CPU is more overworked than an Amazon Warehouse worker

Hello friends. For some reason Linux, not just EndeavourOS, tends to use much of my CPU causing it to freeze sometimes mainly when I install a package or transfer data from my USB stick to the system. It is odd since I run Windows on the same pc (dual booting from a different drive) and it runs just fine without freezing, so could it be a driver issue or something else? This Linux newbie would really appreciate it :slight_smile:

CPU info and Neofetch for reference

$ inxi -Ca
CPU:
  Info: model: 12th Gen Intel Core i3-12100F bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Alder Lake gen: core 12 level: v3 note: check built: 2021+
    process: Intel 7 (10nm ESF) family: 6 model-id: 0x97 (151) stepping: 5
    microcode: 0x2C
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 320 KiB desc: d-4x48 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 5 MiB desc: 4x1.2 MiB
    L3: 12 MiB desc: 1x12 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2421 high: 4295 min/max: 800/5500 scaling:
    driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave cores: 1: 600 2: 673 3: 4295
    4: 3300 5: 3300 6: 3300 7: 600 8: 3300 bogomips: 52856
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced IBRS, IBPB: conditional, RSB
    filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected

$ neofetch
                     ./o.                  aster@asterpc 
                   ./sssso-                ------------- 
                 `:osssssss+-              OS: EndeavourOS Linux x86_64 
               `:+sssssssssso/.            Host: B660 DS3H AC DDR4-Y1 
             `-/ossssssssssssso/.          Kernel: 6.2.6-arch1-1 
           `-/+sssssssssssssssso+:`        Uptime: 2 hours, 49 mins 
         `-:/+sssssssssssssssssso+/.       Packages: 856 (pacman) 
       `.://osssssssssssssssssssso++-      Shell: bash 5.1.16 
      .://+ssssssssssssssssssssssso++:     Resolution: 1920x1080 
    .:///ossssssssssssssssssssssssso++:    DE: Cinnamon 5.6.7 
  `:////ssssssssssssssssssssssssssso+++.   WM: Mutter (Muffin) 
`-////+ssssssssssssssssssssssssssso++++-   WM Theme: cinnamon (Adwaita) 
 `..-+oosssssssssssssssssssssssso+++++/`   Theme: Adwaita [GTK2/3] 
   ./++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/:.     Icons: Qogir-dark [GTK2/3] 
  `:::::::::::::::::::::::::------``       Terminal: gnome-terminal 
                                           CPU: 12th Gen Intel i3-12100F (8) @ 5.500GHz 
                                           GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 
                                           Memory: 1320MiB / 7786MiB 

1 Like

You could install cpupower and try changing the scaling governor from powersave to something else like ondemand for example.

Please read the parts of the following article related to cpupower and scaling governors:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Cpupower

Relevant command lines would be:

cpupower frequency-info

to get info on what governors are available.

And:

sudo cpupower frequency-set -g governor

to change the governor to one that might be better suited.

Hope this helps!

1 Like

Do you have the proper Nvidia drivers installed? This looks like a hybrid graphics setup with the 1650. It could be hitting the iGPU instead of the dGPU for everything, which would cause your CPU load to be higher.

Hmm that could be it. It shows that the dGPU is being used, or at least I think so.

$ inxi -G
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA TU117 [GeForce GTX 1650] driver: nouveau v: kernel
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    dri: nouveau gpu: nouveau resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.3 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: NV167

Could it be a driver issue?

I’ve noticed a slight difference so far. Packages seem to install a lot faster now, but after installing a few the load average gets high and the pc freezes again for around 10-15 seconds. It froze in the middle of me writing this lol

It looks like you’re using the nouveau kernel driver instead of the proprietary Nvidia drivers. I’m not sure if that would cause an issue or not, but I know a lot of other users here with hybrid graphics run Nvidia drivers and Optimus. I don’t personally have a machine with an iGPU and dGPU that has EOS on it, so I can’t say for sure. There are a ton of posts about this on the forums though and using the search features I’m sure you can get to any information on installation and set up you may need. It can’t hurt to try the proprietary drivers and see if that improves performance.
Someone with more knowledge on these issues is also very likely to come across this thread to help further also. Sorry I can’t be more help, but good luck!

No worries! You’ve been a great help. I’ll look more into the nvidia drivers :slightly_smiling_face: