Thanks to Gigabyte for a timely response! ** Description changed:
+ ##### SOLUTION ####### + + This can be solved by flashing the latest BIOS from the vendor, version "F4c". + This can be obtained here: + http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3817&dl=1#bios + By the way, once extracted, the BIOS can be flashed using flashrom, which is available in the Ubuntu repositories. + + ###################### + ##### WORKAROUND ##### To work around this issue, I change the governor of all the cpu's to 'performance'. You can put the following lines in a script and run it as root after boot. This will make all cores run at maximum rate, causing more power consumption. Note that I have four cpu's. You might have 6 or 8 if this occurs with other FX series processors. #!/bin/bash echo performance > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor echo performance > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu1/cpufreq/scaling_governor echo performance > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu2/cpufreq/scaling_governor echo performance > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu3/cpufreq/scaling_governor ###################### Dear Ones, When frequency scaling is activated (more details below) the system has short freezes, short lags, short "time-outs". They vary in length and can be as long as about 1 second. Here's a video(1). I've received help from the fantastic folks at the xorg-driver-ati mailing list. Here's the thread(2). It doesn't matter whether it is Unity or Unity 2D. Windows 7 runs smooth, without the stuttering / framedrop problem in my LCD's Maximum resolution of 1280x1024. Testing with a dedicated PCI Express GPU (Radeon R300 if I remember correctly), the stuttering persisted. Here's some testing with different governors: performance: smoothness goodness ondemand: the stuttering as demonstrated in the video conservative: stuttering reduced to seemingly about 10% compared to ondemand powersave: stuttering increase seemingly to about five times more than with ondemand When using ondemand, raising minimum frequencies results in less stuttering. Raising the minimum frequency of all four cores to the second step, 1.7GHz, helps a lot and and raising it to 2.5GHz results no stuttering. This is under the limited strain of dragging windows around in 1280x1024 in compiz, Ubuntu 11.10. I've also tested 2012-02-06 image of precise. Still occurs. As per Joseph's request on comment #5, I've also tested with upstream kernel from Mainline Kernels Archive on Oneiric. Here's the basic info: shahar@shahar-desktop:~$ uname -a Linux shahar-desktop 3.3.0-030300rc4-generic #201202181935 SMP Sun Feb 19 00:36:30 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux shahar@shahar-desktop:~$ lsb_release -a LSB Version: core-2.0-amd64:core-2.0-noarch:core-3.0-amd64:core-3.0-noarch:core-3.1-amd64:core-3.1-noarch:core-3.2-amd64:core-3.2-noarch:core-4.0-amd64:core-4.0-noarch Distributor ID: Ubuntu Description: Ubuntu 11.10 Release: 11.10 Codename: oneiric As per Joseph's request on comment #6, I've tested Gnome Classic (No Effects). It didn't happen when my CPU was an AMD Sempron 140. As soon as I switched to the AMD FX-4100 CPU this started. As per Gigabyte's instructions(3), in order to have support for this CPU, I upgraded the BIOS from the "F2" version to the "F3" version before replacing the CPU (flashrom FTW!) If it is necessary, I can still put in the old Sempron 140 CPU for testing. More stuff I tried since replacing the CPU: I have played with BIOS settings - trying different configurations. I also replaced to a new, more adequate PSU. I also tried different RAM sticks and different amounts of them (1, 2 and 4 sticks). Thanks and blessings, Shahar Links: 1. http://bit.ly/xDOZF3 (on Google Docs) 2. http://lists.x.org/archives/xorg-driver-ati/2012-February/022223.html 3. http://www.gigabyte.com/support-downloads/cpu-support-popup.aspx?pid=3817 ProblemType: BugDistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10 Package: xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7.1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-15.26-generic 3.0.13 Uname: Linux 3.0.0-15-generic x86_64 .tmp.unity.support.test.0: ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4 Architecture: amd64 CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,vpswitch,regex,animation,snap,expo,move,compiztoolbox,place,grid,imgpng,gnomecompat,wall,ezoom,workarounds,resize,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,scale,session,unityshell] CompositorRunning: None Date: Mon Feb 6 23:38:39 2012 DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-10-16 02:49:10.693391 DistroCodename: oneiric DistroVariant: ubuntu EcryptfsInUse: Yes ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, whatever it takes to get this fixed in Ubuntu GraphicsCard: ATI Technologies Inc RS880 [Radeon HD 4250] [1002:9715] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller]) Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:d000]InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007) MachineType: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. GA-880GMA-USB3 ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic root=UUID=57641e34-8b71-4e2e-9324-ff40ca1bc82a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7SourcePackage: xorg UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-16 (113 days ago) dmi.bios.date: 10/20/2011 dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc. dmi.bios.version: F3 dmi.board.name: GA-880GMA-USB3 dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. dmi.chassis.type: 3 dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF3:bd10/20/2011:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnGA-880GMA-USB3:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnGA-880GMA-USB3:rvr:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr: dmi.product.name: GA-880GMA-USB3 dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu6 version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu26 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+7ubuntu7.1 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 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2.1 version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1 -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu-X, which is subscribed to xserver-xorg-video-ati in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/927918 Title: Frequency scaling causes whole-system micro-freezes / Lags / stutters with AMD Zambezi (Bulldozer) CPU To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/927918/+subscriptions _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat Post to : ubuntu-x-swat@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
