Strange "stuttering" / CPU spikes while using 3D in 11.1

Hi all,
I’ve been using SuSE for a few years now, and it seems to get better each release. However, I recently upgraded to 11.1 from 11.0 which introduced a strange new bug. I’ve done some searching around in formus, and haven’t seen anything similar yet.

When using OpenGL / 3D, I encounter brief (usually around 1s duration) spikes of 100% CPU utilization, accompanied by a “hang” in the application. Recurs every 10-20 seconds. Examples:

  • With Compiz desktop effects enabled, watching Flash video in Firefox
  • With Compiz desktop effects enabled, watching fullscreen DIVX/XVID movies in Totem
  • With Compiz desktop effects disabled
    , zooming or panning in Google Earth

No problems watching video (Firefox or Totem) while desktop effects are disabled. According to top, the process responsible for the CPU spike is X, but that could be anything using the X-Windows subsystem, right?

System configuration:

  • Intel P4 3.0 GHz, 1GB RAM, Asus P4C800-E Motherboard
  • ATI Radeon 9800 Pro AGP
  • Using proprietary fglrx driver, configured by ‘sax2 -r -m 0=fgrlx’, worked fine under 11.0
  • Creative SoundBlaster Audigy2
  • Kernel 2.6.27.13-9-pae from Factory
  • need >= 2.6.27.10 because of inotify lockup bug
  • Beagle removed
  • Pulseaudio removed

xorg.conf:

# /.../
# SaX generated X11 config file
# Created on: 2009-01-31T14:36:25-0500.
#
# Version: 8.1
# Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2005
# Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users>
#
# Automatically generated by [SaX2] (8.1)
# PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!
#

Section "Files"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/local"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/URW"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Speedo"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/PEX"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/kwintv"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/truetype"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/CID"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled"
  FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/xtest"
  FontPath     "/opt/kde3/share/fonts"
  InputDevices "/dev/gpmdata"
  InputDevices "/dev/input/mice"
EndSection

Section "Module"
  Load         "dbe"
  Load         "freetype"
  Load         "extmod"
  Load         "glx"
  Load         "dri"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
  Option       "AIGLX" "on"
  Option       "AllowMouseOpenFail" "on"
  Option       "IgnoreABI" "on"
  Option       "ZapWarning" "on"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "kbd"
  Identifier   "Keyboard[0]"
  Option       "Protocol" "Standard"
  Option       "XkbLayout" "us"
  Option       "XkbModel" "microsoftpro"
  Option       "XkbRules" "xfree86"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Driver       "mouse"
  Identifier   "Mouse[1]"
  Option       "Buttons" "5"
  Option       "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
  Option       "Name" "ImPS/2 Logitech Wheel Mouse"
  Option       "Protocol" "explorerps/2"
  Option       "Vendor" "Sysp"
  Option       "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection


Section "Monitor"
  Option       "CalcAlgorithm" "XServerPool"
  DisplaySize  338 270
  HorizSync    30-82
  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"
  ModelName    "ACER AL1714"
  Option       "DPMS"
  Option       "PreferredMode" "1280x1024"
  VendorName   "ACR"
  VertRefresh  43-75
  UseModes     "Modes[0]"
EndSection


Section "Modes"
  Identifier   "Modes[0]"
EndSection


Section "Device"
  BoardName    "R350 NH"
  Driver       "fglrx"
  Identifier   "Device[0]"
  Option       "Capabilities" "0x00000000"
  Option       "VideoOverlay" "on"
  Option       "OpenGLOverlay" "off"
  Option       "FSAAEnable" "off"
  Option       "FSAAScale" "0"
  Option       "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
  VendorName   "ATI"
EndSection


Section "Screen"
  DefaultDepth 24
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      15
    Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      16
    Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      24
    Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  SubSection "Display"
    Depth      8
    Modes      "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" 
  EndSubSection
  Device       "Device[0]"
  Identifier   "Screen[0]"
  Monitor      "Monitor[0]"
EndSection


Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier   "Layout[all]"
  InputDevice  "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
  InputDevice  "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
  Screen       "Screen[0]"
EndSection


Section "DRI"
    Group      "video"
    Mode       0660
EndSection

I tried turning OpenGL overlay on, no change.

The system is mostly usable as long as I don’t use Compiz, but I miss the widget layer and the cube - everything worked fine under 11.0!

Thanks in advance for any ideas you might have! :slight_smile: