# High load average with idle state



## GoodWolf (Mar 29, 2013)

Hi, *t*his is GoodWolf 

First of all I apologize my poor english
(It's first time to me, write some threads like this  )

I want to install Free*BSD* 9.1 amd64 on a DELL R710 and it is installed successfully, but there is some abnormal situation. After a clean installation, its average load is between 0.5 ~ 0.7 and there is NO any work state. So, I recompile the kernel and `buildworld` by changing make.conf's CPUTYPE and CFLAGS options. Used compiler is gcc-4.2.1 and clang_3.1).

After all that, there are no changes, the average load is still 0.5 ~ 0.7.

*A*fter some Googling, and this QnA Board, I get some threads like this; in those threads, the same situation is solved by a BIOS update, but *m*y *s*ystem is *u*p to *d*ate (all BIOS and Fw updated in the last weeks)

Can anybody help me?

Below is my *s*ystem *i*nformation:

Dell R710 / x5570 x 2way / 144GB Memory /
BIOS 6.3.0,
Lifecycle Controller 1.5.5.27
iDRAC6 Ent 1.95
H700 12.10.4
H800 12.10.4
Broadcom_NIC 7.4.8

FYI, the system works fine with Solaris11, Linux, windows.


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## Savagedlight (Mar 29, 2013)

What is the last output of `# top -S -P -b -d2`? Remember to remove sensitive information if necessary.


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## ab (Mar 29, 2013)

I suspect you've encountered an issue that is reported as: PR 173541.
[See the 'Problem Reports' database for full details.]

Skipping to the useful stuff:

Like Johan Broman, I was able to work around the problem using the following

`# sysctl -w kern.eventtimer.timer=LAPIC`

He also points out:



> You can list your clock
> sources using:
> 
> `# sysctl kern.eventtimer.choice`



This issue alarmed me, but the resolution was simple.


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## GoodWolf (Apr 2, 2013)

*Thank you~*



			
				ab said:
			
		

> I suspect you've encountered an issue that is reported as: PR kern/173541.
> [See the 'Problem Reports' database for full details.]
> 
> Skipping to the useful stuff:
> ...



Thank you for your kindness   It's solved by your advi*c*e.
`# sysctl -w kern.eventtimer.timer=LAPIC`

Thank you again.

How are HPET and LAPIC different in FreeBSD?


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## tsnow20 (Apr 2, 2013)

*Thanks*

I was also running into this issue on a fairly new install on a PowerEdge 1950 server which I had updated to FreeBSD 9.1 from 9.0. Running the command from kern/173541 fixed the problem. Thanks!


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## Stochastix (Aug 1, 2013)

On this CoreDuo system, all my HPET sources were associated (in the output of `systat -vmstat`) with an unused fxp0 interface (no media connected) set aside for when my primary firewall fails. Load averages of 0.4 to 0.6 with all the HPET sources. LAPIC is completely normal. No real difference in background interrupt rates with any of the sources.


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