[Ti] sysctl hw.cpufrequency - PROBLEM

[Barry Lyden]

In the recent past, my 867 TiBook also has reported 667 through the 
sysctl hw.frequency command. I too heard that this was normal - that 
the command reports incorrectly. I just happened to do a PMU reset 
yesterday, so I ran the command a few minutes ago and....it reports 
867. My machine booted faster yesterday as well. And it runs noticeably 
faster. Apparently, mine is doing exactly what you describe. So I guess 
your not alone. Interesting.



On Jan 16, 2004, at 1:40 PM, etyrnal at ameritech.net wrote:

> hello...
>
> In the recent past (couple months) my 867MHz TiBook (machine specs. at 
> end) has started feeling frustratingly sluggish...
>
> as a quick aside - I always thought to myself "I would NEVER put it 
> past a modern manufacturer to build in to their product a 'urge 
> customer to buy a new model feature/bug" - especially if they thought 
> they could hide it or get away with it...
>
> Well...
>
> In the article i heard some people discussing the "sysctl 
> hw.cpufrequency" terminal command...
>
> if you open your terminal and execute that command it reports your CPU 
> speed...
>
> well - my Eight Hundred Sixty Seven Mega Hertz TiBook was telling me 
> that it is a 667MHz machine...
>
> So i started searching around and found another article saying that if 
> you reset the PMU it will return it to the advertised speed...
>
> Sure enough...  i reset the PMU and the machine boots to "sysctl 
> hw.cpufrequency" reporting 867MHz - and it boots NOTICEABLY faster - 
> and runs noticeably faster...
>
> I've heard some people CLAIM that this command does not report the 
> correct speed...
>
> This makes no sense...  I would estimate that if the command did, in 
> fact, report incorrectly that it would doone of the following odd 
> behaviours:
>
> 1.) ALWAYS report one wrong speed - regardless of any changes.
> 2.) Report a VERY wrong speed - eg: 0MHz or 439.7256497537 MHz or some 
> other 'broken' sounding number.
>
> But this is not the case for me...
>
> I installed "GEEK TOOL" (pretty cool app) to monitor this "sysctl 
> hw.cpufrequency"...
>
> so at all times geek tool is displaying the results of this command 
> floating above everything else being displayed at the lower right of 
> my lcd screen...
>
> If i do a Startup immediately after a PMU reset - it always shows 
> 867MHz...
>
> If i do a NORMAL Restart and let it boot normally - it comes up as 
> 667MHz...
>
> NOW - all of this is ESPECIALLY strange to me as it was my 
> understanding that the 867MHz models do NOT do Processor Speed Changes 
> at all...  it was my understanding that the main method of on-battery 
> power-savings was achieved via disabling the L2 and or L3 cache 
> memory...  and possibly by the user disabling unnecessary ports eg: 
> modem, airport, enet, irda, etc...
>
> So for a machine that is supposed (by me at least) to NOT change it's 
> speed - i find it funny that mine changes...
>
> ...especially considering that this machine is ALWAYS on the Power 
> Charger/Adapter - i use it as my desktop machine.
>
> Also i forgot to mention that once the machine has switched itself to 
> 667MHz - it NEVER switches back automatically - i am FORCED to do a 
> PMU reset to get it back...
>
> Also it only takes about a day to a day and a half for the machine to 
> Switch Itself from 867MHz to 667MHz in and of its OWN Accord...
>
> I need a really good explanation on why i should NOT call up Apple and 
> SCREAM at them...
>
> My frustrations over how SLOW this machine has bees running recently 
> have affected my peace of mind greatly.
>
> What am i overlooking...
>
> What causes this?
>
> IS there a way to find out if there is any App that may be issuing a 
> command to force my machine to do this?
>
> Am i wrong about the 867MHz TiBook not supposed to be a cpu-speed 
> switcher?
>
> And if even so - if this machine is ALWAYS on the Adapter ( and i mean 
> ALWAYS ) then why would it switch??
>
> I have my energy setting set to Maximum performance...
>
> HELP.
>
>
> - Luke
>
>
> 867MHz TiBook (once in a while), 512MB Ram, 40GB HD, Older 15.2" LCD, 
> OS X.2.8 (and holding - X.3 slowed the kids 17" iMac to a crawl), also 
> bootable to OS 9.2.2...
>
>
>
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Barry