

edit:
the fan speed under windows normally is 40% ... and raises if needed - temperature
so the question is how to set 2 powerstages - one with 40 % fan speed and the other one with 100% fan speed
or how to get the card to watch for the temperature and automatically adjust the fan speed
but that just is like that for the X1950 Pro if you have the Sapphire version (they have their own 'special' fan) - the fan speed for the GeCube, the MSI or the PowerColor version could be different!

Well it could be hardware issue as well, I think i didn't have this with January drivers. Card's BIOS does fan management, driver isn't needed... my guess is that driver might be overriding it, or there's some bug in driver that makes it heat up fairly quickly. So BIOS has fan speed table, meaning for every temperature there's fan's duty cycle %.

GeCube's fan runs at 100% all the time, as well as VisionTek's, so it could be even worse.

[truthy]

mhm ... i think i found something
we could write an acpi fan control script to override the 'normal' fan speed, which if you ask me is already overwritten cause otherwise it would adjust to the system/gpu temperature - or acpi doesn't work correctly.
but thats a little bit risky - you have to watch the temperatures after trying it out or your hardware might get damaged - i will try it out anyway ...

i think the temperature thing doesn't work cause we both have 3rd party boards which aren't supported - maybe with an original ati x1950pro the powerstates might work - if there is an ati card at all *g*

as far as i need it - i will create 2 scripts
1 for the 100% fan speed for gaming - and 1 with 40% fan speed for the 'normal' use.
maybe we might even get it to work according to the gpu temperature - but for that i am not sure - this card is still too new and i have a XPC/Shuttle with an Intel 865/848 (Springdale) Chipset - but overwriting the speed works (tried it out under windows with the ati-tool)

every info can be found here - (thinkwiki.org - it was written for laptops ThinkPads - but i think we can adjust it to fit to our system) i will make a script as soon as i have time to read into the topic a little bit ...

this howto seems important too.

edit:
i filled out the ATI/AMD Linux Driver Crew formula and sent it away - maybe they will correct the powerstates for our card in a future version - we'll see

[mlau]

Originally Posted by truthy

mhm ... i think i found something
we could write an acpi fan control script

ACPI won't help in this case; the bios makers would have to implement AML code
to control fan speeds for every conceivable card.

A better idea would be for the fglrx kernel module to provide a "cpufreq"-like sysfs
interface to get/set various powerplay states and fan speeds (and maybe access
to the i2c busses like the nvidia driver does).

A simple shell script could then set minimal powerplay state when running on
batteries or let the driver control it when running on AC, etc...

(any ati devs [besides Matthew Tippett] reading this forum?)

[truthy]

thx for the info - saved me much time of useless searching.

great idea to improve the fglrx kernel module, but there is no way i could do that i guess?

as you said if any ati devs might come across this thread please tell me if something like this will/could be possible in a newer driver version.

btw i stated the threads url in the support formula - maybe someone of them might read it ... if they could add it in a future version - that would be great - i have no rush - np if it takes them a few months more ...

[truthy]

isn't there any program similar to NVClock which would do the job if i had a NVIDIA Card.

Maybe we could create a program like that for ATI Cards?

[phial]

this is why i cant use linux yet , bah (lack of certain hardware support)

[Lithorus]

Originally Posted by phial

this is why i cant use linux yet , bah (lack of certain hardware support)

I would put it another way :
That's why I don't use ATI hardware yet (lack of certain linux support)

[truthy]

I will wait for the new proprietary driver to come out - maybe they fixed the powerstate issue - i will try it then and keep you up-to-date. I didn't get a reply from the mail I sent to the devs of ati-tool and I think I never will.

in the meantime i still have one question. can I edit the kernel-module in a way that what mlau suggessted will be possible - or can just the ati-devs do that?

A better idea would be for the fglrx kernel module to provide a "cpufreq"-like sysfs
interface to get/set various powerplay states and fan speeds (and maybe access
to the i2c busses like the nvidia driver does).

A simple shell script could then set minimal powerplay state when running on
batteries or let the driver control it when running on AC, etc...

[mlau]

Originally Posted by truthy

in the meantime i still have one question. can I edit the kernel-module in a way that what mlau suggessted will be possible - or can just the ati-devs do that?

Unless you have access to the Super Secret Chip Documentation(TM),
I think there's not much you can do.

[mlau]

I just had a look at the current drivers (8.34), you already can set
the powerstate with aticonfig tool:

aticonfig --set-powerstate=<x> --effective=now

[truthy]

Originally Posted by mlau

I just had a look at the current drivers (8.34), you already can set the powerstate with aticonfig tool:
aticonfig --set-powerstate=<x> --effective=now

well setting another powerstate isn't the problem. it would be exactly what i need, but like i said above, i only have 1 powerstate ... so i can't set another one i don't have.

core/mem      [flags]
-----------------
* 1: 581/699 MHz  [default state]

if you know how to add another powerstate (if thats possible) - would be very helpful.

[mlau]

Originally Posted by truthy

... i only have 1 powerstate ...
if you know how to add another powerstate (if thats possible) - would be very helpful.

IIRC the powerstates are defined in the card's BIOS. Bug your vendor?
(The mobility9700 in my lappo also advertises only 1 powerstate, and sony
support is a nightmare)

[truthy]

i tried out the new driver 8.35.5 - but it seems they didn't change that - still 1 powerstate.
at least the new control panel works now ...

changing the powerstates in the cards bios is too risky - i think it won't work properly under windows then. There are 2 powerstates under Windows - a 2D and a 3D powerstate.
http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/forum...ad.php?t=12196

Well, I guess I have to wait for a new driver where this issue will get solved.

btw - if anyone who has a X1950 Pro card has more than 1 powerstate - please let me know!

[JonSvenJonsson]

Originally Posted by truthy

i tried out the new driver 8.35.5 - but it seems they didn't change that - still 1 powerstate.
at least the new control panel works now ...

changing the powerstates in the cards bios is too risky - i think it won't work properly under windows then. There are 2 powerstates under Windows - a 2D and a 3D powerstate.
http://www.sapphiretech.com/en/forum...ad.php?t=12196

Well, I guess I have to wait for a new driver where this issue will get solved.

btw - if anyone who has a X1950 Pro card has more than 1 powerstate - please let me know!

Have you looked at this article ? maybe this helps
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...item=675&num=1

cheers Jon

[truthy]

thx for the hint but in my Xorg.0.log there is only 1 powerstate too.

(II) fglrx(0): POWERplay version 3.  1 power state available:
(II) fglrx(0):   1. 581/699MHz @ 0Hz [enable load balancing]

Do you have various powerstates with your X1950 XTX?