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Undervolting/Hardware Monitors for Linux


Tenoroon

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Hello everyone!

I recently set up a small server at home for file storage and host a Minecraft server for some friends. I decided to use Ubuntu Server and it's been going great, but I'm a bit of a noob and don't know of any tools/software for undervolting and viewing system utilization and I don't know where to start.

I ask this because I am running an i3 3240, and had planned on undervolting it as I don't need it to be ran too fast and don't need it consuming 40-50 watts as the server will rarely be turned off. So, does anyone with a bit more experience know of any tools I can use? And because I'm using Ubuntu Server, there is only a command line, so I don't think I can use anything that utilizes a GUI.

 

Thanks!

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9 minutes ago, Tenoroon said:

Hello everyone!

I recently set up a small server at home for file storage and host a Minecraft server for some friends. I decided to use Ubuntu Server and it's been going great, but I'm a bit of a noob and don't know of any tools/software for undervolting and viewing system utilization and I don't know where to start.

I ask this because I am running an i3 3240, and had planned on undervolting it as I don't need it to be ran too fast and don't need it consuming 40-50 watts as the server will rarely be turned off. So, does anyone with a bit more experience know of any tools I can use? And because I'm using Ubuntu Server, there is only a command line, so I don't think I can use anything that utilizes a GUI.

 

Thanks!

 

Just a sanity check: this "server" is actually a laptop, so no UV in BIOS? 

 

If so, I would start with this:

https://github.com/georgewhewell/undervolt

 

seems like it event takes a Throttlestop.ini file...

 

As for monitoring, things are a bit trickier. Live voltages/power are particularly difficult, I found one library but haven't had a chance to use it. On a very basic level you can see temps in Htop provided lm-sensors module is installed.

 

You can also try HardInfo (pretty sure it's going to be available as a package from the app store). 

 

@Mr. Fox

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7 minutes ago, Etern4l said:

 

Just a sanity check: this "server" is actually a laptop, so no UV in BIOS? 

 

If so, I would start with this:

https://github.com/georgewhewell/undervolt

 

seems like it event takes a Throttlestop.ini file...

 

As for monitoring, things are a bit trickier. Live voltages/power are particularly difficult, I found one library but haven't had a chance to use it. On a very basic level you can see temps in Htop provided lm-sensors module is installed.

 

You can also try HardInfo (pretty sure it's going to be available as a package from the app store). 

 

@Mr. Fox

It's a desktop, an old industrial H61 board that uses SODIMM RAM, and the BIOS is quite locked down...

I'm mostly interested in being able to view wattage, so I can gauge how much the wattage goes down when I UV.

Clevo P870TM-G: Core i7 8700k @ 4.8ghz | Clevo RTX 2070 Super | 32gb HyperX DDR4 @ 3200mhz | 17" 1440p 120hz B173QTN01.0 Screen | 256gb Samsung 850 EVO | 500gb WD Blue SSD | Prema BIOS
 

Alienware 17 R1: Core i7 4710mq @ 3.619ghz 741 CBR15 (834 CBR15 @ 4.213ghz) | Dell GTX 860m | 16gb HyperX DDR3L @ 2133mhz | 17" 3D 120hz LTN173HT02-T01 Screen | 256gb mSATA SSD

Asus Zephyrus G14: Ryzen 7 4800hs @ 4.2ghz | GTX 1650 | 16gb DDR4 @ 3200mhz | 14" 120hz LM140LF1F01 Screen | 512gb NVME SSD

 

 

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Yeah I could use that too. It doesn't look like lm_sensors provides that, I'm running through full config (sensors-detect) now.

 

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

 

 

There is an Intel library that provides that and loads more (actually more that's available in HWInfo as regards the CPU itself), I'm trying to find it, although it looked a bit heavy at first glance. In the meantime, perhaps @Mr. Fox will have some tips.

 

Edit: nope, lm_sensors won't show power.

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-- Max Tegmark

 

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Alright, so the library I had in mind is more for in-depth CPU performance monitoring, but found a way to access wattage too:

 

https://community.intel.com/t5/Software-Tuning-Performance/Is-there-an-energy-profiling-tool-to-monitor-CPU-power/td-p/1167463

 

sudo turbostat --debug

 

A bit of a raw solution, not sure there is any GUI, but if you make the terminal wide enough, it's usable verbatim - look for PkgWatt.

"We're rushing towards a cliff, but the closer we get, the more scenic the views are."

-- Max Tegmark

 

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Doesn't hardinfo (system profiler and benchmark) provide the info?

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  • 4 months later...

There's also Powertop in case that helps:

https://github.com/fenrus75/powertop
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/powertop

 

Here's also a dump of links from my Zim wiki regarding CPU management and undervolting etc. on the off chance there's anything of interest among that lot:

 

Spoiler
 

CPU Tools

https://github.com/X0rg/CPU-X
https://github.com/amanusk/s-tui

 

