sluggish response, cpu maxes

[nubcnubdo]

Biostar M5SAA motherboard
SiS 530 chipset
AMD K6-2/450mhz
6.4 GB Seagate hdd
256 MB pc100 ram
onboard SiS 530/620 PCI/AGP VGA display adapter
onboard ESS Solo-1 sound
Davicom D-Link 530TX 10/100 nic
cdrom
fdd

VL Standard 5.8 is running sluggish on this computer, with a lotta scroll lag. Running htop shows CPU usage maxes out on

Code:

PID           CPU%                    Command
3582          100              /usr/X11R6/bin/X -br -nolisten tcp :0

I am guessing this is a bad vid driver. How do I proceed?

Xorg.conf (partial)

Code:

Identifier   "Monitor0"
VendorName   "CTX"
ModelName    "7695"
HorizSync 30-70
VertRefresh 50-160
### Comment all HorizSync and VertSync values to use DDC:
HorizSync    30.0 - 70.0
VertRefresh  50.0 - 160.0
Option     "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
### Available Driver options are:-
### Values: <i>: integer, <f>: float, <bool>: "True"/"False",
### <string>: "String", <freq>: "<f> Hz/kHz/MHz"
### [arg]: arg optional
#Option     "Accel"              # [<bool>]
#Option     "AccelMethod"        # <str>
#Option     "TurboQueue"          # [<bool>]
#Option     "FastVram"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "HostBus"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "RenderAcceleration" # [<bool>]
#Option     "ForceCRT1Type"      # <str>
#Option     "ForceCRT2Type"      # <str>
#Option     "ShadowFB"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "DRI"                # [<bool>]
#Option     "AGPSize"            # <i>
#Option     "GARTSize"            # <i>
#Option     "Vesa"                # [<bool>]
#Option     "MaxXFBMem"          # <i>
#Option     "EnableSiSCtrl"      # [<bool>]
#Option     "SWCursor"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "HWCursor"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "UseColorHWCursor"    # [<bool>]
#Option     "Rotate"              # <str>
#Option     "Reflect"            # <str>
#Option     "Xvideo"              # [<bool>]
#Option     "InternalModes"      # [<bool>]
#Option     "OverruleFrequencyRanges" # [<bool>]
#Option     "RestoreBySetMode"    # [<bool>]
#Option     "ForceCRT1"          # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvOnCRT2"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "PanelDelayCompensation" # <i>
#Option     "PDC"                # <i>
#Option     "PanelDelayCompensation2" # <i>
#Option     "PDC2"                # <i>
#Option     "PanelDelayCompensation1" # <i>
#Option     "PDC1"                # <i>
#Option     "EMI"                # <i>
#Option     "LVDSHL"              # <i>
#Option     "ForcePanelRGB"      # <i>
#Option     "SpecialTiming"      # <str>
#Option     "TVStandard"          # <str>
#Option     "UseROMData"          # [<bool>]
#Option     "UseOEMData"          # [<bool>]
#Option     "YV12"                # [<bool>]
#Option     "CHTVType"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "CHTVOverscan"        # [<bool>]
#Option     "CHTVSuperOverscan"  # [<bool>]
#Option     "CHTVLumaBandwidthCVBS" # <i>
#Option     "CHTVLumaBandwidthSVIDEO" # <i>
#Option     "CHTVLumaFlickerFilter" # <i>
#Option     "CHTVChromaBandwidth" # <i>
#Option     "CHTVChromaFlickerFilter" # <i>
#Option     "CHTVCVBSColor"      # [<bool>]
#Option     "CHTVTextEnhance"    # <i>
#Option     "CHTVContrast"        # <i>
#Option     "SISTVEdgeEnhance"    # <i>
#Option     "SISTVAntiFlicker"    # <str>
#Option     "SISTVSaturation"    # <i>
#Option     "SISTVCFilter"        # [<bool>]
#Option     "SISTVYFilter"        # <i>
#Option     "SISTVColorCalibFine" # <i>
#Option     "SISTVColorCalibCoarse" # <i>
#Option     "SISTVXScale"        # <i>
#Option     "SISTVYScale"        # <i>
#Option     "TVXPosOffset"        # <i>
#Option     "TVYPosOffset"        # <i>
#Option     "SIS6326TVAntiFlicker" # <str>
#Option     "SIS6326TVEnableYFilter" # [<bool>]
#Option     "SIS6326TVYFilterStrong" # [<bool>]
#Option     "SIS6326TVForcePlug" # <str>
#Option     "SIS6326FSCAdjust"    # <i>
#Option     "YPbPrAspectRatio"    # <str>
#Option     "TVBlueWorkAround"    # [<bool>]
