Compiz uses 40% cpu, causes overheating

Bug #975372 reported by Zookalicious
100
This bug affects 23 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Compiz
Expired
Undecided
Unassigned
compiz (Ubuntu)
Expired
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

When using Ubuntu with the current version of Unity in the 12.04 beta, compiz consistently uses anywhere between 30 and 50 percent of the maximum CPU usage of my machine. In Ubuntu 11.10 it would almost never go above 8%. Xorg also tends to be high as well, around 10-30% of maximum usage, whereas again before it would not go about 10% in Oneiric.

This causes overheating and as a result the laptop is always hot and it only takes opening a web browser or music application to start the fans spinning up. Once again, in Ubuntu 11.10 through 10.04 this was not the case and the laptop ran quiet and cool.

Understandably this also impacts battery life. This is a new, clean install with no tweaking performed. Restarting Xorg or compiz has no effect.

If there is any other information I can provide please let me know.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.7.4-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-20.33-generic 3.2.12
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-20-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 2.0-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Fri Apr 6 14:15:32 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Beta amd64 (20120328)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBook5,1
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_CA:en
 TERM=xterm
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic root=UUID=3a1c6a98-66dc-4776-a091-d7fd5f14b937 ro vga=773 quiet splash pcia_aspm=force vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 04/27/09
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MB51.88Z.007D.B03.0904271443
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag#
dmi.board.name: Mac-F42D89C8
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: Proto
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset Tag#
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F42D89C8
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMB51.88Z.007D.B03.0904271443:bd04/27/09:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBook5,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F42D89C8:rvrProto:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-F42D89C8:
dmi.product.name: MacBook5,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.4-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu9
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

Revision history for this message
Zookalicious (chrishylands) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Zookalicious (chrishylands) wrote :

I'm debating whether or not this is a duplicate, or if it actually might be a Clementine bug. I've been playing around with this a bit today, and it seems that the high compiz / xorg usage only occurs when clementine is opened. However CPU usage returns to normal when clementine is closed or minimized, regardless of whether or not it is playing. Clementine seems to be the only application (so far) that causes this spike.

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Changed in compiz (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Ufisch (kontakt-ufisch) wrote :

I don't have installed clementine. But for me it's Chromium and Skype causing this high CPU usage.

Revision history for this message
Karl Frisk (karl-frisk) wrote :

Reading the arguments for closing bug bug #803943 I believe this bug should be unmarked as a duplicate. This bug here is not about decreasing performance over time but about the general cpu usage of xorg and compiz.

The problem described in the intitial report still exists in 12.10 Quantal beta 1. Moving around a window makes compiz use 25% and xorg 15% of cpu (Ivy Bridge i7, Intel Graphics HD 4000).

Revision history for this message
Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt) wrote :

Done.

Zookalicious: Do you still experience this bug?

Changed in compiz (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Changed in compiz:
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Zookalicious (chrishylands) wrote :

Hi sorry I haven't used Ubuntu for a few months because of this bug and others introduced in 12.04. I still have a 12.04 partition at home that I'll boot into and see if this problem still exists once I have updated everything.

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

[Expired for compiz (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

Changed in compiz (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

[Expired for Compiz because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

Changed in compiz:
status: Incomplete → Expired
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