compiz+unity3d draws 3W more power than metacity+unity2d when idle (but only when i915 rc6 is disabled)

[Steve Langasek]

When running the Ubuntu 3D desktop (with Unity 3D and compiz), my system draws 3W more power when idle than when I run unity2d+metacity. This is a 25% increase in power consumption vs. idle draw with wireless on, and a 33% increase over idle draw with wireless off.

This is all when *idle*, i.e., nothing moving around on the screen... so there's no reason for the graphics chip to be drawing this kind of power because there's no 3d rendering that needs to be done.

Must be a bug somewhere.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.1.0-3.3-generic 3.1.0
Uname: Linux 3.1.0-3-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,resize,mousepoll,compiztoolbox,grid,place,gnomecompat,imgpng,unitymtgrabhandles,wall,vpswitch,move,snap,regex,animation,session,workarounds,expo,ezoom,fade,scale,unityshell,switcher]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Mon Nov 7 10:59:27 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-06-27 07:41:04.914462
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0046] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:215a]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100816.1)
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0020 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching Hub
MachineType: LENOVO 3249CTO
PackageArchitecture: all
PlymouthDebug: Error: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/log/plymouth-debug.log'
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.1.0-3-generic root=/dev/mapper/hostname-root ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-23 (44 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/23/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 6QET52WW (1.22 )
dmi.board.name: 3249CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr6QET52WW(1.22):bd08/23/2010:svnLENOVO:pn3249CTO:pvrThinkPadX201:rvnLENOVO:rn3249CTO:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 3249CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X201
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu5
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

targeted to precise and marked 'high', as part of the focus on power savings for this cycle.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Thomas Voß (thomas-voss)]

Could someone check with "i915.i915_enable_rc6=1" in /etc/default/grub? This option lowers power consumption by 4watts on my Tp X1 but I did not check against Unity 2D.

Nevertheless, the option might result in screen glitches (see http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel_i915_power&num=1).

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

On Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 03:10:41PM -0000, Thomas Voß wrote:
> Could someone check with "i915.i915_enable_rc6=1" in /etc/default/grub?
> This option lowers power consumption by 4watts on my Tp X1 but I did not
> check against Unity 2D.

The intel-drm-next kernel I'm currently running has i915.i915_enable_rc6 set
by default. I can confirm that there's no measurable difference in power
consumption between unity2d and unity3d when idle with this kernel version.

(The baseline power consumption seems to be higher overall for
reasons that I have yet to determine; but that's definitely not tied to
unity or compiz.)

--
Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/
<email address hidden> <email address hidden>

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I think the issues that make this bug particular to compiz and unity-3d may be entirely described by bug 917210.

I'm presently working on getting both fixes into my PPAs so Steve (et al) can test them.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Steve (and anyone else affected), please test the fixes for bug 917210 using _both_ of these:

ppa:vanvugt/compiz
ppa:vanvugt/unity

If that solves the problem then we can mark this as a duplicate of bug 917210 (even though this bug is older, I know).

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It is extremely likely this is bug 917210. Unless anyone has a good reason why not, I think this should soon become a duplicate of bug 917210 (despite being newer, it is more complete than this one).

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

I analyze my system's power consumption obsessively with powertop. If bug #917210 had shown up at the time I filed this bug with wake-ups directly attributable to compiz or unity, I'm pretty sure I would have noticed this. Also, as noted in comment #5, i915_enable_rc6 seems to have had a noticable impact on the power consumption when running unity.

Next time I restart my laptop, I can check out the power consumption of the 3d session and see how it compares with the version in your ppa.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

No problem. We just need to separate the kernel issue (i915) from the application bugs (compiz + unity3d). So far we have this bug logged against compiz/unity and it is apparently fixed in the kernel. Confusing to most readers.

I suggest if the real solution to this bug is i915_enable_rc6 then "compiz+unity3d" should remain in the bug title and description, but should _not_ be listed as affected projects. Only the kernel should be listed as affected... ?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Maybe this should become a duplicate of bug 818830 instead?

See also: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel_rc6_desktop&num=1

[Jorge G (geojorg)]

Is there anyway this fix can get into precise ? http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/intel-gfx/2012-February/015075.html

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The RC6 issue is discussed in bug 818830. And the unity3d+compiz issue is discussed in bug 917210. This bug is really a duplicate of both of those and should be closed when they both are.