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View Full Version : PowerMizer idea at brainstorm



James_Lochhead
April 15th, 2009, 05:09 PM
I would just like to make you guys aware of my idea for PowerMizer (http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/19223/) on the brainstorm as I think it is an issue that really needs addressing.

My idea (problem) goes like this:

PowerMizer causes sluggish desktop performance

PowerMizer is a feature of the NVidia drivers for notebook graphics card. It slows down the performance of the graphics card in order to minimize power consumption. The effect of this is sluggish performance of desktop effects, even when on mains power.

Many people are unaware of this and think that the drivers for Linux are just rubbish.

Solution #1 (mine) goes like this:

Solution #1: Petition NVidia to put PowerMizer settings in nvidia-settings

Instead of asking nvidia to implement this and that and to fix this bug and that issue; use and improve the free nouveau drivers http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/ instead.
(Make them easily usable in ubuntu)
Free drivers don't have all these problems that the proprietary nvidia drivers have all the time.

Solution #2 goes like this:

Solution #2: Use free nouveau drivers instead

Instead of asking nvidia to implement this and that and to fix this bug and that issue; use and improve the free nouveau drivers http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/ instead.
(Make them easily usable in ubuntu)
Free drivers don't have all these problems that the proprietary nvidia drivers have all the time.

I will update this thread with further solutions when I see them.

I would appreciate some feedback as well, if you like/dislike ideas. One of the problems with brainstorm is that people barely ever (in comparison to the amount of votes) leave feedback...

James_Lochhead
April 15th, 2009, 05:13 PM
Here is what I replied to solution #2 with (on the brainstorm):

I agree with #2. However, that is a very long term solution. The nouveau drivers are no where near the propriety. Plus Open Source drivers are always going to behind proprietary in terms of support for new products. It takes time for Open Source software to catch up with new products.

I think the nouveau drivers would be too big a job to fit this problem. We already have drivers that work very well except for PowerMizer.

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.