Slow Down the CPU Speed

[Guest Brad]

Hi,

 

I have two WinBook XL2 laptops with Windows 98se. Most of the time, I use

them off line (off the Web) and I don't need the CPU running at full speed

(400Mhz). The problem is the noisy fan that cools the CPU. This fan is not

defective since it is noisy on both laptops and it runs constantly after a

warm up period.

 

I could not find anything in "Setup" or the manual that allows you to

reduce the CPU speed.

 

Is there a utility that would allow me to slow down the CPU, thus

reducing the heat up so the fan doesn't constantly run?

 

Thanks in advance, Brad

 

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,

be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Slow Down the CPU Speed

 

On the web or off the web, makes no difference. Laptops run hot and when

you're actually using them for much of anything OR you fail to take proper

precautions to leave all of the venting clear of obstruction, you're going

to get the fast fan mode. And it's not necessarily the CPU fan that is doing

it. Could be a chassis venting fan, or even one dedicated to cooling the

video chip.

 

Unfortunately, the manual for that model doesn't show the motherboard

layout, but the BIOS description and instructions are fairly clear. If there

is a way to control CPU speed, other motherboard speeds and/or fan speeds,

it will be in BIOS setup. From what I can glean from the manual and other

literature, your BIOS has none of these options and you are stuck with what

you have.

 

Best thing you can do is to make sure the laptop is sitting on a hard

surface, not your lap or a soft surface of any kind.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"Brad" <bpetria@verizon.net> wrote in message

news:485bb2df.5296260@news.verizon.net...

> Hi,

>

> I have two WinBook XL2 laptops with Windows 98se. Most of the time, I

> use

> them off line (off the Web) and I don't need the CPU running at full speed

> (400Mhz). The problem is the noisy fan that cools the CPU. This fan is

> not

> defective since it is noisy on both laptops and it runs constantly after a

> warm up period.

>

> I could not find anything in "Setup" or the manual that allows you to

> reduce the CPU speed.

>

> Is there a utility that would allow me to slow down the CPU, thus

> reducing the heat up so the fan doesn't constantly run?

>

> Thanks in advance, Brad

>

> Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,

> be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.

>

[Guest Don Phillipson]

Re: Slow Down the CPU Speed

 

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message

news:O2sWpPv0IHA.4364@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> On the web or off the web, makes no difference. Laptops run hot and when

> you're actually using them for much of anything OR you fail to take proper

> precautions to leave all of the venting clear of obstruction, you're going

> to get the fast fan mode. . . .

> Best thing you can do is to make sure the laptop is sitting on a hard

> surface, not your lap or a soft surface of any kind.

 

Office supply stores now sell "lap desks" with a rigid

surface for the laptop and a soft cushion underneath

for the user's knees.

 

--

Don Phillipson

Carlsbad Springs

(Ottawa, Canada)

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Slow Down the CPU Speed

 

Cool! That covers half my Christmas list.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"Don Phillipson" <e925@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote in message

news:u7GG2Jw0IHA.416@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message

> news:O2sWpPv0IHA.4364@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>

>> On the web or off the web, makes no difference. Laptops run hot and when

>> you're actually using them for much of anything OR you fail to take

>> proper

>> precautions to leave all of the venting clear of obstruction, you're

>> going

>> to get the fast fan mode. . . .

>> Best thing you can do is to make sure the laptop is sitting on a hard

>> surface, not your lap or a soft surface of any kind.

>

> Office supply stores now sell "lap desks" with a rigid

> surface for the laptop and a soft cushion underneath

> for the user's knees.

>

> --

> Don Phillipson

> Carlsbad Springs

> (Ottawa, Canada)

>

>

[Guest Tim Slattery]

Re: Slow Down the CPU Speed

 

"Don Phillipson" <e925@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote:

>Office supply stores now sell "lap desks" with a rigid

>surface for the laptop and a soft cushion underneath

>for the user's knees.

 

Errmmm...lap desks predate laptop computers by a long way. They are

very useful for laptop computers, though.

 

--

Tim Slattery

MS MVP(Shell/User)

Slattery_T@bls.gov

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Slow Down the CPU Speed

 

I thought so, but with my Swiss cheese memory... Anyway, they ARE the

perfect gift for several people I know.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"Tim Slattery" <Slattery_T@bls.gov> wrote in message

news:l53o54pj3ikes8thgeedq22uhoao6dupq7@4ax.com...

