CPU overheating in Ubuntu 18.04

Question

As I was checking the kernel logs I noticed :

kernel: CPU2: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 13430).

I have 4 CPUs and all of them have the same issue. My laptop hardware info :

K46CB (ASUS-NotebookSKU)

CPU info :

1. Architecture: x86_64

2. Model name: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3537U CPU @ 2.00GHz

I searched the log and found this CPU hardware errors in Ubuntu 17.04 and Stop cpu from overheating, I checked my packages and I have thermald and intel-microcode installed.

I can hear my laptop's fan working, but sometimes it really gets hot and I can feel it through the case.

In Windows-10, although CPU usage gets high, the temperature is usually normal.

Any idea what may have gone wrong? and what can I do to further investigate this issue?

Update

I checked thermald.service status and I found this line :

thermald[879]:sysfs read failed /sys/class/thermal/cooling_device0/cur_state

Answer 1

You should see (and possibly subscribe to) this bug report:

• Thermald sysfs read failed /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zoneX/temp

There have been numerous posts in Ask Ubuntu about CPU throttling recently:

• Core/Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled - Lenovo E590
• Set CPU temperature throttle threshold on Ubuntu/Thinkpad
• XPS 9370 thermal throttling ubuntu 18.04

All these posts say the same thing which happens to me periodically:

~$ journalctl | grep 'cpu clock throttled'
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU4: Core temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU0: Core temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU6: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU2: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU3: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU7: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU5: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU1: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU0: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)
Jun 22 10:55:52 alien kernel: CPU4: Package temperature above threshold, cpu clock throttled (total events = 1)

In my case it happens so rarely and with no adverse side-effects I've chosen to ignore the errors.

Similar launchpad bug reports on the same issue:

• Erratic behavior of CPU frequency control under load
• Kernel wrong temperature reporting

And just so you know it's not just Ubuntu, from Redhat:

• Overheating CPU generates Hardware Error messages

Answer 2

It sounds like your /etc/thermald/thermal-conf.xml file needs to be tweaked for your hardware...

I'd install thermald...

• sudo apt-get update

• sudo apt-get install thermald

Thermald comes with a default configuration file at /etc/thermald/thermal-conf.xml that will control most computers, but may need to be customized for some computers. See man thermal-conf.xml for some details and examples. Once one has modified the configuration file, stop thermald and restart it:

sudo service thermald restart

After installing thermald, I'd stop the thermald process, and run it manually as sudo thermald --no-daemon to watch its actions in real time. This real time info can be used to create your own customized thermal-conf.xml file. See man thermald for more information.

sudo service thermald stop
sudo thermald --no-daemon --loglevel=debug

You can search for thermald here on Ask Ubuntu to see what previous answers there are. Many of the answers come from me.

A good starter reference is at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/PowerManagement/ThermalIssues

Answer 3

The problem is threefold. First, you have high CPU usage. Secondly, the CPU's cooling is not enough. Third, it doesn't correctly throttle.

Higher CPU usage might be due to Unity not correctly using your hardware acceleration; and Unity is quite CPU-intensive. You might tweak it or even switch to a different desktop manager such as: Cinnamon, Kubuntu, Lubuntu or Linux Mint.

CPU Cooling on laptops is notoriously bad. CleanIng your fan and putting the laptop on a flat surface instead of fabric/pillow might help.

About throttling, you can set the maximum CPU frequency to a lower setting or switch to power saving mode.

Answer 4

update your 'thermald' to 2.4.8 the latest one. https://github.com/intel/thermal_daemon/tree/v2.4.8

run 'thermald --version' to determine your version.

reason.. many, many thermald bugs and workarounds for intel 7700 cpus etc.. https://github.com/intel/thermal_daemon/issues/293 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/thermald/+bug/1600599