Linux Overclocking Software

An anonymous reader writes to tell us Phoronix has posted an article that covers the basics of GPU and CPU overclocking utilities available for Linux. From the article: "In 2005 we had featured several articles on the state of NVIDIA graphics card overclocking under Linux. In early 2005 the only option for Linux users was NVClock. The open-source NVClock was started by Roderick Colenbrander in 2001 and since then has been evolving. However, coming out in June of 2005 from the NVIDIA camp was CoolBits support for their alternative operating system drivers."

Nvidia Linux Drivers

[information_storage]

Might I suggest that we work on creating good Nvidia Linux drivers before we work on overclocking our poorly driven hardware. I'm counting on nouveau http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/ [freedesktop.org] to save us unix/nvidia users in this respect.

NVidia mobile GPUs and Linux

[Pausanias]

This has been a big complaint of mine for a long time. We all know that under Windows, NVidia has had this PowerMizer [nvidia.com] thing that allows you to lower GPU power consumption. And we all know about Coolbits, which allows you to over/underclock your GPU in both Windows and desktop linux.

Now here's the thing. Both Coolbits and PowerMizer are disabled for mobile GPUs under Linux. So when you're not needing full 3D performance, that NVidia card is sitting there sucking up your laptop battery power. Might as well load up Beryl [beryl-project.org] and go nuts.

Oh, and nvclock does not work on all GPUs. My mobile QuadroFX GPU, for example, seems particularly immune to it. When I run it nvclock seems to think it is underclocking my GPU, but I see no effects whatsoever---no reduction in the GPU temperature, for example, which is constantly sitting at 85C. Any other suggestions?

I keep on hearing about how bad the binary linux ATI drivers for linux are, but hey, at least they've got their PowerPlay (GPU downthrottler) thing working in Linux. Maybe for my next laptop I'll consider an ATI card.

Re:NVidia mobile GPUs and Linux

[D3m0n0fTh3Fall]

Maybe it is underclocking it, but the GPU sees the reduction in temperature and lowers the fan speed accordingly ? I would suggest finding an extremely GPU-bound benchmark and running it before and after your underclock attempt to try and make sure.