[PLUG] Why is it slower on a P4?

[Richard Langis]

That reminds me:  try seeing if DMA is available on the drive:

hdparm -i /dev/hda

Here's what my 60Gig WD drive shows:

[belgarath:~]# hdparm -i /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:

  Model=WDC WD600BB-00CFC0, FwRev=02.08B02, SerialNo=WD-WMA9F1024079
  Config={ HardSect NotMFM HdSw>15uSec SpinMotCtl Fixed DTR>5Mbs FmtGapReq }
  RawCHS=16383/16/63, TrkSize=57600, SectSize=600, ECCbytes=40
  BuffType=DualPortCache, BuffSize=2048kB, MaxMultSect=16, MultSect=16
  CurCHS=16383/16/63, CurSects=16514064, LBA=yes, LBAsects=117231408
  IORDY=on/off, tPIO={min:120,w/IORDY:120}, tDMA={min:120,rec:120}
  PIO modes:  pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
  DMA modes:  mdma0 mdma1 mdma2
  UDMA modes: udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
  AdvancedPM=no WriteCache=enabled
  Drive conforms to: device does not report version:  1 2 3 4 5

[belgarath:~]#  hdparm -d /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:
  using_dma    =  1 (on)

-R



Pluimer, Randal T wrote:
> Is the controller set to Auto mode?
> If so it may be that the drive doesnt support "standard" DMA modes. Try
> setting it to a manual mode 3 or 4. (if the bios lets you)
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Russ Johnson [mailto:russj at dimstar.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 9:43 AM
> To: plug at lists.pdxlinux.org
> Cc: plug at lists.pdxlinux.org
> Subject: Re: [PLUG] Why is it slower on a P4?
> 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who sent help. I found that my Athlon system has all
> the DMA stuff turned on by default, and the Dell (Smell?) P4 has it all
> turned off by default. 
> 
> However, there's no joy in Muddville this morning, as here's the results
> of my attempts to turn it on.
> 
> First, I rebooted, and verified that DMA (UDMA in this case) is enabled
> in BIOS.
> 
> There is no POST screen on a DELL Optiplex. It just shows the stupid
> Dell logo. Like I didn't know it was a Dell?
> 
> When I run hdparm /dev/hda, I get this:
> 
> [root at ciclid root]# hdparm /dev/hda
> 
> /dev/hda:
> multcount    = 16 (on)
> IO_support   =  0 (default 16-bit)
> unmaskirq    =  0 (off)
> using_dma    =  0 (off)
> keepsettings =  0 (off)
> readonly     =  0 (off)
> readahead    =  8 (on)
> geometry     = 4865/255/63, sectors = 78165360, start = 0
> 	
> I can turn on IO_support:
> 
> [root at ciclid root]# hdparm -c1 /dev/hda
> 
> /dev/hda:
> setting 32-bit IO_support flag to 1
> IO_support   =  1 (32-bit)
>  
> But I'm unable to turn on dma mode:
> 
> [root at ciclid root]# hdparm -d1 -X34 /dev/hda
> 
> /dev/hda:
> setting using_dma to 1 (on)
> HDIO_SET_DMA failed: Operation not permitted
> setting xfermode to 34 (multiword DMA mode2)
> using_dma    =  0 (off)
>     
> I've been googling for awhile now, and I don't find much in the way of
> help. At this point, I'm assuming the chipset is not supported.
> 
> * Russ Johnson <russj at dimstar.net> [2002-11-18 21:20]:
> 
>>Here's the situation.
>>
>>I have a machine at home configured like so:
>>
>>Athlon XP 1800+
>>Soyo kt333 motherboard
>>512 mb RAM
>>40 gb hard drive
>>32 mb ATI video card
>>DVD drive
>>Creative CD-RW 12/10/32
>>Mandrake 9.0
>>
>>At work, I have the following configuration:
>>
>>P4 2.4 ghz
>>Dell mb (Sorry, it's a dell workstation. work bought it for me...)
>>1 gb RAM
>>40 gb hard drive
>>32 mb ATI video card
>>cd/dvd/cdrw combo drive
>>Mandrake 9.0
>>
>>Here's the catch... The Athlon can handle more load than the P4. I'm
>>writing this message while downloading files, burning a CD, listening to 
>>mp3s, and untaring BIG tarballs. No problem at all. 
>>
>>If I try this same thing at work, the system is EXTREMELY sluggish. The
>>mouse pointer jumps instead of smoothly crossing the screen, I can't
>>drag windows around. It's hard to get the mouse pointer to stop on the
>>window bar, let alone on a corner...
>>
>>Why would the P4 be such a dog (besides the fact that "it's a dell,
>>man."
>>
>>-- 
>>Russ Johnson
>>Stargate Online
>>http://www.dimstar.net
>>
>>Love is a hole in the heart -- Murphy's Laws on Sex n°29
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>PLUG mailing list
>>PLUG at lists.pdxlinux.org
>>http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
> 
> 

-- 
s u n  m i c r o s y s t e m s

   ~ Richard Langis Jr. ~
   richard.langis at sun.com


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