Home Server Power Settings

Help
1

I’m trying to figure out the optimal power settings for my home server. Currently the fan is running nonstop without any temperature or load on the CPU.

I set:

systemd.targets = {
  sleep.enable = false;
  suspend.enable = false;
  hibernate.enable = false;
  hybrid-sleep.enable = false;
};

to keep the server awake.

I also tried powerManagement.enable = false; and powerManagement.powertop.enable = true;. Is this a primarily used in laptops?

Powertop seems happy with my setup as far as I can tell.

My machine is a HP EliteDesk 800 G2 with and i5-6500.

Is this even something I can manage on an OS level or do I need to change something in the BIOS.

1 Like
2

Did you configure powertop or just enable it?

3

Correct, the powerManagement settings are most useful for laptops or desktops where you want suspend/hibernate. If you care about power usage then powertop can still be useful.

Very few desktop motherboards allow userspace control the fans; most only allow setting the fan speed/curves via the BIOS.

You can try lm-sensors to control fans but TBH it often doesn’t work: Fan speed control - ArchWiki

4

powerManagement.powertop.enable = true; by default enables auto tuning. I mainly checked that every status says good. This was already the case except for 2 devices which I disconnected anyways.

5

I tried to use the instructions from ArchWiki, but had a problem where detect-sensors didn’t write out the configuration file and sensors didn’t show any fan. I tried changing the divisor but just got an error.