#Option     "ColorHWCursorBlending" # [<bool>]
#Option     "ColorHWCursorBlendThreshold" # <i>
#Option     "CRT2Detection"      # [<bool>]
#Option     "ForceCRT2ReDetection" # [<bool>]
#Option     "SenseYPbPr"          # [<bool>]
#Option     "CRT1Gamma"          # [<bool>]
#Option     "CRT2Gamma"          # [<str>]
#Option     "GammaBrightness"    # <str>
#Option     "GammaBrightnessCRT2" # <str>
#Option     "CRT2GammaBrightness" # <str>
#Option     "Brightness"          # <str>
#Option     "NewGammaBrightness" # <str>
#Option     "CRT2Brightness"      # <str>
#Option     "CRT2NewGammaBrightness" # <str>
#Option     "Contrast"            # <str>
#Option     "NewGammaContrast"    # <str>
#Option     "CRT2Contrast"        # <str>
#Option     "CRT2NewGammaContrast" # <str>
#Option     "CRT1Saturation"      # <i>
#Option     "XvGamma"            # [<str>]
#Option     "XvDefaultContrast"  # <i>
#Option     "XvDefaultBrightness" # <i>
#Option     "XvDefaultHue"        # <i>
#Option     "XvDefaultSaturation" # <i>
#Option     "XvDefaultDisableGfx" # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvDefaultDisableGfxLR" # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvChromaMin"        # <i>
#Option     "XvChromaMax"        # <i>
#Option     "XvUseChromaKey"      # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvInsideChromaKey"  # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvYUVChromaKey"      # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvDisableColorKey"  # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvUseMemcpy"        # [<bool>]
#Option     "BenchmarkMemcpy"    # [<bool>]
#Option     "XvDefaultAdaptor"    # <str>
#Option     "ScaleLCD"            # [<bool>]
#Option     "CenterLCD"          # [<bool>]
#Option     "EnableHotkey"        # [<bool>]
#Option     "ForceCRT1VGAAspect" # <str>
#Option     "ForceCRT2VGAAspect" # <str>
#Option     "MergedFB"            # [<str>]
#Option     "TwinView"            # [<str>]
#Option     "MergedFBAuto"        # [<bool>]
#Option     "CRT2HSync"          # <str>
#Option     "SecondMonitorHorizSync" # <str>
#Option     "CRT2VRefresh"        # <str>
#Option     "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" # <str>
#Option     "CRT2Position"        # <str>
#Option     "TwinViewOrientation" # <str>
#Option     "MetaModes"          # <str>
#Option     "MergedDPI"          # <str>
#Option     "MergedXinerama"      # [<bool>]
#Option     "TwinviewXineramaInfo" # [<bool>]
#Option     "MergedXineramaCRT2IsScreen0" # [<bool>]
#Option     "MergedNonRectangular" # [<bool>]
#Option     "MergedMouseRestriction" # [<bool>]
Identifier  "Card0"
Driver      "sis"
VendorName  "Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS]"
BoardName   "530/620 PCI/AGP VGA Display Adapter"
BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device     "Card0"
Monitor    "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport   0 0
Depth     1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport   0 0
Depth     4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport   0 0
Depth     8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport   0 0
Depth     15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport   0 0
Depth     16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Viewport   0 0
Depth     24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

[nubcnubdo]

According to "free" output, the swap partition is not being used. How do I force VL 5.8 Std to use the swap partition?

Code:

user:$ free
               total        used       free     shared     buffers     cached
Mem:         181488        176772      4716          0       7464      97268
-/+ buffers/cache:          72040     109448
Swap:        390716             0     390716

   

[saulgoode]

I don't believe your lack of swap usage is a problem; nonetheless, you can change the priority of swap/cache by modifying /proc/sys/vm/swappiness (a web search will provide a better explanation than I could).

I think your first suspicion is probably correct (i.e., the SIS driver). I don't know the solution, though.

