CrystalCPUID - User configurable Cool 'n' Quiet

Jan Kivar · Post by **Jan Kivar** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:49 am

I've been testing CrystalCPUID 3.6.1.204 for a few days now with my new A64 system. CrystalCPUID features three user configurable settings (power states) for multiplier and voltage. The program then switches from one state to another according to the CPU usage. The switching points can also be set by user, as can be the hold times for each state. There is option to select whether the switches are from 1/2 to 3; or from 1 to 2 and then to 3. Similarly back to down again.

The automatic switching can also be disabled easily (from the tray icon menu), and any of the three states can be forced to be used all the time.

Currently I'm running with the following states:

2 GHz @ 1,3V
1,6 GHz @ 1,1V
1 GHz @ 0,85V

I haven't played enough to see what would be the "correct" switching points/times.

This should also work for mobile AXPs. The FSB cannot be changed though, at least not in this version.

Now, the maker of this program doesn't list the supported hardware. I think the situation is pretty much same as with ClockGen; so all the nForce3 (A64) boards should be supported. I have no idea for VIA chipsets, anyone care to try?

Cheers,

Jan

Mats · Post by **Mats** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:07 am

I like this a lot!!
Question:Are you able to stop the CPU fan automatically when entering the lowest state?

I've been an Abit fan for a while mostly because of the undervolting features, but with this program I can do it with many mobos that doesn't support it in BIOS, like ASUS for instance.

The inability to change the FSB is maybe not so important. Just raise it to the max in BIOS and lower the multipliers for each P-state (if you got a working AGP lock).

Too bad I can't undervolt on the fly with AXP....

Jan Kivar · Post by **Jan Kivar** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:28 am

Mats wrote:I like this a lot!!
Question:Are you able to stop the CPU fan automatically when entering the lowest state?

This is possible if the motherboard has a fan controller that supports stopping the fan. Most new boards have a fan controller, but it might only be able to slow down the fan, not completely stop it. So, it's up to the board (or SpeedFan, read below).

I haven't tried the (BIOS) controller in my MSI K8N Neo, but I can stop the fan in SpeedFan. I can't hear when the CPU fan (CNPS7000-AlCu @ 5V) stops or starts as my computer is under the desk, so stopping the fan is not so beneficial to me.

Cheers,

Jan

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:06 am

I'll give it a shot, but I can't find the version you referenced in your OP.

My current relevant system specs are as follows:

ASUS K8N-E Deluxe
AMD Athlon 64 Mobile (2700+, 35W)

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:16 am

nevermind, found CrystalCPUID 3.9.7.208RC2

But all it's doing is displaying information? I thought it was supposed to change things?

I've been playing with ClockGen; seems to be working OK. 800Mhz @ 0.8V with the CPU fan stopped.

Linus · Post by **Linus** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:21 am

If my CPU Power calculations are right, your A64 has the lowest power consumption of any 1GHz processor I've seen at 11.9w. Not bad - I can only get my 35w mobile Barton down to 16w at that speed.

I'll give CrystalCPUID a try on my nForce 2 at some point and post back. I'd love to be able to adjust multiplier from windows as well as FSB and Vcore (using 8rdavcore).

Jan Kivar · Post by **Jan Kivar** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 10:38 am

ddrueding1 wrote:nevermind, found CrystalCPUID 3.9.7.208RC2

But all it's doing is displaying information? I thought it was supposed to change things?

Seems that the author is releasing new versions almost daily.

That version is only an RC, and it does not have the "Multiplier Management" enabled, which is required for the switching. You must use the "regular" version.

Oh, and since You have not been properly welcomed here yet:
Welcome to SPCR, David!

Cheers,

Jan

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 3:24 pm

Thanks for the welome, Jan Kivar.

I've been playing with version 3.5.18.194 on my laptop while running around to clients. My laptop has a mobile AMD Athlon XP-M (LV) 1600+ so it ins't functional, but I see what you mean. I'll check it out when I get home.

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 4:46 pm

This works great! The only issue I have with the program is that it doesn't minimise to the taskbar properly, and doesn't execute at startup with the "multiplyer management" enabled by defualt.

My other complaint is that I can't go below 0.8V, but I think that is a limitation elsewhere.

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 5:27 pm

After playing with it for a while, and looking at my typical usage, I've decided on the following:

800Mhz @ 0.8V
1Ghz@ 0.85V
1.6Ghz @ 1.1V

I don't really understand the negatives (if any) to switching between speeds more quickly; so I changed all the times to 200ms. We'll see how this does.

