Howto Fix Your Buggy DSDT.

Originally posted by Snakedriver@May 19 2005, 09:13 PM
Harryc -- congrats!
What is your mobo?* Did you do a bios upgrade?* Which one?* Did you do a Suse reinstall?* Tell us the details.

Thanks SnakeDriver, sorry to hear of your troubles. I am running an MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum with an AMD64 3200 Winchester. I didn't do a BIOS upgrade, I found the cool 'n' quiet option hidden on a BIOS panel I didn't expect to see it on. Also I did not reinstall SuSE 9.3, it just booted right up and is stable at 1000Mhz in both SuSE and Ubuntu at idle.

ACPI-0283: *** Warning: Error evaluating _PSS
powernow-k8: 0 : fid 0x2 (1000 MHz), vid 0x12 (1100 mV)
powernow-k8: 1 : fid 0xa (1800 MHz), vid 0x8 (1350 mV)

look in /var/log/messages

looks like it did the procedure but didn't find all the values.* I would think it should start @ 800MHz, with 6-8 steps to 2000MHZ.

I think the warning is not related to the VID/FID values. They are correct as I checked them against the AMD specs. It ramps up and down from 2000 to 1800 to 1000. I checked the CPU scaling and it is functioning 100% per specs. So I'll keep looking into the ACPI-0283: *** Warning: Error evaluating _PSS, but I think it is unrelated to scaling. I'll check var/log/messages in the AM because I am booted in Ubuntu at the moment. As far as your instability, did you check voltages when you had cool 'n' quiet enabled? The VCore scales up and down too in case you were not aware. You can check the specs for that as well in the AMD white papers for your CPU. My Vcore is sitting at 1.1v at the moment at 1000mhz, it is normally 1.5v at 2ghz.

I also got MSI K8N Neo2 and also Asus A8V Deluxe (friends), both functioning correctly with Cool-n-Quite under SuSE. Just needs to be turned on in BIOS.

Originally posted by Snakedriver@May 19 2005, 09:13 PM
look in /var/log/messages

SnakeDriver, here's anything related from /var/log/messages -

May 20 05:44:54 linux kernel: powernow-k8: Found 1 AMD Athlon 64 / Opteron processors (version 1.00.09e)
May 20 05:44:54 linux kernel: ACPI-0283: *** Warning: Error evaluating _PSS
May 20 05:44:54 linux kernel: powernow-k8: 0 : fid 0x2 (1000 MHz), vid 0x12 (1100 mV)
May 20 05:44:54 linux kernel: powernow-k8: 1 : fid 0xa (1800 MHz), vid 0x8 (1350 mV)
May 20 05:44:54 linux kernel: powernow-k8: 2 : fid 0xc (2000 MHz), vid 0x6 (1400 mV)
May 20 05:44:54 linux kernel: cpu_init done, current fid 0xc, vid 0x4
May 20 05:44:54 linux kernel: powernow-k8: ph2 null fid transition 0xc
May 20 05:44:54 linux rcpowersaved: enter 'powernow_k8' into POWERSAVE_CPUFREQD_MODULE in /etc/sysconfig/powersave/cpufreq.
May 20 05:44:54 linux rcpowersaved: this will speed up starting powersaved and avoid unnecessary warnings in syslog.


Edit: I added 'powernow_k8' into POWERSAVE_CPUFREQD_MODULE in /etc/sysconfig/powersave/cpufreq and that message went away on boot. I still have the ACPI-0283: *** Warning: Error evaluating _PSS.
Still researching....

quote
I found the cool 'n' quiet option hidden on a BIOS panel
quote

I have heard of that, but haven't found it on my epox 8kda3+ KDA35401.BIN bios yet.
Will of course keep looking.

also
Suse 9.3 would not boot past usb scan with the earlier bios
It would load cpufreq just before the event
I noticed the next series of bios updated had some usb fixes in them, so I guess my problem was not with cool'n'quite.

also remember seeing that some bios functions maybe turned off if running 2 DIMMs RAM which I am (slots 1 & 3)-- susposed to give me %5 more speed. Not sure I want to pull RAM to find out.

