Sluggish video response when enabling 2nd video cards monitors

Support & Help Requests
#1

I have a machine where I have the need for multiple display (6 total). Main use is terminals, text windows, RDP into other devices, and web browsing.

This machine has (2) AMD FirePro v5800 cards and both cards are recognized as well as the attached monitors. On the default install the monitors on the 2nd card are disabled. While in this mode video response is crisp and clear on the 3 monitors attached to the 1st card. Moving and resizing windows, browsing, etc. As soon as I enable the monitors on the 2nd card, put them in the proper orientation and apply the changes, video response across all the monitors becomes sluggish. Moving and resizing windows, even scrolling becomes sluggish. As soon as I disable the monitors on the 2nd card video response returns to normal. What I do noticed that when enabled you will hear the fans on the cards spool up trying to coll them off. This is even with no windows open and just a fresh reboot. This is on a fresh install of 18.04.

Anyone else run into this problem with multiple video cards. Odd I have another machine with just 4 monitors on two different video cards (one AMD one intel) and that one does not have an issue. So odd that I have issues on this machine with identical video cards.

#2

Are any of the displays rotated, ie in portrait mode?

#3

All are in landscape mode. 2 rows of 3 horizontally. 1st initialized card (monitors that were on during install) on the bottom, 2nd card on the top.

#4

Post the output of

xrandr

Check for drm errors in dmesg:

dmesg | grep drm

Also could be error messages in /var/log/Xorg.0.log or Xorg.1.log

Does the motherboard support AMD CrossFireX ? What is the CPU and Motherboard model.

Vertify that the GPU temp increases - use the sensors command (you might have to setup lmsensors).

Sounds like the system is disabling one GPU and trying to run both sets of displays with the remaining GPU. If the two cards were different, the slower GPU would/could be disabled. If the motherboard supports CrossFire, you might try disabling the CrossFire feature in the BIOS.

djb

#5

xrandr output:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 5760 x 2160, maximum 8192 x 8192
DisplayPort-0 connected 1920x1080+0+1080 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
1920x1080 60.00*+
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1280x960 60.00
1280x720 60.00
1024x768 75.03 70.07 60.00
832x624 74.55
800x600 72.19 75.00 60.32 56.25
640x480 75.00 72.81 66.67 59.94
720x400 70.08
DisplayPort-1 connected primary 1920x1080+1920+1080 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
1920x1080 60.00*+
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1280x960 60.00
1280x720 60.00
1024x768 75.03 70.07 60.00
832x624 74.55
800x600 72.19 75.00 60.32 56.25
640x480 75.00 72.81 66.67 59.94
720x400 70.08
DVI-0 connected 1920x1080+3840+1080 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
1920x1080 60.00*+
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1280x960 60.00
1280x720 60.00
1024x768 75.03 70.07 60.00
832x624 74.55
800x600 72.19 75.00 60.32 56.25
640x480 75.00 72.81 66.67 59.94
720x400 70.08
DisplayPort-1-2 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
1920x1080 60.00*+
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1280x960 60.00
1280x720 60.00
1024x768 75.03 70.07 60.00
832x624 74.55
800x600 72.19 75.00 60.32 56.25
640x480 75.00 72.81 66.67 59.94
720x400 70.08
DisplayPort-1-3 connected 1920x1080+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
1920x1080 60.00*+
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1280x960 60.00
1280x720 60.00
1024x768 75.03 70.07 60.00
832x624 74.55
800x600 72.19 75.00 60.32 56.25
640x480 75.00 72.81 66.67 59.94
720x400 70.08
DVI-1-1 connected 1920x1080+3840+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
1920x1080 60.00*+
1680x1050 59.88
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1280x960 60.00
1280x720 60.00
1024x768 75.03 70.07 60.00
832x624 74.55
800x600 72.19 75.00 60.32 56.25
640x480 75.00 72.81 66.67 59.94
720x400 70.08
1920x1080 (0x49) 148.500MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 1920 start 2008 end 2052 total 2200 skew 0 clock 67.50KHz
v: height 1080 start 1084 end 1089 total 1125 clock 60.00Hz
1680x1050 (0x4a) 119.000MHz +HSync -VSync
h: width 1680 start 1728 end 1760 total 1840 skew 0 clock 64.67KHz
v: height 1050 start 1053 end 1059 total 1080 clock 59.88Hz
1280x1024 (0x4b) 135.000MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 1280 start 1296 end 1440 total 1688 skew 0 clock 79.98KHz
v: height 1024 start 1025 end 1028 total 1066 clock 75.02Hz
1280x1024 (0x4c) 108.000MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 1280 start 1328 end 1440 total 1688 skew 0 clock 63.98KHz
v: height 1024 start 1025 end 1028 total 1066 clock 60.02Hz
1440x900 (0x4d) 88.750MHz +HSync -VSync
h: width 1440 start 1488 end 1520 total 1600 skew 0 clock 55.47KHz
v: height 900 start 903 end 909 total 926 clock 59.90Hz
1280x960 (0x4e) 108.000MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 1280 start 1376 end 1488 total 1800 skew 0 clock 60.00KHz
v: height 960 start 961 end 964 total 1000 clock 60.00Hz
1280x720 (0x4f) 74.250MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 1280 start 1390 end 1430 total 1650 skew 0 clock 45.00KHz
v: height 720 start 725 end 730 total 750 clock 60.00Hz
1024x768 (0x50) 78.750MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 1024 start 1040 end 1136 total 1312 skew 0 clock 60.02KHz
v: height 768 start 769 end 772 total 800 clock 75.03Hz
1024x768 (0x51) 75.000MHz -HSync -VSync
h: width 1024 start 1048 end 1184 total 1328 skew 0 clock 56.48KHz
v: height 768 start 771 end 777 total 806 clock 70.07Hz
1024x768 (0x52) 65.000MHz -HSync -VSync
h: width 1024 start 1048 end 1184 total 1344 skew 0 clock 48.36KHz
v: height 768 start 771 end 777 total 806 clock 60.00Hz
832x624 (0x53) 57.284MHz -HSync -VSync
h: width 832 start 864 end 928 total 1152 skew 0 clock 49.73KHz
v: height 624 start 625 end 628 total 667 clock 74.55Hz
800x600 (0x54) 50.000MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 800 start 856 end 976 total 1040 skew 0 clock 48.08KHz
v: height 600 start 637 end 643 total 666 clock 72.19Hz
800x600 (0x55) 49.500MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 800 start 816 end 896 total 1056 skew 0 clock 46.88KHz
v: height 600 start 601 end 604 total 625 clock 75.00Hz
800x600 (0x56) 40.000MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 800 start 840 end 968 total 1056 skew 0 clock 37.88KHz
v: height 600 start 601 end 605 total 628 clock 60.32Hz
800x600 (0x57) 36.000MHz +HSync +VSync
h: width 800 start 824 end 896 total 1024 skew 0 clock 35.16KHz
v: height 600 start 601 end 603 total 625 clock 56.25Hz
640x480 (0x58) 31.500MHz -HSync -VSync
h: width 640 start 656 end 720 total 840 skew 0 clock 37.50KHz
v: height 480 start 481 end 484 total 500 clock 75.00Hz
640x480 (0x59) 31.500MHz -HSync -VSync
h: width 640 start 664 end 704 total 832 skew 0 clock 37.86KHz
v: height 480 start 489 end 492 total 520 clock 72.81Hz
640x480 (0x5a) 30.240MHz -HSync -VSync
h: width 640 start 704 end 768 total 864 skew 0 clock 35.00KHz
v: height 480 start 483 end 486 total 525 clock 66.67Hz
640x480 (0x5b) 25.175MHz -HSync -VSync
h: width 640 start 656 end 752 total 800 skew 0 clock 31.47KHz
v: height 480 start 490 end 492 total 525 clock 59.94Hz
720x400 (0x5c) 28.320MHz -HSync +VSync
h: width 720 start 738 end 846 total 900 skew 0 clock 31.47KHz
v: height 400 start 412 end 414 total 449 clock 70.08Hz

Motherboard should not support Crossfire (Dell 09KPNV) and no Crossfire cable installed on the cards. CPU is an Intel Xeon W3690. Both video cards are staying around 125.8F (little high for idle system but within specs.

no error messages in drm:
[ 2.031523] [drm] radeon kernel modesetting enabled.
[ 2.031571] fb0: switching to radeondrmfb from VESA VGA
[ 2.032049] [drm] initializing kernel modesetting (JUNIPER 0x1002:0x68A9 0x103C:0x2306 0x00).
[ 2.032169] [drm] Detected VRAM RAM=1024M, BAR=256M
[ 2.032170] [drm] RAM width 128bits DDR
[ 2.032238] [drm] radeon: 1024M of VRAM memory ready
[ 2.032238] [drm] radeon: 1024M of GTT memory ready.
[ 2.032243] [drm] Loading JUNIPER Microcode
[ 2.032300] [drm] Internal thermal controller with fan control
[ 2.064941] [drm] radeon: dpm initialized
[ 2.065030] [drm] GART: num cpu pages 262144, num gpu pages 262144
[ 2.065813] [drm] enabling PCIE gen 2 link speeds, disable with radeon.pcie_gen2=0
[ 2.098165] [drm] PCIE GART of 1024M enabled (table at 0x000000000014C000).
[ 2.098707] [drm] Supports vblank timestamp caching Rev 2 (21.10.2013).
[ 2.098708] [drm] Driver supports precise vblank timestamp query.
[ 2.098757] [drm] radeon: irq initialized.
[ 2.115457] [drm] ring test on 0 succeeded in 1 usecs
[ 2.115463] [drm] ring test on 3 succeeded in 2 usecs
[ 2.292269] [drm] ring test on 5 succeeded in 1 usecs
[ 2.292273] [drm] UVD initialized successfully.
[ 2.292416] [drm] ib test on ring 0 succeeded in 0 usecs
[ 2.292462] [drm] ib test on ring 3 succeeded in 0 usecs
[ 2.943469] [drm] ib test on ring 5 succeeded
[ 2.945435] [drm] Radeon Display Connectors
[ 2.945436] [drm] Connector 0:
[ 2.945437] [drm] DP-1
[ 2.945437] [drm] HPD4
[ 2.945438] [drm] DDC: 0x6440 0x6440 0x6444 0x6444 0x6448 0x6448 0x644c 0x644c
[ 2.945438] [drm] Encoders:
[ 2.945439] [drm] DFP1: INTERNAL_UNIPHY2
[ 2.945439] [drm] Connector 1:
[ 2.945440] [drm] DP-2
[ 2.945440] [drm] HPD5
[ 2.945441] [drm] DDC: 0x6430 0x6430 0x6434 0x6434 0x6438 0x6438 0x643c 0x643c
[ 2.945441] [drm] Encoders:
[ 2.945442] [drm] DFP2: INTERNAL_UNIPHY2
[ 2.945442] [drm] Connector 2:
[ 2.945443] [drm] DVI-I-1
[ 2.945443] [drm] HPD1
[ 2.945444] [drm] DDC: 0x6460 0x6460 0x6464 0x6464 0x6468 0x6468 0x646c 0x646c
[ 2.945444] [drm] Encoders:
[ 2.945445] [drm] DFP3: INTERNAL_UNIPHY1
[ 2.945445] [drm] CRT2: INTERNAL_KLDSCP_DAC2
[ 3.096063] [drm] fb mappable at 0xD034D000
[ 3.096064] [drm] vram apper at 0xD0000000
[ 3.096064] [drm] size 8294400
[ 3.096065] [drm] fb depth is 24
[ 3.096065] [drm] pitch is 7680
[ 3.096254] fbcon: radeondrmfb (fb0) is primary device
[ 3.195229] radeon 0000:02:00.0: fb0: radeondrmfb frame buffer device
[ 3.207535] [drm] Initialized radeon 2.50.0 20080528 for 0000:02:00.0 on minor 0
[ 3.208262] [drm] initializing kernel modesetting (JUNIPER 0x1002:0x68A9 0x103C:0x2306 0x00).
[ 3.322252] [drm] GPU not posted. posting now…
[ 3.382437] [drm] Detected VRAM RAM=1024M, BAR=256M
[ 3.382438] [drm] RAM width 128bits DDR
[ 3.382443] [drm] radeon: 1024M of VRAM memory ready
[ 3.382444] [drm] radeon: 1024M of GTT memory ready.
[ 3.382456] [drm] Loading JUNIPER Microcode
[ 3.382461] [drm] Internal thermal controller with fan control
[ 3.387313] [drm] radeon: dpm initialized
[ 3.387327] [drm] GART: num cpu pages 262144, num gpu pages 262144
[ 3.388037] [drm] enabling PCIE gen 2 link speeds, disable with radeon.pcie_gen2=0
[ 3.392048] [drm] PCIE GART of 1024M enabled (table at 0x000000000014C000).
[ 3.392591] [drm] Supports vblank timestamp caching Rev 2 (21.10.2013).
[ 3.392591] [drm] Driver supports precise vblank timestamp query.
[ 3.392642] [drm] radeon: irq initialized.
[ 3.409158] [drm] ring test on 0 succeeded in 1 usecs
[ 3.409163] [drm] ring test on 3 succeeded in 2 usecs
[ 3.584827] [drm] ring test on 5 succeeded in 1 usecs
[ 3.584831] [drm] UVD initialized successfully.
[ 3.584936] [drm] ib test on ring 0 succeeded in 0 usecs
[ 3.584974] [drm] ib test on ring 3 succeeded in 0 usecs
[ 4.255502] [drm] ib test on ring 5 succeeded
[ 4.257019] [drm] Radeon Display Connectors
[ 4.257020] [drm] Connector 0:
[ 4.257020] [drm] DP-3
[ 4.257021] [drm] HPD4
[ 4.257022] [drm] DDC: 0x6440 0x6440 0x6444 0x6444 0x6448 0x6448 0x644c 0x644c
[ 4.257022] [drm] Encoders:
[ 4.257023] [drm] DFP1: INTERNAL_UNIPHY2
[ 4.257023] [drm] Connector 1:
[ 4.257023] [drm] DP-4
[ 4.257024] [drm] HPD5
[ 4.257025] [drm] DDC: 0x6430 0x6430 0x6434 0x6434 0x6438 0x6438 0x643c 0x643c
[ 4.257025] [drm] Encoders:
[ 4.257025] [drm] DFP2: INTERNAL_UNIPHY2
[ 4.257026] [drm] Connector 2:
[ 4.257026] [drm] DVI-I-2
[ 4.257026] [drm] HPD1
[ 4.257027] [drm] DDC: 0x6460 0x6460 0x6464 0x6464 0x6468 0x6468 0x646c 0x646c
[ 4.257028] [drm] Encoders:
[ 4.257028] [drm] DFP3: INTERNAL_UNIPHY1
[ 4.257028] [drm] CRT2: INTERNAL_KLDSCP_DAC2
[ 4.416069] [drm] fb mappable at 0xE034D000
[ 4.416070] [drm] vram apper at 0xE0000000
[ 4.416070] [drm] size 8294400
[ 4.416071] [drm] fb depth is 24
[ 4.416071] [drm] pitch is 7680
[ 4.416260] radeon 0000:03:00.0: fb1: radeondrmfb frame buffer device
[ 4.416411] [drm] Initialized radeon 2.50.0 20080528 for 0000:03:00.0 on minor 1

