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Notebook Hardware Control - saves power, noise etc

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Notebook Hardware Control - saves power, noise etc
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SomeGuyOnOzB on 03/11/2008 - 11:38 pbus-167.com (415 clicks)

Free software to reduce your notebook's power consumption, heat and noise. Hopefully it saves you money too.

So far it's provided benefits on an Intel notebook, didn't seem to on a Celeron (it said it was still running at maximum processor speed all the time) and RockDJ reports that it will provide benefit on Dell notebooks though it might show you the change in processor speed on it's display.

On my notebook, it's switching the CPU between 0.8 GHz and 2.13 GHz, depending on what I am doing and what I need. (eg typing into OzBargain while running a bunch of programs in the background only needs 0.8 GHz)

This reduces the power my CPU is using (slower CPU -> less power consumed).
That reduces the heat produced by my CPU.
This reduces the speed my notebook's fan has to spin at to keep the notebook cool.
That reduces the noise my fan is producing (volume and pitch) and it also reduces the energy my notebook's fan is consuming.

This is freeware software I am trying out based on someone else's recommendation. But maybe it can help you too (unless your notebook came with software that does the same)

Once the software was installed, I didn't have to do any tweaking to get it to switch CPU speeds for me, either :)

This might not be a time limited bargain, but I suspect it'll be a bargain for a number of other users who hadn't heard of such software. :)

As always good luck and be careful with new software …

Computing Notebook

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  • scotty on 03/11/2008 - 13:27

    Isn't CPU frequency stepping built into the operating system?

    • Smigit on 03/11/2008 - 14:26

      Well it lets you do things like reduce voltages, not just the CPU speeds. While the OS will do that too, it'd do it in a very conservative manner I assume. Given every CPU performs differently this lets you really fine tune how stepping occurs and at what voltages.

      My old laptop would overheat and shutdown for instance in XP when running intensive apps for a prolonged period where CPU usage would stay at 100% for a while….benchmarks and the like. Using the tool I reduced the voltages while retaining the same CPU speeds and managed to reduce temperatures quite considerably to the extent that the system no longer needed to shut down due to thermal warnings.

      It's really a power users tool more than anything. Most people won't need it and for some it may even be dangerous to use if they muck around with the voltages in the wrong way (assuming the app lets them apply dangerous settings, I never checked)

  • Smigit on 03/11/2008 - 14:22

    Not really what I'd call a bargain since the software has been available for ages now and has been free to use. Nothing to make it more a bargain than any other freeware app.

    None the less, it's a good app if you want to manually configure your laptops power settings to a higher degree than you usually can. It'll let you do things like adjust the voltage settings which if you do correct can reduce heat and power consumption quite a fair bit.

  • SomeGuyOnOzB on 03/11/2008 - 15:14

    Done a few more tests. Doesn't seem to do anything for Celeron. Intel works quite well.

    My notebook sits at 800 GHz most of the time, popping back to 2.13 GHz to clear some application requests etc. Is the OS (Win XP) supposed to automatically adjust the CPU performance? Mine hasn't for ages (I'd always get a loud fan whine as it tried to cope with the heat). …

  • randoom on 03/11/2008 - 23:05

    It's a good program, but do we start advocating various pieces of software on OzBargain now (when they're always free, that is)?

    I could understand if the software being given away for a limited time and originally cost $$ but this is just freeware…

    EDIT: Something to keep in mind for at least Dell laptop users: this will work (as I've been using it for a while), but some things like CPU speed won't appear to change in NHC. They do in reality though - see your system properties.

  • SomeGuyOnOzB on 04/11/2008 - 10:12

    I do agree with you in part. I wouldn't want every single piece of freeware advocated here.

    In this case, I figure my notebook is now running on 10 - 60% less power than before, without me having to customise the software, settings, etc. I figure that is a pretty big saving and makes this software worth mentioning. If someone else out there is in the same situation as I am (hadn't heard of it and can benefit that much from the software) I thought it'd be worth submitting … ultimately OzPete, Scotty and the other guys will decide if it's got enough merit to leave it here. shrug

    Slightly different point … I guess freeware has the wrong connotations. This software probably took the developer hours, days, weeks or months of their spare time to make it. I really appreciate that the software has been made available in a free format. (I'll look at ways to support it later; my individual call). I guess I'm thinking, because something is currently freeware doesn't make it any less of a bargain …

    I think I'm trying to say, just because it's been free for years and there's no announcements about a future plan to charge everyone who gets the latest version … doesn't mean it'll be free forever …

    But even so, in this particular case, I thought it might be a little controversial to submit it, but if there is even 1 other person who benefits as much as I am right now … then it is worth having up as a bargain :)

    Well … that was my idea. I leave it to OzPete, Scotty … and … are there other moderators? shrug

  • AussieMark on 04/11/2008 - 10:55

    Thanks buddy,

    I wouldn't have come across this if it wasn't posted here so I appreciate it.

    • SomeGuyOnOzB on 04/11/2008 - 11:29

      Thanks AussieMark :) :) :) :) :) :)

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