xserver-xorg-video-radeon issues/questions/help

[Michel Dänzer]

On Son, 2013-03-24 at 14:02 -0400, William Diehl wrote: 
> Debian X Strike Force:
> 
> Machine: HP Dv7-4170us Entertainment Laptop with Switchable Radeon
> Graphics
> 
> Issue 1: When using xserver-xorg-video-radeon with Debian Squeeze or
> Wheezy, the GPU(s) get quite hot. The wrist-rest area to the left of the
> touchpad gets uncomfortably hot.
> 
> Issue 2: When using xserver-xorg-video-radeon with Debian Squeeze or
> Wheezy, I have found no way to switch GPUs or control the GPU events.
> 
> GPU Info From lspci: 
> 
> 01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI
> RS880M [Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Series]
> 02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI
> Manhattan [Mobility Radeon HD 5400 Series]
> 02:00.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Cedar HDMI
> Audio [Radeon HD 5400/6300 Series]
> 
> When running this machine with Windows 7, the Catalyst Control Center
> allows switching from Radeon HD 5400 while on AC power to Radeon HD 4200
> for battery operation (to reduce power consumption). In either mode, the
> GPU(s) run cool and the cooling fan runs slow and quiet.
> 
> With Debian Squeeze and Wheezy, the GPUs get very hot and the cooling
> fan must often run fast to keep the insides from over heating.
> 
> >From my research, I learned that support for Mobility Radeon HD 4200
> Series was dropped in recent versions of ATI's fglrx Catalyst Control
> Center and the suggestion was to stay with using
> xserver-xorg-video-radeon. I was led to conclude that earlier versions
> of fglrx that may be compatible with my HP laptop are not compatible
> with the kernel and certain libraries found in Wheezy.
> 
> Question 1: Is there a way to use xserver-xorg-video-radeon on this
> machine and cool down the GPUs?

http://wiki.x.org/wiki/radeonBuildHowTo#radeon-KMS_power-management
might help.


> Question 2: Do I have to use fglrx to get the GPUs to switch when the
> power source changes and to operate properly and cooly?

If the discrete GPU is connected to display outputs via MUX, the
so-called 'VGA switcheroo' might be what you need. If your laptop is
muxless (PowerXpress or whatever the marketing term is) though, I'm
afraid you're out of luck with Wheezy, let alone Squeeze.


Someone on the xorg-driver-ati at lists.x.org list (in CC) might have more
ideas.


-- 
Earthling Michel Dänzer           |                   http://www.amd.com
Libre software enthusiast         |          Debian, X and DRI developer