T20 900Mhz ug questions...

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jamerslong · #1 Post by **jamerslong** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 11:42 pm

ok, i went out and got Arctic silver 5 and slapped it on my Processor and it still runs hot, but it is running much better.

Bios recognizes the Processor as a 900Mhz With Speedstep but the thing is only running at 700Mhz could the CPU be bad? or are there other possibilities?

Also will A T23 Heatsink work in a T20

Robbyrobot · #2 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:51 am

Bios recognizes the Processor as a 900Mhz With Speedstep but the thing is only running at 700Mhz could the CPU be bad? or are there other possibilities?

That's the SpeedStep... I asked nearly the same question when I first encountered this: BIOS says one thing and a test program something else. Believe the BIOS.

jamerslong · #3 Post by **jamerslong** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:26 am

so even something that measures the clocks would be wrong?

Robbyrobot · #4 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:42 am

Programs like Dr. Hardware and the PC-Doctor will only give you the actual current CPU speed, not the maximum, when SpeedStep is active. The speed varies with the load. That's why you can only really trust the BIOS.

jrv331 · #5 Post by **jrv331** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:53 am

As Im doing the same thing, are you saying that as long as the BIOS says 900mhz it doent matter what the test programs say? By the way I use speedswitch, will that have any effect?
Thanks
john

Robbyrobot · #6 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:24 am

The BIOS gives you the rated speed of the CPU. That's the maximum you can get under any load (unless you overclock, I guess, and I'm no expert in that field). The test programs just give you the actual speed at the time they're run, which in my (limited) experience will always be lower than the rated speed. I originally tested my 800 MHz CPU in a T21 with Dr. Hardware, and always got a 600 MHz reading. Didn't know what was going on until I realized the system was reducing the clock speed of the CPU since there was no need for the top speed. It's a nice system, but it can get confusing.

I'm not familiar with Speedswitch so I can't answer the question, but I'll take a look at it now.

Website · #7 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:58 pm

The 200MHz difference is speedstep, as Robbyrobot stated...

This is a way for the system to help conserve power. It will run at higher speed (900MHz) when it is needed, but otherwise it will run at lower speed (700MHz) to conserve power. The only downfall is that it will only run at the lower speed, when it is run on AC Adapter w/ no battery. It is also meant to save on your battery when you are on battery power, instead of running at only the higher speed.

jamerslong · #8 Post by **jamerslong** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:46 pm

ok so i now have another question.

as you say theprocessor should only run at 700Mhz on battery right? well when my Laptop comes under a load while running on the battery it jumps to 900Mhz. what could be causing this?

i have the bios setup to run Fixed low (customized) while on battery as well. but it still steps up

Robbyrobot · #9 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:53 am

as you say theprocessor should only run at 700Mhz on battery right? well when my Laptop comes under a load while running on the battery it jumps to 900Mhz. what could be causing this?

Seems to me there's a misunderstanding here. SpeedStep is only a system of reducing the CPU cycle rate when the performance is not necessary (computer idling or not under load). When the computer comes under load, the cycle rate increases up to the maximum, i.e. the rated speed, whether you are running on AC or battery.

jamerslong · #10 Post by **jamerslong** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:54 pm

oh lol... i thought that it limited the Speed to 700Mhz while on battery.

Will the CPU still up to 900 eventhough i have the power settings customized to only run on Fixed Slow while on battery?

Robbyrobot · #11 Post by **Robbyrobot** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:49 am

Will the CPU still up to 900 eventhough i have the power settings customized to only run on Fixed Slow while on battery?

To be honest, I don't know since I have no experience with such an adjustment. You might try using MobileMeter (http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValle ... mm0310.zip) to monitor the speed. No installation, just unpack it to an empty directory and start. Very handy utility.

aditya1956 · #12 Post by **aditya1956** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:36 am

Actually the SPEED-STEP thing in the T2x is like the gearbox in an automobile. Consider the rated CPU speed (in your case 900MHz) to be the highest engine rpm. Here like any normal situation, the engine rpm has no clue to tell one about the wheel (road speed) rpm. While running at a certain speed the engine rpm can be very low (flat roads and low loads, ie., on the top gear) or very high (steep roads and heavy loads, ie., low gears). In the case of the automobile we do it by pushing the gas-pedal ourselves where as in the case of the computer it is done by a software programme.

Now coming to your situation of "customised" setups, pls imagine again of a situation where an automobile is running on a flat road with the gas-pedal pushed in to a certain extent by a fixed (customised) weight, Here the automobile is running at a speed of say XX mph. Now imagine the vehicle to be suddenely entering in to a steep climb. Of course the road speed will drop and ultimately it may jerk itself to a halt. But the whole purpose of all this was not to seize the automobile ! In real worlds we immediately correct the situation by adjusting the throttle/gears etc. ourselves. But in the case of a computer as we can not do this all the time it is done through the programme controling this feature, and as I just said earlier that the ultimate aim is to run the computer & not seize (crash) it, the comuter tries to run the machine despite the fact that one has already customized it. That is why in your case even though you have a customised setting, the cpu goes up to 900MHz, probabely due to the exessive processing power demand at that point of time, otherwise it will crash !!! Here the OS takes over the speed-step utility and prevents the system from crashing (mostly). This has been done like this assuming that the user is an averege person (technical knowledge wise), which also is true in most of the cases.

I do not know what OS you are using, but if it is XP then do not use any such speed-controlling programmes. XP will do it by itself. In the case of all the other windows os, it has to loaded as extra after the os installation. I personally do not load the speed-step utility at all. It kinds of interferes too much. Ofcourse without it the cpu will always run at a lower speed than the maximum one. But its kind of okay with me as it runs steady. And the fan does not whine up & down that frequently at all. It gives a steady behaviour. And as far as battery power conservation is concerned, the "cpu%use factor" is also there to take care of it to some extent.

You have mentioned about Speed-Switch which you are using. I do not know if it is the default one you are talking about or some other outside utility programme. If it is an outside one, then there is not much that it can do in a different manner from the default one. I will not suggest one to use these.

Yes, the bios part has to be at least the lowest matching one for the os if not the latest.

jamerslong · #13 Post by **jamerslong** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:59 am

well my problem is that i installed a 900Mhz CPU and it gets really hot, i am waiting for a T22 Heatsync to arrive. i reinstalled the old 650Mhz cpu but it still gets really hot, the rubber pad was old and fell apart when i took it out. i tried filling the gap with AS5 but no dice, the computer runs fine at 700Mhz though. i figured that running it at Fixed slow would lock it into place, but it dosent.

aditya1956 · #14 Post by **aditya1956** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:18 pm

jamerslong wrote:well my problem is that i installed a 900Mhz CPU and it gets really hot, i am waiting for a T22 Heatsync to arrive. i reinstalled the old 650Mhz cpu but it still gets really hot, the rubber pad was old and fell apart when i took it out. i tried filling the gap with AS5 but no dice, the computer runs fine at 700Mhz though. i figured that running it at Fixed slow would lock it into place, but it dosent.

The rubber thing means there is a certain amount of physical gap between the surfaces of the CPU and the heatsink. In the absence of the rubber thing the heat is not dissipated fully. As you are expecting your T22 heatsink to arrive shortly there is nothing to worry.

But if you have_to/want_to use it with the present heatsink then you should either get that rubber_thing or pack the space with thin sheets of copper/aluminium etc. One good source can be the thin metal slide_covers (aluminium type only) of floppy disks. You can cut them easily with a pair of standard scissors, to a size slightly smaller than that of the CPU top contact_area. Two sheets should be enough. Use heatsink compound and sandwitch them up. Apply heatsink compound also on the top of the CPU and the bottom of the T20 heatsink. A very slight ooze is good. Tighten all the screws little by little so that the heatsink sits uniformly and tightly (not very very tight !).

Use mobilemeter to note the actual CPU temp. You can download it from here.

http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValle ... /8259/[url]

This utility need not be installed. Just run it from the file. The standard temp should be anything between 40'C to 60'C.

jamerslong · #15 Post by **jamerslong** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:23 pm

i packed the space with a sheet of metal (not sure of the composite) and it still wont cool down, i installed that software called speed-switch this afternoon and it keeps the CPU at 700Mhz which in turn keeps the CPU at 55C which makes me happy enough to keep this bad boy alive for the time being.

the new Heat sink should arrive by Wendsday at the latest.

aditya1956 · #16 Post by **aditya1956** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:10 am

55C is ok. My own T20 on which I am typing right now is at 56C, and it is a 700MHz running at 566MHz.

Cheers

jamerslong · #17 Post by **jamerslong** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:15 pm

ok, i recived my T22 heatsink today, i was pleasently suprised. i installed it and @700Mhz idle it hovers around 36C and at full load (starseige tribes at fullscreen 600x800 w openGl) @900Mhz on battery it ran at around 81c The fan kicks on ALOT sooner and the air acctually blows hot.

i still wish it was a little cooler... The T20 Heatsink as poorly designed.

i just dont see how others reported success w a 900Mhz ug with out installing a new Heatsink.

T20 900Mhz ug questions...

T20 900Mhz ug questions...

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