#6

Have you tried just one monitor per card? I think you could be tripping over some limit somewhere but I don’t see anything in the code or hardware.

With all 6 monitors setup does the CPU load go way up? Check the number of interrupts for each card before and after all 6 are setup. You can see the interrupts with

cat /proc/interrupts

I would not be surprised to see that one of your 6 cores is processing all of the radeon interrupts for each card - ie not spread out or shared.

djb

#7

Try the single monitor per card and still had the lag once the monitor on the 2nd card was enabled. Checked the CPU load under use and each CPU was no one core was looking out of the norm. Checked the interrupts each of the two radeon entries were spread across 2 different cores with each entry on a different core from the other.

Being it is relevant in a single monitor setup on each card, that would lead me to more being a hardware “issue”, but to figure out which piece is causing the issue. The MB is dated hardware so could be a bus/bridge issue with not being able to handle it. AMD does make a 6 port card so may just end up spending the money for that since it will all be on a singe PCI-E and not have to span the 2.

Thank you for taking the time to look at this for me.

#8

Yep, looks like an issue with the IO bridge chip – can’t do two PCIe buses at full speed.

I replaced my multimonitor setup with a 55 inch 4K TV. Would never go back to small screens.

djb

#9

After further testing looks like it is something within the Mate DE. Just for testing installed Windows 10 and tested and had no lag across monitors. So did a fresh install of Kubuntu and there was no log present. So would lead me to believe there is something in the DE that was not liking.
Just wanted to follow up if anyone else has similar issues. While I would like to use the Mate DE I can live with the Plasma environment.