Bad performance with last 2 kernels.

[JvdB80]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right place in the forum so feel free to move the topic to the right place.

Since the Spectre/Meltdown patches in the kernel I'm experiencing bad performance on my laptop. Video playback (Netflix) is stuttering and the Idle CPU clockspeeds are way higher then with older kernels.

Am I the only one having these problems?

Specs:
OS: Linux Mint 18.3
Last good working Kernel: 4.10.0-42-generic

Laptop: MSI GP70 2QF
CPU: Core i7-4720HQ

[Pjotr]

Please generate an overview of your system like this:
- Launch a terminal window (this is how to launch a terminal window);
- make the terminal window full screen, to avoid chopped lines;
- Copy/paste this command into the terminal:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

(if you type: the letter F is a capital letter)

Press Enter.

Copy/paste the output in your next message.

[JvdB80]

As requested:

Code: Select all

System:    Host: MSI-Mint-18 Kernel: 4.10.0-42-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3) Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   Mobo: Micro-Star model: MS-175A v: REV:1.0 Bios: American Megatrends v: E175AIMS.111 date: 09/18/2015
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i7-4720HQ (-HT-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 20752
           clock speeds: max: 3600 MHz 1: 799 MHz 2: 799 MHz 3: 804 MHz 4: 799 MHz 5: 799 MHz 6: 799 MHz
           7: 980 MHz 8: 971 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Card-2: NVIDIA GM107M [GeForce GTX 950M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1920x1080@60.01hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell Mobile GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.4 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 Intel 8 Series/C220 Series High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-2 Intel Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:03.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.10.0-42-generic
Network:   Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros Killer E220x Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: alx port: d000 bus-ID: 04:00.0
           IF: enp4s0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel Wireless 3160 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 05:00.0
           IF: wlp5s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (16.8% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: Samsung_SSD_850 size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 46G used: 13G (30%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: /home size: 372G used: 53G (15%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda6
           ID-3: swap-1 size: 14.31GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 256 Uptime: 2:49 Memory: 2353.5/15963.0MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 

[Pjotr]

Try this:

1. Roll back to the latest kernel of the 4.4 series (currently 4.4.0-112, this one also contains Meltdown fixes):
Update Manager - panel: View - Linux kernels

2. Switch the graphics driver:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... l-graphics
(item 6, left column)

3. If need be, disable all visual effects in Cinnamon:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... n-Cinnamon
(item 7.1, right column)

[JvdB80]

Pjotr,

The kernel in my quote is the the last one that's working good..
There are 2 newer kernels now and they have issues. With posted kernel Idle cpu clock will go below 900Mhz. With newer ones the cpu clock wont go below the 1,5Ghz.

So, I know ho to use an older kernel. I was just wondering if I'am the only one having these issues.

Furthermore, maybe I should do a bugreport somewhere but I don't know where I should do this for Mint

[Laurent85]

Kernel patches addressing Spectre & Meltdown vulnerabilities can have huge overhead on hardware, its a known issue.

See https://insights.ubuntu.com/2018/01/24/ ... d-to-know/ > How do the mitigations affect performance?

[Pjotr]

Kernel patches addressing Spectre & Meltdown vulnerabilities can have huge overhead on hardware, its a known issue.

See https://insights.ubuntu.com/2018/01/24/ ... d-to-know/ > How do the mitigations affect performance?

True, but on my (rather low-powered) Intel hardware I see no difference in perceived performance.... Such a drastic performance reduction on such powerful hardware as the OP has, seems out of the ordinary.

[JvdB80]

Kernel patches addressing Spectre & Meltdown vulnerabilities can have huge overhead on hardware, its a known issue.

See https://insights.ubuntu.com/2018/01/24/ ... d-to-know/ > How do the mitigations affect performance?

True, but on my (rather low-powered) Intel hardware I see no difference in perceived performance.... Such a drastic performance reduction on such powerful hardware as the OP has, seems out of the ordinary.

Even if there is an impact on the performance, it doesn't explain that the processor clock doesn't go below the 1.x Ghz anymore when Idle.

Even the video should not stutter on this hardware. An old C2D laptop that I own plays Netflix without stutter (didn't try the new Kernel on that oune though) This Laptop should fly when comparing even with 10 or 20 percent performance loss.

[Laurent85]

Suspicion confirmed, up to 800 percent CPU overhead Netflix tests show.
viewtopic.php?f=58&t=260764&start=520#p1430176

[Petermint]

800% is not a meltdown/spectre fix. They run at about 30%. Must be something else. There are new kernels with reduced support for old graphics. Search for problems with your graphics chip then processor. Google often does a better job than the search for this forum. Google will also find problems listed under Ubuntu.

[sarge816]

Same here with the 4.4.0-112 across several various computer systems. These include:
1) Dell E6230 laptop with i5 3320M (3rd gen / ivy bridge) / 4GB DDR3 / HD4000 / 120GB SSD
2) HTPC / DIY Box with i5 3570 (3rd gen / ivy bridge) / 8GB DDR3 / Geforce GT630 / 120GB SSD & 2TB + 2TB HD
3) old Dell SFF desktop with a Core2 Duo 2.93GHz / 4GB DDR2 / 32GB SSD.

All computers are on Mint 18.3 and the performance hit on all systems is very measurable for me. Anecdotal evidence is delays when opening of programs, laggy web browsing, halved FPS in the few games I ever play, etc. I went back to 4.10 until 4.15 comes out in the software manager as the performance is just night and day. 4.15 supposedly has a 10% performance improvement so I guess we'll see.