> "Don Phillipson" <e925@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote:

>

>>Office supply stores now sell "lap desks" with a rigid

>>surface for the laptop and a soft cushion underneath

>>for the user's knees.

>

> Errmmm...lap desks predate laptop computers by a long way. They are

> very useful for laptop computers, though.

>

> --

> Tim Slattery

> MS MVP(Shell/User)

> Slattery_T@bls.gov

> http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

[Guest Peter in New Zealand]

Re: Slow Down the CPU Speed

 

Gary S. Terhune wrote:

> I thought so, but with my Swiss cheese memory... Anyway, they ARE the

> perfect gift for several people I know.

>

I think in the old days they were called "knee trays", and were quite

good for eating dinner while sitting in front of the TV. I still have a

couple I gave my parents as Christmas presents around 40 years ago. Made

of plywood with a nice veneer, they have a little moulded border and

underneath a sort of loosish "bag" of upholstry fabric half filled with

bean bag, err, beans. I use them all the time for my laptop.

 

--

Peter in New Zealand. (Email address is fake)

Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and

compulsive computer fiddler.

[Guest Franc Zabkar]

Re: Slow Down the CPU Speed

 

On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:40:35 GMT, bpetria@verizon.net (Brad) put

finger to keyboard and composed:

> I have two WinBook XL2 laptops with Windows 98se. Most of the time, I use

>them off line (off the Web) and I don't need the CPU running at full speed

>(400Mhz). The problem is the noisy fan that cools the CPU. This fan is not

>defective since it is noisy on both laptops and it runs constantly after a

>warm up period.

>

> I could not find anything in "Setup" or the manual that allows you to

>reduce the CPU speed.

>

> Is there a utility that would allow me to slow down the CPU, thus

>reducing the heat up so the fan doesn't constantly run?

>

> Thanks in advance, Brad

 

Short version:

 

Try CPU cooler software such as CPUidle, Rain, or Waterfall.

 

 

Long version:

 

FWIW, your laptop appears to be manufactured by Twinhead International

Corp. At least that's what the BIOS ID strings appear to be telling

me:

 

62-3500-001159-00101111-071595-440BX

62-3700-001159-00101111-071595-440BX

 

Here are the report files for your AMI BIOS (137 is for a laptop with

an ESS modem, 135 is for a Lucent winmodem):

 

http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/Winbook/P98WR135.RPT

http://www.users.on.net/~fzabkar/Winbook/P98WR137.RPT

 

There are many features in the BIOS setup which have been hidden from

the user, but I still don't see anything that may resolve your issue.

Notably, the Hardware Monitor section has no temperature, voltage, or

fan related settings.

 

I suggest you try CPU cooler software such as CPUidle, Rain, or

Waterfall, to name a few. IME CPUidle will drop your CPU temperature

by at least 10degC during periods of low activity, at least in a

desktop machine.

 

See http://www.benchtest.com/cooler.html

 

The specs for your laptop ...

 

http://www.winbookcorp.com/support/xl/xl2/xl2specs.htm

 

.... state that your main chipset is Intel's 443BX (north bridge) and

PIIX4e (south bridge), and that your IO chipset is National

Semiconductor's NS97338 Super I/O Controller.

 

The latter "manages the interface to the floppy drive, serial ports,

infrared port and parallel port." Unlike other IO chips, the NS97338

does not appear to have any hardware monitoring capability, but I'm

not sure about this (I can't find its datasheet).

 

The Celeron and Pentium II CPUs have an on-die thermal diode. The

443BX/PIIX4e datasheet shows this diode connected to an external

thermal sensor which is in turn connected to a "System Controller" or

to the PIIX4e south bridge via an SMBus.

 

I'd try a hardware monitoring program such as Motherboard Monitor 5:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/Motherboard-Monitor.shtml

 

.... or Speedfan:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Windows-Widgets/System-Utilities/SpeedFan-Temperature-Monitor.shtml

 

Everest Home Edition also has a Sensor tab under the Computer

category:

 

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/Everest-Home-Edition.shtml

 

One or other of the above programs may be able to tell you if you have

a software accessible temperature sensor in your machine.

 

- Franc Zabkar

--

Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.