[Ti] sysctl hw.cpufrequency - PROBLEM

Sat Jan 17 04:17:54 PST 2004

Thanks Alex. Didn't know that. I'll have a look.

On Jan 17, 2004, at 6:13 AM, Alex wrote:

> Hi Barry and Luke
>
> This topic has been covered in depth in various other forums
>
> Have a look at:
> http://www.macosxhints.com/comment.php? 
> mode=display&sid=20031127211855401&title=Display+your+CPU%27s+true+spee 
> d&type=article&order=&pid=32823
>
> and the list related to it
>
> Alex
>
>> 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...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>              __       http://etyrnal.no-ip.com         .__
>>>     ____   _/  |_   ___.__. _______    ____   _____    |  |
>>>   _/ __ \  \   __\ <   |  | \_  __ \  /    \  \__  \   |  |
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>>>
>>>
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>> Barry
>>
>>
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>>
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>
>
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> <http://roadtools.com>
>
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Barry