Looks like you are on the right path -- good on you.

E@zyVG
Just needs to be turned on in BIOS.

only if I could!

Ok, here is mine compared to harryc, from last time I launched my PC:

May 18 12:10:31 a64nix kernel: ACPI: Power Button (FF) [PWRF]
May 18 12:10:31 a64nix kernel: ACPI: Sleep Button (CM) [SLPB]
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel: powernow-k8: Found 1 AMD Athlon 64 / Opteron processors (version 1.00.09e)
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel:* * ACPI-0071: *** Warning: Invalid 'package' argument
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel:* * ACPI-0316: *** Warning: Invalid _PSS data
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel: powernow-k8:* * 0 : fid 0x2 (1000 MHz), vid 0x12 (1100 mV)
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel: powernow-k8:* * 1 : fid 0xa (1800 MHz), vid 0xa (1300 mV)
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel: powernow-k8:* * 2 : fid 0xc (2000 MHz), vid 0x6 (1400 mV)
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel: powernow-k8:* * 3 : fid 0xe (2200 MHz), vid 0x2 (1500 mV)
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel: cpu_init done, current fid 0xe, vid 0x3
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix kernel: powernow-k8: ph2 null fid transition 0xe
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix rcpowersaved: enter 'powernow_k8' into POWERSAVE_CPUFREQD_MODULE in /etc/sysconfig/powersave/cpufreq.
May 18 12:10:32 a64nix rcpowersaved: this will speed up starting powersaved and avoid unnecessary warnings in syslog.

I don't know what those two errors are, but powernow is working fine.

Though my maximum is 2700Mhz, which is not there is log, but once it needs more CPU it does utilize 2700Mhz available. I don't knwo whether I also need/want to add that line to /etc/sysconfig/.... as it is running all pretty neat, better than on Windows, where I wasn't able to use C'n'Q with overclocked CPU at all.

Snake>> Which Nforce3-250GB based mobo u r using, and also can you tell me BIOS you have?

E@zyVG, is that output from booting your MSI K8N Neo2? If so, what BIOS are you running? Maybe that error is related to something in the BIOS on this board. Also on your board, does your CPU fan slow down and speed up as controlled by cool-n-quiet?

I am running the latest BIOS, 1.8, and I have water-cooled system, as u see I am hitting 2.7Ghz on NewCastle Core, and I never liked air cooling which controls the rpm, rather always used good silent coolers but very effective, such as Zalman coolers.

I don't think I am gonna try to solve whatever errors are above, as everything seems to function nicely, except "hibernation", which I know has something to do with ACPI, but don't think that above is causing the problem.

If I do find some info, I will definitely post.

E@zyVG
Quote
Snake>> Which Nforce3-250GB based mobo u r using, and also can you tell me BIOS you have?
Quote

It's an Epox 8kda3+, probably an early version, with Nforce 3-250Gb, 2- 512 pc3500 DDR RAM on slots 1 & 3. Currently running bios KDA35401 @ modified optimized defaults, i.e., not overclocked because I've been swapping bioses. And suse 9.3.

Here's what info says about my CPU:
----- /proc/cpuinfo -----
processor : 0
vendor_id : AuthenticAMD
cpu family : 15
model : 4
model name : AMD Athlon™ 64 Processor 3400+
stepping : 8
cpu MHz : 2210.013
cache size : 1024 KB
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 1
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 pni syscall nx mmxext lm 3dnowext 3dnow
bogomips : 4374.52

----- /proc/cpuinfo end -----

Cons:
BIOS flaws (not functioning Cool'n'Quiet....).

http://www.nforcershq.com/article1702.html

Harryc,
Interesting! I'm not suse it's a flaw as much as a direct codeing to satisfy the Overclockers. It was working up until the 0505 bios & all the OCrs stated to turn it off & even drain cmos to get rid of stray C&Q residue when updateing new bios. I may give it a shot just to see what happens. I rather like what I have going for me now. Did find one hidden bios goodie, the ability to turn Vcore way up -- for water/chill coolers only, will burn up air cooled mobos. Not gonna touch that.

Thanks for finding that info -- always good to see it in print.