[Joe1962]

This sounds like a certain known issue with 5.8 Std Gold and certain hardware. Try a reinstall of the same xorg version, this should fix it if it is that issue.

[nubcnubdo]

I have two of these boxes, identical, so now there are two sluggish VL machines, exact same problem. The first one I have already reconfigured Xorg from prompt and VASM. The problem persists after reconfiguration of Xorg.conf in the case of the first box.

The sluggishness reminds me of a caching issue, or lack of caching. Lots of lag, long delays. Firefox maxes out the CPU when called.

[Joe1962]

I didn't mean reconfigure, I meant reinstall the x11 package.

[lagagnon]

See if it makes any difference if you substitute the "vesa" Driver for the "Sis" Driver in /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

[nubcnubdo]

I re-installed the X11 package with G-slapt, but the results were negligible. Renaming the vid driver as "vesa" brought some improvement, but system performance isn't acceptable. For example, it won't play a YouTube video smoothly; instead, very choppy play with regular drop-outs of sound.

[lagagnon]

nubcnubdo: I remember a couple of similar machines I worked on with that hardware config. The SIS 530 is a dog of a video chip, uses some of your onboard RAM as it doesn't have much itself. You might want to slap another video card in those boxes. IMHO I think you are hardware limited  ... I don't think this is a driver/OS issue...

[nubcnubdo]

This mobo doesnt have an AGP slot, so I tried a 16MB pci vid card and a 32MB pci vid card, and it still wouldnt play a YouTube video passably. So I think I will save my pci vid cards for another day, and look for another solution. Either some jumper is wrong, or maybe I should just chuck this board and substitute a P3/socket370 board.

What are minimum specs for playing YouTube videos, anyway?

[lagagnon]

What are minimum specs for playing YouTube videos, anyway?

Don;t really know exactly, but running "top" on my AMD XP3200 box, FX5600 256MB video card with 1GB RAM shows that I am consuming about 14-16% CPU to watch a YouTube video: that is about 8% mplayer plugin, 4% X resources and 4% Opera browser. So you can imagine how much higher that number would be on a lesser machine.

You are definetely trying to do things with that old CPU-mobo-video combo that it was never designed for, IMHO.

[orasis]

Codecs are usually to blame when the CPU spikes. - Actually if you go into windows task manager and watch the same video - and then a video of the same size on an older version of let's say ... vanilla MPG with less compression you will also see that the CPU spikes a lot more on the more recent 'codecs'....

Sometimes the person who ripped and compressed the video made some errors... this leads to massive CPU spikes.. - has happened to me a few times.

[hata_ph]

the same problem happen to me.....I am using a Compaq M300 with VL 58 GOLD
sometime it will show 100% CPU usage which surfing net using seamonkey....
below is the hardware spec

Display               12.1-inch color TFT XGA
Processor         Intel Pentium III 600-MHz
Cache Memory    256-KB integrated
Memory              320 MB SDRAM
Hard Drive        12-GB SMART
Modem                Mini-PCI v.90 modem / 10/100 TX NIC Combo
Graphics         ATI RAGE LT Pro - 4MB of SGRAM
Audio                   Compaq Premier· Sound™

does it really due to the built-in graphic?

[Joe1962]

100% CPU usage which surfing net using seamonkey....

Now that could be flash. Or Adobe Acrobat, if you were using that...

[The Headacher]

the same problem happen to me.....I am using a Compaq M300 with VL 58 GOLD
sometime it will show 100% CPU usage which surfing net using seamonkey....
below is the hardware spec

Display               12.1-inch color TFT XGA
Processor         Intel Pentium III 600-MHz
Cache Memory    256-KB integrated
Memory              320 MB SDRAM
Hard Drive        12-GB SMART
Modem                Mini-PCI v.90 modem / 10/100 TX NIC Combo
Graphics         ATI RAGE LT Pro - 4MB of SGRAM
Audio                   Compaq Premier· Sound™

does it really due to the built-in graphic?

I have the exact same box, it roxx!!! I upgraded the harddisk to 80 GB though. I occasionally get some trouble with firefox eating up all my speed (I don't use Seamonkey), but I agree with Joe. It's probably either Flash, or the mplayer plugin.. my bet is on Flash. The ATI RAGE might suck under Linux (It actually plays quake2 rather well in winDOS), but I don't think it'll cause the cpu to spike....