Jan Kivar · Post by **Jan Kivar** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:24 am

ddrueding1 wrote:This works great! The only issue I have with the program is that it doesn't minimise to the taskbar properly, and doesn't execute at startup with the "multiplyer management" enabled by defualt.

Well, according to the readme all You need to do is add "/HIDE /CQ" to the shortcut.

Regarding the 0,8V limit; it's the lowest official VID, as 1,550V (IIRC) the highest. Anything higher or lower would require BIOS setting for it, or by manually soldering a resistor somewhere into the VRM, which would make a constant decrease in voltage, say 0,1V. Then all SW voltage settings would actually result in 0,1V lower than the selected value. But as Linus mentioned, the 10W mark is (nearly) obtained at 800MHz/0,8V. One could go even lower by lowering the FSB, but that is not so beneficial.

Switching between the states requires the CPU to be halted, I guess. So by switching too rapidly will lower the performance a bit. But either AMD or Intel advertised that "their CPU will change speed up to 30 times per second accroding to usage", so 200 ms is well in "safe" region.

Also, while gaming, the game might not use 100% CPU time all the time, which could cause jerkiness as the CPU changes states. I've seen this with some games combined with CPUIdle, but the principle behind CPUIdle (HALTing the CPU all idle time) is different from CrystalCPUID's. So YMMV with CrystalCPUID.

Cheers,

Jan

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 9:32 am

Jan Kivar wrote: Well, according to the readme all You need to do is add "/HIDE /CQ" to the shortcut.

Thanks. Being a typical male, I don't read instructions...

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:55 pm

Hmm... This doesn't seem to let me play with anything on my Mobile XP system.

EDIT: Just found out that the 4.0 versions doesn't let me play. The 3.5 version lets me have fun.

Tobias · Post by **Tobias** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:37 pm

There is a new zip up now. He forgott the win32 driver in the previous release, now it is 4.0A. Works fine on my Abit k8t8oo pro...

rperezlo · Post by **rperezlo** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:38 am

Be aware that the CPU can change speeds 30 times per second but the power circuits in your MB may not cope with those sudden power load changes. This may be why you have options to set lag times.

Mats · Post by **Mats** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:02 am

I just want to share my experiences with CrystalCPUID. I connected the 5:2 bridge first since I have a locked AXP, thus making it detected as a mobile CPU. Fired up the 4.2 version and it worked as expected, almost...
Max multiplier is the same, min is 3. Since I knew that I can reach quite high with this CPU I wanted higher multipliers as well.

Suddently I saw the special page about locked CPU's at Fab51, until now I had only been reading the bridge article. So I closed the 5:1 bridge (Warning!! Only works properly with some mobos, others will start up at x24!! Check Fab51.) too, and now I can choose multipliers between 3-24. Unfortunately not able to change the Vcore...

Now to my questions. I have this idea that software like this one can reach higher FSB than in BIOS with some A64 mobos. What do you know about that? What's your experience? It's kinda hard to find in OC forums since many of them are conservative in this issue or uses mobos that overclock a lot in BIOS.

Dynamic overclocking (like A64) is the only kind of overclocking I'm interested in, as long as we're not talking about a low power CPU like PM (but that one is half unlocked as well just like A64 so there's really no problem anyway).

Jan Kivar · Post by **Jan Kivar** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:12 am

Mats wrote:I just want to share my experiences with CrystalCPUID. I connected the 5:2 bridge first since I have a locked AXP, thus making it detected as a mobile CPU. Fired up the 4.2 version and it worked as expected, almost...
Max multiplier is the same, min is 3. Since I knew that I can reach quite high with this CPU I wanted higher multipliers as well.
...

What motherboard are you using? AFAIK only some nForce2-based motherboards support changing the core voltage. (S462 boards, that is)

ClockGen has the capability to change the FSB on-the-fly. I haven't personally tried it (well, I've used the program, but not the OC capabilities). ClockGen has specific versions for specific motherboards, but all Nforce2/3 boards have one common version.

All OC "record-breakers" use software utilities. One can achieve nice dynamic overclocks with an A64 if the FSB is first upped from BIOS, and then an app like CrystalCPUID is used for the multiplier control, and the highest multiplier is not used.

Cheers,

Jan

Mats · Post by **Mats** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:56 am

I'm using an Abit KV7 so I knew from the start that I wouldn't be able to change the Vcore in Windows.