Intel_pstate vs. acpi-cpufreq how to set scaling driver properly?

General system Newbie
1

Hi Guys,

I’m wondering how to set the scaling driver properly up; with default setup, inxi says kernel parameter intel_pstate=disable and driver: acpi-cpufreq even though I don’t have intel_pstate=disable in /etc/kernel/cmd:

dzyndzla@LENOVO-T490-E:~$ inxi -CSa
System:
  Host: LENOVO-T490-E Kernel: 6.6.13-lqx1-1-lqx arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1 clocksource: tsc available: acpi_pm
    parameters: audit=0 intel_pstate=disable rcupdate.rcu_expedited=1
    initrd=\af9b6575bf7b49ff95efc22de566d320\6.6.13-lqx1-1-lqx\initrd
    cpufreq.default_governor=performance dev.i915.perf_stream_paranoid=0
    tpm_tis.interrupts=0 intel_agp i915 i915.fastboot=1 i915.enable_guc=2
    i915.enable_fbc=1 i915.modeset=1 nvme_load=YES nowatchdog rw
    rootflags=subvol=/@ rd.luks.uuid=badcda00-5a78-45e3-a4cc-01eb8a912e89
    root=/dev/mapper/luks-badcda00-5a78-45e3-a4cc-01eb8a912e89
    systemd.machine_id=af9b6575bf7b49ff95efc22de566d320
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.10 tk: Qt v: 5.15.12 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: EndeavourOS base: Arch Linux
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-8265U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Comet/Whiskey Lake note: check gen: core 8 level: v3 note: check
    built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x8E (142)
    stepping: 0xC (12) microcode: 0xF8
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 256 KiB desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB
    L3: 6 MiB desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1600 min/max: 400/1801 boost: enabled scaling:
    driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: performance cores: 1: 1600 2: 1600 3: 1600
    4: 1600 5: 1600 6: 1600 7: 1600 8: 1600 bogomips: 28800
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: retbleed mitigation: Enhanced IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow 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 / Automatic IBRS, IBPB:
    conditional, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected

If i add intel_pstate=enable in /etc/kernel/cmd and run reinstall-kernels it still reports intel_pstate=disable but at least driver: intel_pstate.

dzyndzla@LENOVO-T490-E:~$ inxi -CSa
System:
  Host: LENOVO-T490-E Kernel: 6.7.1-lqx1-1-lqx arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1 clocksource: tsc available: acpi_pm
    parameters: audit=0 intel_pstate=disable rcupdate.rcu_expedited=1
    initrd=\af9b6575bf7b49ff95efc22de566d320\6.7.1-lqx1-1-lqx\initrd
    intel_pstate=enable cpufreq.default_governor=performance
    dev.i915.perf_stream_paranoid=0 tpm_tis.interrupts=0 intel_agp i915
    i915.fastboot=1 i915.enable_guc=2 i915.enable_fbc=1 i915.modeset=1
    nvme_load=YES nowatchdog rw rootflags=subvol=/@
    rd.luks.uuid=badcda00-5a78-45e3-a4cc-01eb8a912e89
    root=/dev/mapper/luks-badcda00-5a78-45e3-a4cc-01eb8a912e89
    systemd.machine_id=af9b6575bf7b49ff95efc22de566d320
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.10 tk: Qt v: 5.15.12 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 2
    dm: SDDM Distro: EndeavourOS base: Arch Linux
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-8265U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Comet/Whiskey Lake note: check gen: core 8 level: v3 note: check
    built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x8E (142)
    stepping: 0xC (12) microcode: 0xF8
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 256 KiB desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB
    L3: 6 MiB desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 837 high: 3902 min/max: 400/3900 scaling:
    driver: intel_pstate governor: performance cores: 1: 400 2: 400 3: 3902
    4: 400 5: 400 6: 400 7: 400 8: 400 bogomips: 28800
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: retbleed mitigation: Enhanced IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow 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 / Automatic IBRS, IBPB:
    conditional, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected

So does it work with intel_pstate? If yes, then why kernel parameter indicates it as disabled?

EDIT: sorry, but idk why text preformatting works in that poor way.

2

I reformatted your post, hope it is what you intended.

The problem was using a single ` character instead of three ``` to surround the text blocks. In addition, each ``` should be alone on a line.

And there are better pstate experts on the forum than me, hopefully they’ll chime in.

3

you can check with

cpupower frequency-info
sudo turbostat