LinuxQuestions.org

LinuxQuestions.org (/questions/)
-   Linux - Hardware (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/)
-   -   Low performance Intel dual 2.66Mhz (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/low-performance-intel-dual-2-66mhz-612709/)

jtm_tango 01-10-2008 05:00 PM
Low performance Intel dual 2.66Mhz
 
Hi! I have Kubuntu with an Intel Dualcore 2.66Mhz, 1GB RAM and i think it has a too low performance. I searched for benchmark tools, but i could't find nothing that helps me compare my box with some "standards"...

It takes too long to load programs, and when i have Openofice, Swiftfox, Amarok running i have to wait some seconds to switch between them. Is that normal?

Thanks for help! jtm_tango

jailbait 01-10-2008 06:34 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtm_tango (Post 3018305)

It takes too long to load programs,
How long a program takes to load is governed by how fast your hard drive access is. The CPU speed has almost nothing to do with how fast or slow a program loads. Loading a program can also be slowed down dramatically if memory is over utilized and some pages have to be swapped out so that there is room to load the program. After a program loads slowly use the free command to see if you had to do any swapping to get the program loaded.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jtm_tango (Post 3018305)

when i have Openofice, Swiftfox, Amarok running i have to wait some seconds to switch between them. Is that normal?
This slowdown is most likely caused by memory being over utilized. When you get this condition use the free command to see if you have started swapping.

---------------------------
Steve Stites

crenclan 01-10-2008 07:12 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtm_tango (Post 3018305)
Hi! I have Kubuntu with an Intel Dualcore 2.66Mhz, 1GB RAM and i think it has a too low performance. I searched for benchmark tools, but i could't find nothing that helps me compare my box with some "standards"...

It takes too long to load programs, and when i have Openofice, Swiftfox, Amarok running i have to wait some seconds to switch between them. Is that normal?

Thanks for help! jtm_tango
Sounds like you have an intel 805. I have one. It ain't no ball of fire. You could try superpi to bench it. Google superpi linux. You should find it & some benchmarks to compare to.

Electro 01-11-2008 02:12 AM
jailbait is correct that the accessing time spec of hard drives relates to how fast programs loads up. For the lowest loading times find hard drives with the lowest accessing times such as Western Digital "Raptor" series or even better an SSD hard drive with ECC from MTRON.

If you have slow switching between programs, check how many services you are running, check if you are using a SMP kernel, and check if the video card driver is doing 2D acceleration. Also check if tsc timing are screwing up.

jtm_tango 01-13-2008 03:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jailbait (Post 3018392)
After a program loads slowly use the free command to see if you had to do any swapping to get the program loaded.
This slowdown is most likely caused by memory being over utilized. When you get this condition use the free command to see if you have started swapping.
Thanks! Now i'm listening Amarok, browsing the web (buffering Prison Break from tudou.com) and my free output is:
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 1029092 1016112 12980 0 86656 302872
-/+ buffers/cache: 626584 402508
Swap: 883532 38440 845092

How can i read this information?
Should i swap more than i do? How should i do that?

thanks!
jtm_tango

jailbait 01-13-2008 04:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtm_tango (Post 3021269)
Thanks! Now i'm listening Amarok, browsing the web (buffering Prison Break from tudou.com) and my free output is:
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 1029092 1016112 12980 0 86656 302872
-/+ buffers/cache: 626584 402508
Swap: 883532 38440 845092

How can i read this information?
Should i swap more than i do? How should i do that?

thanks!
jtm_tango
The important number is that you are using 38440 swap blocks. This means that you have 38440 pages sitting on the swap partition. Each page is either 4k or 8k bytes long depending on your systems page size. So at peak usage you are trying to use either either 1353760k or 2707520k more memory than exists in RAM. Shuffling all this memory between RAM and the swap partition is what is slowing things down.

You do not want to swap more. You want to swap less to speed things up. Either buy more ram or cut down on your peak memory load.

-------------------------
Steve Stites

jtm_tango 01-13-2008 04:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by crenclan (Post 3018418)
Sounds like you have an intel 805. I have one. It ain't no ball of fire. You could try superpi to bench it. Google superpi linux. You should find it & some benchmarks to compare to.
Hi, here is the cpuinfo...

Code:
>> cpu.1: cpuinfo
----- /proc/cpuinfo -----
  processor    : 0
  vendor_id    : GenuineIntel
  cpu family    : 15
  model        : 4
  model name    :              Intel(R) Pentium(R) D  CPU 2.66GHz
  stepping      : 7
  cpu MHz              : 2677.981
  cache size    : 1024 KB
  physical id  : 0
  siblings      : 2
  core id              : 0
  cpu cores    : 2
  fpu          : yes
  fpu_exception : yes
  cpuid level  : 5
  wp            : yes
  flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl tm2 cid cx16 xtpr lahf_lm
  bogomips      : 5360.46
  clflush size  : 64
  cache_alignment      : 128
  address sizes : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
  power management:

  processor    : 1
  vendor_id    : GenuineIntel
  cpu family    : 15
  model        : 4
  model name    :              Intel(R) Pentium(R) D  CPU 2.66GHz
  stepping      : 7
  cpu MHz              : 2677.981
[etc...]
I have tried superpi and here are my benchmarks:
Code:
End of calculation.    Time=      35.086 Sec.
 End of data output.    Time=      0.204 Sec.
 Total calculation(I/O) time=      35.290(      1.096) Sec.
 ------ Ended super_pi run : dom ene 13 22:57:01 CET 2008
It seems to be ok... i think jailbailt and electro are right about my hd's performance...
any advice? :)

jtm_tango 01-13-2008 04:09 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Electro (Post 3018734)
jailbait is correct that the accessing time spec of hard drives relates to how fast programs loads up. For the lowest loading times find hard drives with the lowest accessing times such as Western Digital "Raptor" series or even better an SSD hard drive with ECC from MTRON.
i made an
Code:
hdparm -t /dev/hdc1
and got:

Code:
/dev/hdc1:
 Timing buffered disk reads:  194 MB in  3.06 seconds =  63.39 MB/sec
i have no idea if this is ok or too slow...



Quote:
If you have slow switching between programs, check how many services you are running
how can i do this? and how do i know wich services do i really need and which ones could i stop?

Quote:
, check if you are using a SMP kernel, and check if the video card driver is doing 2D acceleration. Also check if tsc timing are screwing up.
my kernel is 2.6.22-14-generic (kubuntu gutsy)

i have an nVidia GeForce 7 Series with the nv controller... what is the tsc timing?

thanks for helping!

jtm_tango

lazlow 01-13-2008 04:21 PM
tango

Your hard drive speed is probably middle of the road, so I would say that is not the real issue.

You are using up too much memory. This could be from running too many programs(probably not), too many services(usually not with 1gb+), or you could have something malfunctioning. In a terminal run 'top' and paste the results back here. This will show us what is using all the memory.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:37 PM.