Performance cores still running in Low Power Mode

[shadyabh]

Hi.

My laptop has Core Ultra 7 155H and I am running Fedora 41 with kernel 6.13.6.

When I check the status of intel_lpmd.service I see that it enters low power mode but when checking the core usage I see that the P cores are still running even when idle or watching Youtube video.

Is this to be expected?

I am using MTL specific config file.

I started and enabled the service and then ran the command "intel_lpmd_control AUTO" (I also tried with ON instead of AUTO and got the same thing)

Thanks

[zhang-rui]

that really depends.
please paste the config file you're running with, and also the journal log when you think the cpus should be isolated while they are not.

[shadyabh]

I have been using the following file https://github.com/intel/intel-lpmd/blob/main/data/intel_lpmd_config_F6_M170.xml

However, I then changed the values of the WLT states to the following:

        <CPUFamily> 6 </CPUFamily>
        <CPUModel> 170 </CPUModel>
        <CPUConfig> * </CPUConfig>
    <State>
        <ID> 1 </ID> <!-- no significance. number can be anything -->
        <Name> WLT_IDLE </Name>
        <WLTType> 0 </WLTType> <!-- WLTType mapped to Name -->
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>18,19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
    <State>
        <ID> 2 </ID>
        <Name> WLT_BATTERY_LIFE </Name>
        <WLTType> 1 </WLTType>
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>12-19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
    <State>
        <ID> 3 </ID>
        <Name> WLT_SUSTAINED </Name>
        <WLTType> 2 </WLTType>
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>0-19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
    <State>
        <ID> 4 </ID>
        <Name> WLT_BURSTY </Name>
        <WLTType> 3 </WLTType>
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>0,12-19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
</States>

I also changed 1 to 0 (otherwise the system does not sleep or shutdown).

Now everything is working as it should be (I enable intel_lpmd only on battery, epp=255 is okay for me).

This improved the battery life of my laptop significantly.

[sirber]

I have the same issue. Used to work, now with the same config file, power cores are always in use.

My config:

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<!--
Specifies the configuration data
for Intel Energy Optimizer (LPMD) daemon
-->

<Configuration>
	<!--
		CPU format example: 1,2,4..6,8-10
	-->
	<lp_mode_cpus></lp_mode_cpus>

	<!--
		Mode values
		0: Cgroup v2
		1: Cgroup v2 isolate
		2: CPU idle injection
	-->
	<Mode>0</Mode>

	<!--
		Default behavior when Performance power setting is used
		-1: force off. (Never enter Low Power Mode)
		 1: force on. (Always stay in Low Power Mode)
		 0: auto. (opportunistic Low Power Mode enter/exit)
	-->
	<PerformanceDef>-1</PerformanceDef>

	<!--
		Default behavior when Balanced power setting is used
		-1: force off. (Never enter Low Power Mode)
		 1: force on. (Always stay in Low Power Mode)
		 0: auto. (opportunistic Low Power Mode enter/exit)
	-->
	<BalancedDef>-1</BalancedDef>

	<!--
		Default behavior when Power saver setting is used
		-1: force off. (Never enter Low Power Mode)
		 1: force on. (Always stay in Low Power Mode)
		 0: auto. (opportunistic Low Power Mode enter/exit)
	-->
	<PowersaverDef>-1</PowersaverDef>

	<!--
		Use HFI LPM hints
		0 : No
		1 : Yes
	-->
	<HfiLpmEnable>0</HfiLpmEnable>

	<!--
		Use HFI SUV hints
		0 : No
		1 : Yes
	-->
	<HfiSuvEnable>0</HfiSuvEnable>

	<!--
		System utilization threshold to enter LP mode
		from 0 - 100
		clear both util_entry_threshold and util_exit_threshold to disable util monitor
	-->
	<util_entry_threshold>10</util_entry_threshold>

	<!--
		System utilization threshold to exit LP mode
		from 0 - 100
		clear both util_entry_threshold and util_exit_threshold to disable util monitor
	-->
	<util_exit_threshold>95</util_exit_threshold>

	<!--
		Entry delay. Minimum delay in non Low Power mode to
		enter LPM mode.
	-->
	<EntryDelayMS>0</EntryDelayMS>

	<!--
		Exit delay. Minimum delay in Low Power mode to
		exit LPM mode.
	-->
	<ExitDelayMS>0</ExitDelayMS>

	<!--
		Lowest hysteresis average in-LP-mode time in msec to enter LP mode
		0: to disable hysteresis support
	-->
	<EntryHystMS>0</EntryHystMS>

	<!--
		Lowest hysteresis average out-of-LP-mode time in msec to exit LP mode
		0: to disable hysteresis support
	-->
	<ExitHystMS>0</ExitHystMS>

	<!--
		Ignore ITMT setting during LP-mode enter/exit
		0: disable ITMT upon LP-mode enter and re-enable ITMT upon LP-mode exit
		1: do not touch ITMT setting during LP-mode enter/exit
	-->
	<IgnoreITMT>0</IgnoreITMT>

</Configuration>

mmmm looks like my config has been reset

works again if I redo the config.

[zhang-rui]

I have been using the following file https://github.com/intel/intel-lpmd/blob/main/data/intel_lpmd_config_F6_M170.xml

However, I then changed the values of the WLT states to the following:

        <CPUFamily> 6 </CPUFamily>
        <CPUModel> 170 </CPUModel>
        <CPUConfig> * </CPUConfig>
    <State>
        <ID> 1 </ID> <!-- no significance. number can be anything -->
        <Name> WLT_IDLE </Name>
        <WLTType> 0 </WLTType> <!-- WLTType mapped to Name -->
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>18,19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
    <State>
        <ID> 2 </ID>
        <Name> WLT_BATTERY_LIFE </Name>
        <WLTType> 1 </WLTType>
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>12-19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
    <State>
        <ID> 3 </ID>
        <Name> WLT_SUSTAINED </Name>
        <WLTType> 2 </WLTType>
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>0-19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
    <State>
        <ID> 4 </ID>
        <Name> WLT_BURSTY </Name>
        <WLTType> 3 </WLTType>
        <EPP> 255 </EPP>
        <EPB> 15 </EPB>
        <ActiveCPUs>0,12-19</ActiveCPUs>
        <MinPollInterval>2000</MinPollInterval>
        <ITMTState> -1 </ITMTState>
        <IRQMigrate> -1 </IRQMigrate>
    </State>
</States>

I also changed 1 to 0 (otherwise the system does not sleep or shutdown).

Now everything is working as it should be (I enable intel_lpmd only on battery, epp=255 is okay for me).

This improved the battery life of my laptop significantly.

Thanks. So everything works fine with you, right?