T40 fan control in Ubuntu 9.04

[tghlk]

My T40 has the noisy fan problem and I have a little program in windows to throttle it down or turn it off.

I can't seem to find an equivalent app for Linux. I've seen some writeups about some command lines and other suggestions such as installing additional fan control support, but can't anything working. Is there a GUI based fan control for Linux?

[eyestrain]

Some linux options here including gui: http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/How_to_control_fan_speed

I've used http://www.gambitchess.org/moin.py/ThinkPad_Fan_Control with version 8 LTS, 9.04 is trickier, you may need to compile yourself, or find one already compiled. Or try another option from the first link.

I've yet to get both fan control and undervolting (PHC linux; NHC, RMclock, CPUgenie windows) to both work at the same time in any version of Linux, have given up for now and am using Windows.

[t140568]

I've also used the gambitchess.org TPFanControl in, if I remember correctly, 9.04 without problem. I believe 9.10 was the problem for me. When I used it, I liked it a lot - usually to bring down temps and increase fan speed.

[eyestrain]

Yes, thanks, I think you're right. 9.04 is easy, and compiled for you. I tried compiling my own 9.10 and couldn't get it to work, though I also couldn't get PHC (undervolting) compiles to work either. Eventually there'll be better documentation I hope so I can go back to Linux.

t140568, if you can get PHC to work for you, or in windows, NHC, Rmclock, or CPUgenie, you can also undervolt, which can cool the computer down a lot. For c,cd,c2d, can help a lot for a stressed cpu. For Pentium M, even an idle one, if you haven't tried yet, it will floor you!

Many M's, especially Dothans, can be undervolted down to .7V at lowest speed, and heat is proportional to V squared.

I've read that CPUgenie has a good mode for idle c2d chips, but that product isn't free. It also doesn't support older chips.

I don't know if any of those windows products work in Wine, or if that's a good idea. If anyone knows, please post. Also, some people use a windows program to find the lowest V the chip can handle, then go to Linux with those numbers.

[t140568]

t140568, if you can get PHC to work for you, or in windows, NHC, Rmclock, or CPUgenie, you can also undervolt, which can cool the computer down a lot. For c,cd,c2d, can help a lot for a stressed cpu. For Pentium M, even an idle one, if you haven't tried yet, it will floor you!

I've been interested in undervolting, but have also been a bit too nervous to do it. Maybe I'll give it a try on my R50. PHC is for Linux, right? Running something like that in wine just doesn't sound like a good idea.

[eyestrain]

Yes, PHC is for Linux, NHC Windows. CPUgenie, Windows, will even automatically find all the voltages for you, for C2D only though I think, and not free.

Not much need to be nervous, as long as you don't overvolt. Undervolting, far as I know, is helpful, not harmful. The R50 I believe has a Banias Pentium M, which is almost as undervoltable as the Dothan, which I and others have gotten down to .7 volts idle, and also large reductions under use.

With Windows, I use Prime95 to test if the voltage is too low, when first setting up. Not sure what to use in Linux. Once you know what voltage is correct for your cpu, if you get PHC running, you won't need Windows.

There's threads about NHC here, but not much on PHC.

I agree about Wine, I haven't dared try it so far.