Xgl uses the graphics card more intensively than a standard unaccelerated desktop. In addition, it is known to be inefficient with CPU and graphics resources while scrolling. What's happening is that as you scroll, each line it goes down it generates a large spike of CPU and graphics instructions to re-render the screen, which causes the amount of power draw by components on your motherboard to change. This sudden change can often cause certain capacitors in your power supply unit to make weird noises.
Unfortunately this is more of a hardware phenomenon that we can do nothing about. AIGLX has more efficient scrolling support so that it might be able to narrowly avoid these noises. Another workaround that may help is to lock your CPU into a constant speed, by disabling the /etc/init.d/powernowd service (try /etc/init.d/powernowd stop). -- Xgl causes noise when scrolling https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/150130 You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is the bug contact for Ubuntu. -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs