How can I slow my CPU? (Yes, SLOW it)

Drjones · 08-31-2006, 21:29

Here's the deal:

I was recently given a Dell Inspiron 9100 laptop with a 2.8 Ghz P4 processor.

It's very fast and a huge upgrade from what I had, but because of the P4, it gets pretty warm which means that one of the three fans is always on (on low, but still annoying) and the fast & hot CPU and fan both draw more power which contribute to a relatively poor battery life.

Is there any good, proven and reliable software that I can use to SLOW my CPU when it's on batteries and then have it run full-speed when plugged in?

I know that my older Dell Inspiron 7000 came with exactly such a utility that would slow down the CPU when running on batteries and then kick it back to full speed when plugged in.

What can I do? Is it even a good idea to try to slow the CPU?

Thanks!

joshoowa · 08-31-2006, 22:11

i use this program on my laptop and used this on my brother-in-law's 9100 as well. you have to make sure u have the updated bios if not i dont think it'll work. its pretty sweet program my laptop stays on for like 5hrs striaght without being plugged in.

http://www.pbus-167.com/chc.htm

Drjones · 08-31-2006, 22:13

Thanks.

A google search turned up this program:

http://www.diefer.de/speedswitchxp/

What do you think of that?

joshoowa · 09-01-2006, 08:34

if i remember correctly i tried both and ended up using the one i posted...

***Tennessee Slim*** · 09-01-2006, 08:47

If battery life is the problem, check the (probably proprietary) power settings. Most laptops have a full-power setting for when they’re on A/C and an endurance setting that adjusts CPU speed automatically for when they’re on battery power. It should be in the control panel.

You might also be able to throttle back in the BIOS settings. If you can reduce FSB (front side bus) or multiplier, that will effectively slow down your CPU. If both are available, I’d try the multiplier first and test for stability.

In that regard, I’d also check to make sure I had the latest BIOS and software updates from the manufacturer. I have a Sony laptop that has known power consumption problems that are related to the OS’s use of USB devices. Sony is aware and trying to correct it.

If it were me, before I’d put a restrictor plate on my laptop, I’d try something like CPUIdle, which is intended to reduce heat production by ‘throttling back’ the CPU when Captain Kirk isn’t screaming his fool head off for Warp Factor 9. And there also are apps like SpeedFan that will rein in your fans if they’re not needed (more intended to reduce noise than cut power consumption). Maybe the two in concert will give you the endurance you’re looking for without unplugging any spark plugs.

m2hmghb · 09-01-2006, 13:46

You were given a 9100? I had one, POS it was. Your problem is the heat sink may be clogged. Mine had that happen, had a tech come out and blow it out, worked fine for a while after that.

Drjones · 09-02-2006, 11:09

Quote:

Originally posted by m2hmghb
You were given a 9100? I had one, POS it was. Your problem is the heat sink may be clogged. Mine had that happen, had a tech come out and blow it out, worked fine for a while after that.

Funny you should mention that; when I was given this thing it was an absolute wreck; it would barely run. I'm sure it was crawling with spyware and viruses, only had 256mb RAM, and all three fans were constantly kicked on high which made the thing sound like it was preparing to take off of an aircraft carrier like a jet!

I thought I'd check out the two easily removable fans on the bottom, and sure enough each was clogged with about 1/4" of gunk and crap.

I ended up disassembling the entire laptop and yes, the heatsink and internal fan was just as clogged as the other two.

Before I did that, I gave it to a good IT guy I know who reformatted it & reinstalled WinXP Pro, and then I bought 1GB RAM for it.

Now it is a great machine; super fast and everything.

As I said in my initial post, my only issue is the CPU seems to be too fast for its own good, at least when on batteries.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'll look into it some more...

Any other suggestions out there?

m2hmghb · 09-03-2006, 16:46

I cant remember but I know there are settings to run it on battery. The lappy I had contained a 128mb video card 3.2ghz processor and 1gb of ram. My problem was the opposite of yours, I was constantly trying to get more performance out of it. Maybe try setting the priorities for the programs lower and on only one core?

***HAVOC*** · 09-04-2006, 16:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Drjones
Thanks.

A google search turned up this program:

http://www.diefer.de/speedswitchxp/

What do you think of that?

I've used SpeedSwitchXP and NotebookHardwareControl.

SSXP works fine, for what it does, but NHC is FAR more capable. More complicated, too. All I use anymore is NHC. You can lower voltages on the CPU, as well as modify where it clicks between speeds. It can also give you some adaptability on your video card. You can massively increase battery life with NHC once you get the hand of using it.

Add i8kfangui to get control of your fans and you should be all set. I have it and NHC running on 5 different laptops. Only way to go...

Drjones · 09-06-2006, 16:40

Quote:

Originally posted by HAVOC
I've used SpeedSwitchXP and NotebookHardwareControl.

SSXP works fine, for what it does, but NHC is FAR more capable. More complicated, too. All I use anymore is NHC. You can lower voltages on the CPU, as well as modify where it clicks between speeds. It can also give you some adaptability on your video card. You can massively increase battery life with NHC once you get the hand of using it.

Add i8kfangui to get control of your fans and you should be all set. I have it and NHC running on 5 different laptops. Only way to go...

Thanks.

Looks like I'll probably go with NHC.

Should I bother to update my BIOS?

I looked on Dell's site and they only had one file & it didn't have a date, so I'm not sure if it is different than what is on my PC now.

***HAVOC*** · 09-06-2006, 20:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Drjones
Thanks.

Looks like I'll probably go with NHC.

Should I bother to update my BIOS?

I looked on Dell's site and they only had one file & it didn't have a date, so I'm not sure if it is different than what is on my PC now.

Here is the most current BIOS for your Inspiron 9100. Revision A06, dated March 10, 2005. I like to keep my BIOS current, and looking at the release notes you might want to consider it, too. I don't know if you specifically NEED the update to run NHC and i8kfangui (emphasis on AND) but it's unlikely it'll cause a problem if you do the upgrade.

Drjones · 09-07-2006, 18:44

Thanks.

I'm kinda nervous about flashing my BIOS, just because I'm very much a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy, and this computer is running flawlessly too.

Reassure me about upgrading the BIOS.

I read some of the notes too and saw some of the thermal-related issues in the upgrade.

How do I tell what version BIOS I currently have?

Maybe I already have that version you posted....

***HAVOC*** · 09-07-2006, 22:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Drjones
Thanks.

I'm kinda nervous about flashing my BIOS, just because I'm very much a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of guy, and this computer is running flawlessly too.

Reassure me about upgrading the BIOS.

I read some of the notes too and saw some of the thermal-related issues in the upgrade.

How do I tell what version BIOS I currently have?

Maybe I already have that version you posted....

Well I've done dozens of flashes on various computers with no issues of any kind, ever. FWIW...

As for your BIOS... I'm not familiar with that particular model, but it may flash on the screen for a second when you power it up. There's somewhere in the BIOS setup that should have the revision, also. To get into Dell BIOS configs, push F2 on startup.

Otherwide, download and unzip CPU-Z. Run it and in the Mainboard tab it'll give you BIOS revision.

Drjones · 09-09-2006, 19:02

Quote:

Originally posted by HAVOC
Here is the most current BIOS for your Inspiron 9100. Revision A06, dated March 10, 2005. I like to keep my BIOS current, and looking at the release notes you might want to consider it, too. I don't know if you specifically NEED the update to run NHC and i8kfangui (emphasis on AND) but it's unlikely it'll cause a problem if you do the upgrade.

Just as an FYI, when I tried to install that BIOS you linked to above, it flashed a message at me stating that it is OLDER than what is currently installed on my system, so I DO have the most current BIOS.

I tried to install the NHC and it says that I must have "Microsofts .NET Framework Version 2.0 or newer installed to run NHC 2.0".

How do I tell if I have this installed already or not? Will the NHC program work without the Framework 2.0?

If I don't, I don't think I want to bother....again, if it ain't broke, I'm not going to fix it.....

***HAVOC*** · 09-10-2006, 00:47

Hmmm... that's odd. A06 definitely shows as the newest, and the same on the 9100's near-twin XPS. I've never seen them withdraw a BIOS revision before. Personally I'd find out what I had out of curiosity, but that's me.

As for .NET 2.0 - Yes, that is a requirement of NHC. Not many things use it, but here it is anyway. It's not small, but not horribly large. I install it strictly for NHC, as I don't use ot for anything else. I think it's worth it.

The older version of NHC, called C(entrino)HC worked with .NET 1.1, but you probably don't have that either. .NET isn't installed as a matter of course, you have to install it on purpose, either through a redistributable or through Windows Update.

If you really, really don't want to go there, Speed Switch XP has similar features, and can still be used to slow down your CPU, it just doesn't so much else. It doesn't need .NET at all.

I also suggest you still install i8kfangui. It gives you control over the fans in your system. It has a tiny footprint and also doesn't need any other software.

Drjones · 09-10-2006, 11:11

Havoc, first a very sincere thanks for all your help so far.

Next, remember that when I was given this laptop, it was an absolute wreck. I gave it to an IT guy I know & trust and had him reformat & reinstall WinXP.

When he did all that, I'm pretty sure he installed the latest drivers/BIOS, etc., so that's probably where it came from.

In any case, I'll try doing the F2 thing in a bit to see exactly what BIOS I do have.

DragonRider · 09-11-2006, 19:09

I have it and one thing to also check is which battery you have. If you flip the laptop over and you have a Sub woofer as part of the battery, you have the smaller battery. Buy a new battery with out that sub, you upgrade from a 6 cell to a 8 cell. I WILL NOT use that laptop with out some form of coolpad by roadtools.com or a usb powered fan type coolpad.

Mine is currently seeing use as a dedicated gaming machine playing BF 2 on my desk downstairs.

John

Drjones · 09-13-2006, 17:51

Havoc; a bit more help please.

I downloaded speedswitchXP, but it doesn't seem to be doing what I want it to do, which is make my computer run cooler.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but all that speedswitch does is prevent the processor from running above a specified speed, correct?

Well, what I want to do is idle the processor (when I don't need it) or, I guess, cut the voltage to it. If I cut voltage to it, which NHC should be able to do, would that make it run cooler?

Also, I thought about trying Rain, Waterfall, or a similar program that forces your processor to idle when not in use, but read the following note on a website:

"NOTE: You do not need to use a software cooler if you are running WinNT, Win2K, or WinXP. These operating systems call the HLT command on their own."

Source: http://www.benchtest.com/downloads/index.html

Is that true?

If so, it seems that the only way to get what I want (a cooler-running laptop) is to install & use NHC and cut the voltage to the processor, correct?

What is the difference between changing the voltage to the processor & changing its speed? NHC seems to be capable of doing both.

Finally, can I uninstall Microsoft's .NET if I don't like NHC?

Please advise.

Thanks!!!!

***HAVOC*** · 09-14-2006, 01:23

OK, simplest first... Rain and Waterfall are 100% useless in NT, 2k and XP. If you open Task Manager to the processes tab, you'll see "System Idle Process" that tends to be the lions share of processor time by percentage. That is the exact same thing as Rain, just integrated into the kernel. The processor is idle any time it can be by design.

SSXP by default sets up the CPU to slow down when it's not needed, and speed up when the CPU is working harder: the Dynamic Switching setting. If you set it to Max. Battery it will run as slow as the CPU allows all the time.

Just a word to the wise, the i9100 will never run COOL, by any reasonable standard. The Pentium 4 is a toasty little bugger. No way around that.

The .NET stuff is listed in the uninstall list, but I have no personal experience to say whether or not it does so cleanly or if it'll cause trouble if you do uninstall it. I've had pretty good luck with MS uninstalls lately though. I haven't found it to be intrusive though. I don't think it loads much, if anything, into active memory if there isn't some application making calls to it.

As for the physics of heat production: heat is a product of power used, volts times amps. Volts is a directly adjustable number, and amps are a function of how much work is being done. The faster the CPU is running, and the more of it that is being used, the more power you're using and the more heat you're making. Less Hz, lower % and lower V all make for less heat production.

If COOL is the result you're looking for, you can use i8kfangui to make the fans more agressive, cooling things off at the cost of more power used and potentially more noise. Not sure how irritating the fans on a 9100 are. It also has a CPU usage graph that's longer than Task Manager's, so you can see if your CPU is doing more than it should be, making more heat than it needs to. It's possible that some background program is working the CPU. If you're not doing something, the CPU should pretty much never go above 5% usage or so.

Oh, in addition to being able to (probably) kick back your CPU voltage, NHC can also (probably) clock back your video card, too, reducing the heat it is making.