Difference between revisions of "Overclocking"
(Added information about the various methods you can use to overclock and overvolt) |
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| − | The Pandora's CPU can officially run at 600Mhz, but most Pandoras can also run at higher speeds. This | + | The Pandora's CPU can officially run at 600Mhz, but most Pandoras can also run at higher speeds. This can make CPU-intensive programs (such as an N64 emulator) run smoother. If you try a speed that's too high, your Pandora can freeze up. If this occurs, you can force a restart by holding the Pandora button and sliding the power switch to the right. If you still have problems, take out your battery for a minute before turning on your Pandora (this will discharge the backup capacitor that was designed to retain RTC while the battery is being changed <sup>[http://www.gp32x.com/board/index.php?/topic/57303-overclocking-broke-my-pandora/page__view__findpost__p__924479]</sup>) |
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| − | + | ==How to Overclock== | |
| + | '''Notes:''' | ||
| + | |||
| + | The OMAP core will actually adjust its speed to match the load; you are setting the ''upper limit''. On its own, reducing the clock speed has little impact on battery life. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The operating voltage is specified as an 'opp' in the range 1-5, with 3 being the default. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===GUI Tools=== | ||
| + | The OS comes with the ability to modify the CPU speed from the GUI. Under "System" in the menu, you should find "CPU-Speed". This gives you a slider to set the desired MHz. Since Hot Fix 5, the maximum and minimum values can be set by using a separate tool (previously, it was limited from 14 to 900MHz). | ||
| + | |||
| + | A second tool was introduced in Hot Fix 5 which allows you to set the maximum OPP level, define the minimum/maximum clock speeds, change the way the "CPU-Speed" script warns you, and define a default clock speed. This can be found under "Settings", then "CPU-Settings". | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===CLI Commands=== | ||
| + | For anyone who likes using the terminal, here are some examples: | ||
| + | |||
| + | To set OPP5: | ||
| + | <pre>echo 5 > /proc/pandora/cpu_opp_max</pre> | ||
| + | |||
| + | To set your CPU speed to 800MHz: | ||
| + | <pre>echo 800 > /proc/pandora/cpu_mhz_max</pre> | ||
==Voltage Scaling== | ==Voltage Scaling== | ||
At low frequencies, the OMAP can still work with a reduced voltage, and that causes it to drain the battery a little slower. Alternatively, you can increase the voltage and maybe get a higher overclock. '''This WILL reduce the lifetime of your Pandora.''' 3 is the default OPP. | At low frequencies, the OMAP can still work with a reduced voltage, and that causes it to drain the battery a little slower. Alternatively, you can increase the voltage and maybe get a higher overclock. '''This WILL reduce the lifetime of your Pandora.''' 3 is the default OPP. | ||
| − | If you reduce the CPU speed below specific thresholds, the voltage will automatically adjust downwards. If you set the OPP to 1 whilst still running at the default 500 MHz, your Pandora is very likely to crash. At 4, you may see almost as good an overclock performance as at 5. '''REMEMBER: OverVolting can halve the life of your Pandora.''' | + | If you reduce the CPU speed below specific thresholds, the voltage will automatically adjust downwards. If you set the OPP to 1 whilst still running at the default 500 MHz, your Pandora is very likely to crash. At 4, you may see almost as good an overclock performance as at 5. '''REMEMBER: OverVolting can potentially halve the life of your Pandora.''' |
==App-specific Speed Control== | ==App-specific Speed Control== | ||
Revision as of 01:57, 19 March 2011
The Pandora's CPU can officially run at 600Mhz, but most Pandoras can also run at higher speeds. This can make CPU-intensive programs (such as an N64 emulator) run smoother. If you try a speed that's too high, your Pandora can freeze up. If this occurs, you can force a restart by holding the Pandora button and sliding the power switch to the right. If you still have problems, take out your battery for a minute before turning on your Pandora (this will discharge the backup capacitor that was designed to retain RTC while the battery is being changed [1])
Contents
How to Overclock
Notes:
The OMAP core will actually adjust its speed to match the load; you are setting the upper limit. On its own, reducing the clock speed has little impact on battery life.
The operating voltage is specified as an 'opp' in the range 1-5, with 3 being the default.
GUI Tools
The OS comes with the ability to modify the CPU speed from the GUI. Under "System" in the menu, you should find "CPU-Speed". This gives you a slider to set the desired MHz. Since Hot Fix 5, the maximum and minimum values can be set by using a separate tool (previously, it was limited from 14 to 900MHz).
A second tool was introduced in Hot Fix 5 which allows you to set the maximum OPP level, define the minimum/maximum clock speeds, change the way the "CPU-Speed" script warns you, and define a default clock speed. This can be found under "Settings", then "CPU-Settings".
CLI Commands
For anyone who likes using the terminal, here are some examples:
To set OPP5:
echo 5 > /proc/pandora/cpu_opp_max
To set your CPU speed to 800MHz:
echo 800 > /proc/pandora/cpu_mhz_max
Voltage Scaling
At low frequencies, the OMAP can still work with a reduced voltage, and that causes it to drain the battery a little slower. Alternatively, you can increase the voltage and maybe get a higher overclock. This WILL reduce the lifetime of your Pandora. 3 is the default OPP.
If you reduce the CPU speed below specific thresholds, the voltage will automatically adjust downwards. If you set the OPP to 1 whilst still running at the default 500 MHz, your Pandora is very likely to crash. At 4, you may see almost as good an overclock performance as at 5. REMEMBER: OverVolting can potentially halve the life of your Pandora.
App-specific Speed Control
It is possible to auto configure specific applications to increase the CPU speed whilst running. Applications can be configured to prompt with a suggested speed, and you are given the option to select a speed, making the choice persistent if desired. This is done by placing a 'cpuspeed' file in the /pandora/appdata/{pnd_name}/ directory. Delete the file to have the app ask again next time it is run. Some apps, such as PCSX-rearmed, also allows on-the-go overclocking thanks to the sdk.