CPU Frequency

https://ostechnix.com/cpu-power-manager-control-and-manage-cpu-frequency-in-linux/
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/945/cpu-power-manager/
https://github.com/deinstapel/cpupower
https://ostechnix.com/improve-laptop-battery-performance-linux/
https://github.com/rickysarraf/laptop-mode-tools
https://github.com/rickysarraf/laptop-mode-tools/wiki/FAQ
https://github.com/rickysarraf/laptop-mode-tools/wiki
https://ostechnix.com/how-to-optimize-laptop-battery-life-with-tlp-in-linux/
https://linrunner.de/tlp/
https://github.com/linrunner/TLP
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CPU_frequency_scaling
https://itsfoss.com/cpufreq-ubuntu/
https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/trusty/man5/cpufreqd.conf.5.html
https://github.com/vagnum08/cpupower-gui
https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/applets/view/70
https://github.com/SwallowYourDreams/cpu-control
https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2021/246/auto-cpufreq
https://superuser.com/questions/265322/limiting-cpu-speed-in-a-virtual-machine
https://github.com/lpereira/hardinfo
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/my-script-for-setting-pl1-pl2-power-limits-in-linux.294190/
https://github.com/horshack-dpreview/setPL
https://askubuntu.com/questions/587978/can-i-upper-limit-the-cpu-frequency
https://github.com/opsengine/cpulimit
https://www.tecmint.com/limit-cpu-usage-of-a-process-in-linux-with-cpulimit-tool/
https://super-unix.com/ubuntu/ubuntu-how-to-permanently-set-cpu-power-management-to-the-powersave-governor/
https://askubuntu.com/questions/523640/how-i-can-disable-cpu-frequency-scaling-and-set-the-system-to-performance
https://www.maketecheasier.com/fix-high-cpu-usage-linux/
https://phoenixnap.com/kb/linux-cpu-temp
https://gitlab.com/corectrl/corectrl
https://gitlab.com/corectrl/corectrl/-/wikis/home#features
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1226254/set-max-tdp-of-intel-h-series-cpu
https://askubuntu.com/questions/556894/tlp-dont-change-cpu-frequency
https://www.mankier.com/8/turbostat
https://community.intel.com/t5/Software-Tuning-Performance/Is-there-an-energy-profiling-tool-to-monitor-CPU-power/td-p/1167463

 

CPU Undervolting

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Intel-GUI-Linux-Undervolt
https://appimage.github.io/linux-intel-undervolt-gui/
https://github.com/lukechadwick/linux-intel-undervolt-gui
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Undervolting_CPU
https://miloserdov.org/?p=1932
https://github.com/georgewhewell/undervolt
https://github.com/mihic/linux-intel-undervolt
https://github.com/tiziw/iuvolt
https://github.com/kitsunyan/intel-undervolt
https://github.com/RobertCsordas/linux-intel-undervolt-tool

 

I also have other links saved for use with GPUs if anyone is interested in that.

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51 minutes ago, Ishayin said:

There's also Powertop in case that helps:

https://github.com/fenrus75/powertop
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/powertop

 

Here's also a dump of links from my Zim wiki regarding CPU management and undervolting etc. on the off chance there's anything of interest among that lot:

 

  Hide contents
 

CPU Tools

https://github.com/X0rg/CPU-X
https://github.com/amanusk/s-tui

 

CPU Frequency

https://ostechnix.com/cpu-power-manager-control-and-manage-cpu-frequency-in-linux/
https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/945/cpu-power-manager/
https://github.com/deinstapel/cpupower
https://ostechnix.com/improve-laptop-battery-performance-linux/
https://github.com/rickysarraf/laptop-mode-tools
https://github.com/rickysarraf/laptop-mode-tools/wiki/FAQ
https://github.com/rickysarraf/laptop-mode-tools/wiki
https://ostechnix.com/how-to-optimize-laptop-battery-life-with-tlp-in-linux/
https://linrunner.de/tlp/
https://github.com/linrunner/TLP
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CPU_frequency_scaling
https://itsfoss.com/cpufreq-ubuntu/
https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/trusty/man5/cpufreqd.conf.5.html
https://github.com/vagnum08/cpupower-gui
https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/applets/view/70
https://github.com/SwallowYourDreams/cpu-control
https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2021/246/auto-cpufreq
https://superuser.com/questions/265322/limiting-cpu-speed-in-a-virtual-machine
https://github.com/lpereira/hardinfo
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/my-script-for-setting-pl1-pl2-power-limits-in-linux.294190/
https://github.com/horshack-dpreview/setPL
https://askubuntu.com/questions/587978/can-i-upper-limit-the-cpu-frequency
https://github.com/opsengine/cpulimit
https://www.tecmint.com/limit-cpu-usage-of-a-process-in-linux-with-cpulimit-tool/
https://super-unix.com/ubuntu/ubuntu-how-to-permanently-set-cpu-power-management-to-the-powersave-governor/
https://askubuntu.com/questions/523640/how-i-can-disable-cpu-frequency-scaling-and-set-the-system-to-performance
https://www.maketecheasier.com/fix-high-cpu-usage-linux/
https://phoenixnap.com/kb/linux-cpu-temp
https://gitlab.com/corectrl/corectrl
https://gitlab.com/corectrl/corectrl/-/wikis/home#features
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1226254/set-max-tdp-of-intel-h-series-cpu
https://askubuntu.com/questions/556894/tlp-dont-change-cpu-frequency
https://www.mankier.com/8/turbostat
https://community.intel.com/t5/Software-Tuning-Performance/Is-there-an-energy-profiling-tool-to-monitor-CPU-power/td-p/1167463

 

CPU Undervolting

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Intel-GUI-Linux-Undervolt
https://appimage.github.io/linux-intel-undervolt-gui/
https://github.com/lukechadwick/linux-intel-undervolt-gui
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Undervolting_CPU
https://miloserdov.org/?p=1932
https://github.com/georgewhewell/undervolt
https://github.com/mihic/linux-intel-undervolt
https://github.com/tiziw/iuvolt
https://github.com/kitsunyan/intel-undervolt
https://github.com/RobertCsordas/linux-intel-undervolt-tool

 

I also have other links saved for use with GPUs if anyone is interested in that.

 

Wow, thanks a lot - please do share that GPU stuff. I would suggest opening a quick thread on that.

"We're rushing towards a cliff, but the closer we get, the more scenic the views are."

-- Max Tegmark

 

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