One CPU core capped at 70% or two cores capped at 35%?
- Thread starter Mario
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The two at 35% would probably produce less heat.
Sort of.
Technically, it'll be the "same" amount (or more, I'd bet.), but the temperature reached shouldn't be as high.
Instead, a larger surface area is being brought up to a lower temperature.
Same (or more, I'm really thinking) energy released, but at a lower temperature.
More efficient?
I bet the 1 core at 70% is more efficient.
Using both cores, there's more support hardware, and communication that would otherwise be unnecessary.
I DON'T believe it'll be enough of a difference to really matter, might not even be enough to be visible.
Sort of.
Technically, it'll be the "same" amount (or more, I'd bet.), but the temperature reached shouldn't be as high.
Instead, a larger surface area is being brought up to a lower temperature.
Same (or more, I'm really thinking) energy released, but at a lower temperature.
More efficient?
I bet the 1 core at 70% is more efficient.
Using both cores, there's more support hardware, and communication that would otherwise be unnecessary.
I DON'T believe it'll be enough of a difference to really matter, might not even be enough to be visible.
All right, I looked up some stuff about software undervolting/underclocking and found RMClock. I undervolted the CPU from 0.9625v to 0.9375v, and set a clock throttle at 50%. The temp is currently idling around 57.8C with FF running, as opposed to about 61C before. Not a huge difference, but some.
The CPUs are at 550mhz. The idle load is higher, however, than before. Makes sense. It's about 30% idle usage right now, as opposed to 10% before.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Playing 720p video isn't raising my temp too much, only a degree or so, as opposed to 5-6 degrees before. That's nice, at least.
The CPUs are at 550mhz. The idle load is higher, however, than before. Makes sense. It's about 30% idle usage right now, as opposed to 10% before.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Playing 720p video isn't raising my temp too much, only a degree or so, as opposed to 5-6 degrees before. That's nice, at least.
vskid3
Well-Known Member
What laptop is this? Someone mentioned AMD, I'll assume they're correct.
That seems pretty hot, but that's how AMD rolls, right? Try BattStat, it'll show how many watts are being used while on battery. Its accuracy seems to vary by laptop, like brightness doesn't show any difference on my M11x, but it should show the difference in CPU power usage.
That seems pretty hot, but that's how AMD rolls, right? Try BattStat, it'll show how many watts are being used while on battery. Its accuracy seems to vary by laptop, like brightness doesn't show any difference on my M11x, but it should show the difference in CPU power usage.
It's Intel, not AMD. It's a Dell D420.
60C is kinda hot for a laptop, but I read that this model does run warmer that most.
EDIT: After I turned my laptop off and let it cool off, it stayed around 53C when running FireFox. I think it was still hot from when I hadn't changed the CPU settings.
60C is kinda hot for a laptop, but I read that this model does run warmer that most.
EDIT: After I turned my laptop off and let it cool off, it stayed around 53C when running FireFox. I think it was still hot from when I hadn't changed the CPU settings.
vskid3
Well-Known Member
Ah, one of those. I was thinking of getting one a couple years back. Would probably be my first choice for a small beater laptop.
What kind of battery life are you getting out of it now, and what are your goals? Changing the CPU settings that you did will probably only add a few minutes, you're going to need to do more if you want to get any significant gains, or lower the amount of time you need to be on battery. Or just grab a few extended batteries off ebay.
What kind of battery life are you getting out of it now, and what are your goals? Changing the CPU settings that you did will probably only add a few minutes, you're going to need to do more if you want to get any significant gains, or lower the amount of time you need to be on battery. Or just grab a few extended batteries off ebay.
Currently I get around two hours, maybe 10-20 minutes more. I'm less concerned with getting more battery life and more with keeping it cooler, although an ultra-low power mode for when I'm just surfing the web or typing text documents would probably be useful and hopefully give me more battery life.
Also, how do you set and use the "blank screen" hotkey in BattStat?
Also, how do you set and use the "blank screen" hotkey in BattStat?
XCVG
ModRetro Legend
Just for reference, my Intel-based Acer laptop gets really *Can'tSayThisOnTV*ing hot. Oh sure, you surf the web a bit on low-power mode, it's cool and sips power. Fire up CoD4 or even Minecraft and the thing turns into a space heater. Man, I love this thing.
On a more related note, how's the performance with the severe underclock?
On a more related note, how's the performance with the severe underclock?
vskid3
Well-Known Member
When you need it extra cool, do you need it extra quiet, too? If not, you can open it up and pop out the RPM sense line from the fan connector and that should active "leafblower" mode. Might hurt battery life a bit. 
Have you replaced the thermal compound on the CPU? When I swapped CPUs in my ASUS and used Artic Silver 5, my idle temps seemed a little lower, even though the CPU was faster (its TDP was the same, it might have just been that it didn't have to work as hard).
My M11x stays pretty cool, about 30-40C for the CPU and GPU when doing websurfing stuff, CPU maxes at about 45C and GPU at 55-60C in game. My ASUS G60, on the other hand, the CPU idles at 30-40C, GPU at 50-60C, gaming the CPU can reach 55C, and the GPU is usually 80-90C, depending on the game.
Have you replaced the thermal compound on the CPU? When I swapped CPUs in my ASUS and used Artic Silver 5, my idle temps seemed a little lower, even though the CPU was faster (its TDP was the same, it might have just been that it didn't have to work as hard).My M11x stays pretty cool, about 30-40C for the CPU and GPU when doing websurfing stuff, CPU maxes at about 45C and GPU at 55-60C in game. My ASUS G60, on the other hand, the CPU idles at 30-40C, GPU at 50-60C, gaming the CPU can reach 55C, and the GPU is usually 80-90C, depending on the game.
It's pretty good, actually. I turned off SpeedStep, which puts the CPU into a constant 800mhz mode. I only have one CPU turned on, and it still plays full screen 720p, even with the usage cap at 65%. Seems to stay pretty cool, too, about 50C.XCVG said:
I made a really low power mode with the processor throttled to 25%. Firefox runs kind slow. but that's to be expected. That's really for word processing and listening to music.
bic
Well-Known Member
On its low power settings, my x100e stays around 50c under normal loads. The cheap Realtek WiFi card in it gets much hotter, and it's directly under the touchpad. 
I think that Dang thingdraws more power than the rest of the PC; with it turned off I get almost an entire extra hour of runtime out of the battery. (Gonna see if I can swing a cheap Intel mini-pcie card for it.) Thing gets hot as Heck if I fire up TF2 though. 
(And for some reason it forces L4D2 to run on one core, and the temperature really spikes.)
I think that Dang thingdraws more power than the rest of the PC; with it turned off I get almost an entire extra hour of runtime out of the battery. (Gonna see if I can swing a cheap Intel mini-pcie card for it.) Thing gets hot as Heck if I fire up TF2 though. (And for some reason it forces L4D2 to run on one core, and the temperature really spikes.)
