Undervolting in OSX?

So, the famous notebookreview undervolting guide is aimed for computers running windows, so I'm wondering if there's a guide to undervolt cpu/gpu under OSX? Since opening the computer to apply AS5 (and void warranty) isn't worth it, undervolting is the next best thing to dropping massive temps for doing virtually nothing.

So...anybody stumbled (or written one themselves?) a guide or have program recommendations?

 

I'd give Coolbook a try. It lets you monitor your CPU, and lets you add or subtract voltages, and therefore making your computer cooler. It's the same thing as Undervolting. Only one catch.... It's $10 USD.

 

Coolbook dropped my average temps by 10C. Definitely worth it.

 

Is there a guide somewhere on how to use coolbook or how to set the settings correctly?

Also, I read that the latest version shouldn't be used with the santa rosa computers. I forget which one the new macbook pros are, santa rosa or montevista or whatever it's called.

Also, is it possible to set coolbook so that its always running when osx is running without having to turn it on everytime you turn on your comp?

 

Coolbook site offers a very good FAQ and good forum users to trade tips on this not-so-expensive product.

cheers ...

 

Yep, it pretty much sums it up there.

 

Does this void the warranty?

I will check this out... I use smcFanControl to up the fans if temps go above 170F, and just in case sometimes I just run the fans at fullblast when my macbooks doing stuff while im not there just in case

But im definitely thinking about doing this... usually around 120F and 160-170 under load which is 5-10 degrees too high for my liking haha since 150-155 is when the fans up from 2000 to 2500-3000 which is extremely extremely quiet but unnecessary if UV is so easy haah

 

Either I'm blind or I just can't seem to find the forum link on the main coolbook site.

Also, I believe I got the settings down, I'm idling around mid 30C in osx. So that's very nice. However, some forum users say that coolbook starts when osx starts, but I don't see it at all under the activity monitor. Is there a way to perhaps chuck the coolbook program into a "start when operating system starts" folder?

 

Gracious bump, I figured everything out except, I'm still trying to figure out if coolbook starts with OSX starts without opening the program. Or maybe is there a way to toss coolbook into a "startup programs" folder?

 

Somewhere in account settings, there is a tab where you can add programs to get them to start at login.

 

It does. Once you register, it will automatically install itself and ask you to reboot. You have to buy it for it to work and to be able to adjust any of the voltages.

 

Ya, I registered and messed with the voltages already. So the moment you install cookbook it's automatically set to run when osx starts? Awesome. I didn't see it under the accounts start up list, should I drag it into there? Although that list is the "open automatically when osx starts" which I don't necessarily want to open, I just want it to run.

 

I'm running CoolBook on my MBA. It dropped my temps about 10ºC as well, it's an incredible improvement for just $10. Perfectly stable in the 6 months I've been using it.

 

Im thinking of doing this as well, is it worth 10 bucks? And will it extend the life of the Macbook or something? I know that it's good if the thing runs cooler, but it's already idling at about 42 degrees which is not much at all.

 

Well with coolbook's settings, I'm idling at low 30s with fans at default rpm. But nobody has answered my question yet! =(

And yes for 10 bucks it's a small price to pay for temperature nuts.

 

Coolbook is always running. Automatically. It only gets turned off after a major OS X update (10.5.4, ect.)

 

Ah, so if a major OSX update happens, how do you turn it back on so that it's always on?

 

I'm pretty sure that you go into the applications > coolbook > preferences and then go from there.

 

I dunno about Coolbook, I didn't get the registered version, but.. just launching it and watching the Temp is said I had.. it was 8º to 10º lower than iStat or SMCFanControl claimed the temp was... so would it really make it cooler, or does it just detect temps wrong? just an odd feeling its some type of $10 scam

 

doh123 I noticed that as well. I also got a registration file and tried getting my voltage lower. Well it wouldn't adjust my settings on AC adapter, and on Battery it would switch but my voltage would be unstable with very little of a drop.

If your looking at the Coolbook temps mine always read 10 degrees C lower.

 

I registered mine and I'm also seeing 5 - 10 degrees C lower compared to iStats temp. I use CoolBook, iStats & Fan Control.

 

I hope it isn't a mind trick in cooling, if so we got took lol..

 

So wait is CoolBook simply a "trick"? I mean if iStat is reading different readings than CoolBook's Temp meter..

 

I'm not gonna call anything a scam for sure... but it claims to be able to decrease the temp, but it just reads my temp wrong... when it says one temp, at the same exact time 2 other temp programs report back its 10º hotter...

 

I can back that up Doh123. Using Istat i continually get 10c cooler temps.

 

Hmm, so I wonder if there's a better alternative with undervolting in this case? If a program is coded so that it's always reading a cooler temp, then heck, I could go write a program that reads 60C at 30C instead. (Ok, I can't, but that's besides the point).

But as far as I've noticed, it seems coolbook is the only alternative to window's rmclock.

 

Yeah, it's the only program I've heard of for OS X that undervolts, so I'm pretty sure that's your only choice..

 

You know, I went and double checked, coolbook and smcfancontrol both report roughly the same temp. So that means this istat program you guys are referring to might be the one that's off. But we'll never know. =(

 

for me istat & Fan Control have the same temp but coolbook shows a different temp. guess YMMV.

 

They are all the same for me. iStat and SMC are dead accurate with each other, but CoolBook is about 3 degrees off.

 

Yea it's about 3 degrees off, that's not so bad as opposed to 10 degrees. Idling at low 30s sure beats the default mid 40s.

 

That's true. The main killer of electronics is heat. The hotter an electronic gets for a longer amount of time, the shorter the life span will be. This goes for all computers.

 

It isn't a trick. Different programs just read different sensors. A dual core CPU itself has at least 3 different CPU sensors: 1 in each core and I believe the third one is on top or below the die and so reads more of an overall CPU temperature. Apple also placed sensors on the heatsink of the CPU. The temperature sensors themselves are not always accurate, with the early 45nm Penryns having a wonky temperature profile making the temperature sensors imprecise compared to the previous 65nm Meroms, before a newer Penryn stepping introduced re-calibrated sensors. At the end of the day a 5C variance in readings doesn't mean much and CPUs are warranted to survive extended operation at 100C for 65nm mobile Core 2 Duos and 105C for 45nm Core 2 Duos.

 

why bother? I just want something that works. I never thought about it. You will appreciate the macbook when it works

 

Oh it works alright. Don't you sweat it.