Machine stuck at 1000 MHz

[Dotan Cohen]

My own computer is getting stuck at 1000 MHz now:

✈ganymede:~$ cpufreq-info
cpufrequtils 007: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2009
Report errors and bugs to cpufreq at vger.kernel.org, please.
analyzing CPU 0:
  driver: powernow-k8
  CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 0 1
  CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 0 1
  maximum transition latency: 109 us.
  hardware limits: 1000 MHz - 2.70 GHz
  available frequency steps: 2.70 GHz, 2.60 GHz, 2.40 GHz, 2.20 GHz,
2.00 GHz, 1.80 GHz, 1000 MHz
  available cpufreq governors: conservative, ondemand, userspace,
powersave, performance
  current policy: frequency should be within 1000 MHz and 2.70 GHz.
                  The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use
                  within this range.
  current CPU frequency is 2.70 GHz.
  cpufreq stats: 2.70 GHz:22.42%, 2.60 GHz:1.27%, 2.40 GHz:1.32%, 2.20
GHz:1.14%, 2.00 GHz:1.03%, 1.80 GHz:6.25%, 1000 MHz:66.57%  (1533)
analyzing CPU 1:
  driver: powernow-k8
  CPUs which run at the same hardware frequency: 0 1
  CPUs which need to have their frequency coordinated by software: 0 1
  maximum transition latency: 109 us.
  hardware limits: 1000 MHz - 2.70 GHz
  available frequency steps: 2.70 GHz, 2.60 GHz, 2.40 GHz, 2.20 GHz,
2.00 GHz, 1.80 GHz, 1000 MHz
  available cpufreq governors: conservative, ondemand, userspace,
powersave, performance
  current policy: frequency should be within 1000 MHz and 2.70 GHz.
                  The governor "ondemand" may decide which speed to use
                  within this range.
  current CPU frequency is 2.70 GHz.
  cpufreq stats: 2.70 GHz:22.42%, 2.60 GHz:1.27%, 2.40 GHz:1.32%, 2.20
GHz:1.14%, 2.00 GHz:1.03%, 1.80 GHz:6.25%, 1000 MHz:66.57%  (1533)
✈ganymede:~$ sudo cpufreq-set -c 0 1 -f 2.70 GHz
[sudo] password for dotancohen:
✈ganymede:~$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor       : 0
vendor_id       : AuthenticAMD
cpu family      : 15
model           : 107
model name      : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+
stepping        : 2
cpu MHz         : 1000.000
cache size      : 512 KB
physical id     : 0
siblings        : 2
core id         : 0
cpu cores       : 2
apicid          : 0
initial apicid  : 0
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 1
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge
mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext
fxsr_opt rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow extd_apicid pni cx16 lahf_lm
cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy 3dnowprefetch lbrv
bogomips        : 2000.44
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes   : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts fid vid ttp tm stc 100mhzsteps

processor       : 1
vendor_id       : AuthenticAMD
cpu family      : 15
model           : 107
model name      : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+
stepping        : 2
cpu MHz         : 1000.000
cache size      : 512 KB
physical id     : 0
siblings        : 2
core id         : 1
cpu cores       : 2
apicid          : 1
initial apicid  : 1
fdiv_bug        : no
hlt_bug         : no
f00f_bug        : no
coma_bug        : no
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 1
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge
mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 ht syscall nx mmxext
fxsr_opt rdtscp lm 3dnowext 3dnow extd_apicid pni cx16 lahf_lm
cmp_legacy svm extapic cr8_legacy 3dnowprefetch lbrv
bogomips        : 2000.44
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes   : 40 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management: ts fid vid ttp tm stc 100mhzsteps

✈ganymede:~$


Note that the system is under very heavy load (both CPUs near 100% due
to some heavy work that Digikam is doing in the background) yet the
processes stay at 1000 MHz. I've looked for some CPU-throttling applet
in KDE, but other than the Battery Applet which does not even mention
CPU speed I can't find a thing. Note that this is a desktop system,
not a laptop. Kubuntu 10.10, KDE 4.6.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!


-- 
Dotan Cohen

http://gibberish.co.il
http://what-is-what.com