Overclocking.


PoisonedV

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Can someone explain to me what this is? I want to get the best GP2X version or whatever, And I keep hearing about overclocking. (I know what overclocking is, but people keep talking about using software to do it, not hardware... so really, I mean explain GP2X overclocking)
 
For an oversimplified explanation, all GP2Xs come with the same hardware, with the processor set to run at 200mhz. Different software programs however, allow you to increase the processor speed (often maxxing out at 260-300 mhz). How high that overclocking number goes just depends on the individual unit, and is only discovered with a little experimenting.
 
Oh, OK. So does that mean if I get a unit that doesn't have very high speed I'm just SOL?
 
Pretty much. I wouldn't worry too much though. I think the vast majority of units overclock 260+. Mine only does 260, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.
 
naples39 posted on Oct 26 2006 at 12:04 PM said:
Pretty much. I wouldn't worry too much though. I think the vast majority of units overclock 260+. Mine only does 260, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

mine only goes to 250
 
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I was helpful to your other questions, but a reminder to use the fucking search button never hurt anyone. :)

Most units (besides Psymastr's ;)) overclock to 240Mhz+, and lots go up to 260, which is more than enough for smooth Quake and Neogeo.

- Alex
 
According to the utility on the archive mine can go up to 290 MHZ. :)

Some guy on the gp2x site said he bought the 275 MHZ version and his unit went up to 400 MHZ ;)
However, that same guy also asked why he couldn't "install" more things on the gp2x, turns out his SD card was full, so I don't really know if he knows what he's talking about. :lol:

--- Hmm on VBA K version I only could get 220 MHZ on the games I had. But on 1 of em, it went up to 250, but then it wouldn't get past a certain screen, however even on 200 , that game gets stuck so it might be the ROM. Do you get more MHZ on VBA?
 
And just to clarify Shikaku's reply: the reason you can't damage your gp2x by overclocking it is that heat - the thing that damages overclocked processors - is something that the arm9 cpu does not produce a whole lot of, not even when overclocked.
 
xenonflash posted on Oct 31 2006 at 04:56 PM said:
I'm kinda worried about my '2X. It won't go over 245 without freezing. Is there a program that tells you what the highest stable overclock is?

Yes and no. Yes because it works, but no because each program allows different overclocking capability (very random). Just go by experience.
 
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If you run the cpuspeed program (without parameters) it has the option to test the maximum overclock. It is quite a lengthy process though.
 
If I remember correctly, there was some concern that the results from the speed tester were somewhat inadequate, since it wasn't using all the hardware while it was testing it... so for example, maybe it's the sound hardware that can't handle 280MHz, but the cpuspeed tester doesn't generate any sound, so it never causes a crash. Last time I tried it, it got to something like 310MHz before it crashed, but I highly doubt I could run any actual emulators at that high a speed.

Just try different clock speeds in Squidgesnes and see what crashes and what doesn't. Mine doesn't seem to have any problem with 280MHz.

Oh, and you should know that the higher the clockspeed is set to, the more it'll drain your batteries... so there's no point in running at 280MHz for Alexkidd2x for example.

--Zero
 
Alex. posted on Oct 26 2006 at 01:59 PM said:
I was helpful to your other questions, but a reminder to use the fucking search button never hurt anyone. :)

Most units (besides Psymastr's ;)) overclock to 240Mhz+, and lots go up to 260, which is more than enough for smooth Quake and Neogeo.

- Alex

Welcome to the forum dude! Most of these people don't have a social life so they don't exactly know how to talk to people. :lol:
 
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What Ze_ro said. cpu_speed will give you a higher speed than actual stable OC speed. I would say about 15-30mhz higher than it really is.
 
Apologies if this question is ridiculous, but to overclock is there a specific piece of software needed, or is the option to overclock in the specific emulator, such as DrMdx ot MAME. It seems to be suggesting a program, as there was mention of underclocking the processor to play mp3s. (I've looked on the wiki, and a search here gives almost every topic).
 
Both situations can occur - some programs have built in over/underclocking functions, and there's also a utility that I forget the name of offhand, but it's mentioned on the forums a LOT. It can also tweak some other settings, I think LCD and memory timings. It should be in the file archive.

The most common way to use the utility is by making scripts to run each program, and in the script, you run the utility right before the program to configure the speed you want. Otherwise, the GP2X menu program tends to reset the CPU speed, and it wouldn't be very useful to run the utility separately, then back to the menu, and then run the program. There's example scripts hanging around the forum as well, maybe even on the wiki.
 
Alex. posted on Oct 26 2006 at 01:59 PM said:
I was helpful to your other questions, but a reminder to use the fucking search button never hurt anyone. :)

Most units (besides Psymastr's ;)) overclock to 240Mhz+, and lots go up to 260, which is more than enough for smooth Quake and Neogeo.

- Alex

Welcome to the forum dude! Most of these people don't have a social life so they don't exactly know how to talk to people. :lol:
Excellent, excellent, these kind of insults stick out the most.

- Alex
 
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