Overclocking acer laptop

hi, im new to the forums. sorry to have my first thread as a question.

how can i OC my laptop? Theres been much opposition from my hardware, including a locked BIOS (to be expected of OEM). I have no idea of what my PLL is either (i don't dare open my lappy, cause im not gonna risk it). Reason for OCing is to kick my GMA a "leetle" better

Specs are:
Acer Aspire 4935 - Centrino (not centrino 2)
Intel C2D T5800 @ stock speed of 2GHz
3GB RAM Kingston
Intel GMA 4500MHD
320GB WD HDD
BIOS: InsydeH2O Acer 1.06 (latest)
Vista Home Premium 64bit
sorry CPU-Z cant seem to display my mainboard, but i remember its an Acer board.

Im quite familiar with the risks of OCing, and i've tried just about everything thats available.

BIOS (locked)
Clockgen
RMClock
Powerstrip
Systools
CPUFSB
GMABooster
Rivatuner
SetFSB

oh and a final note: don't say laptops can't be OCed.

 

It's not worth it.

 

thx for the quick reply. but can you say why its not worth it?

i know the usual blah blah about heat, component life etc...

 

The performance your going to get out of it is either not going to be noticeable, or wont be worth the possible issues of heat. I mean what are you trying to do with it? Game? Transfer music?

 

Why do you even want to overclock? Even if you could (most notebooks can't be OCed, so unless you have definite proof that someone with your model has done it, you're pretty much out of luck), gaming with an OCed 4500MHD isn't going to be good and the CPU wouldn't show any performance benefit unless you are currently often on 100% CPU load... You've tried all the standard approaches and aren't willing to open your notebook, so you can't do any of the hardmodding or advanced stuff - not sure how else you want to approach the subject.

 

I overclocked my laptop with an X3100 and my 3dmark05 score more than doubled. In real life I get only a few more frames by overclocking my FSB from 200mhz to 245mhz.

So did you try every PLL in setfsb?

Also check the thread in my sig, it may help.

 

I'm a little confused about that, how can you have the X4500 and call the platform Centrino and not centrino 2?
I guess what I really wan't to know is what chipset you have?

 

He has Centrino 2 if he has 4 series chipset (Cantiga), 2nd gen Core 2 (Penryn), and Intel wireless card. He must have a 4 series chipset (GM45) if he has GMA 4500 MHD (GMA X4500HD = desktop G45 fyi).

 

it is centrino, not centrino 2 (as indicated by the sticker) Core is Conroe i think (forgot the CPU-Z, too lazy to open it right now) Chipset is Intel Express 4 Series all right, GM45 is correct.

and i do game with it (i know IGPs aren't meant to game, but i keep missing my desktop which is far away overseas). Why i want to OC is to get at least some decent FPS with C&C Generals (my favorite) and Red Alert 3. WoW runs fine.

moral hazard: i did try every PLL in setfsb, until i came to the RTM section (after ICS and CY) and it gave me color screens, which i couldnt force shut down my lappy...and had to wait for the battery to drain, cause the battery locks itself when the computer is operating. DAMMIT!
but also thanks for the encouragement that GMA IGPs can be OCed, and i'll try those threads.

 

I didn't say GMA can be OCed, I just mentioned that when you OC your FSB the bandwidth increase is good for your GMA.

 

+============================================================================+
KAL90 Release Note
+============================================================================+
BIOS CORE Version ................ Insyde EFI 2.0
CPUs Supported ................ Intel Penryn 1067/800 MHz
Chipset ................ Intel Cantiga
Bridge ................ Intel ICH9M
Video ................ UMA / nVidia
LCD Size ................ 14¡¨ TFT WXGA
Memory ................ DDR2 667/800 MHz
HDD ................ SATA
ODD ................ SATA
PCMCIA ................ N/A
Card Reader ................ JBM385 (5in1)
1394 controller ................ N/A
Audio ................ HD Audio Realtek ALC888
LAN ................ Atheros AR8121
KBC ................ ENE 926
Clock Generator ................ ICS9LPRS387
Super I/O ................ N/A
BIOS ROM Part ................ MX25LV008BB(SPI_FLASH:1MB)
Finger print ................ Authentec AES1610
eSATA ................ YES



That's part of relese note from the bios for aspire 4935 downloaded from the acer ftp support web page. Like you see your clock is ICS9LPRS387

 

send that info along with your chipset and the model of your notebook by email to abo (creator of setfsb) and he will get your PLL supported.
Be polite to him or he will not support you. Follow the instructions on his website on how to send him an email.

 

There's a HP thread with tools and techniques on how to mod the Insyde bios settings. See here. Might get some more performance improvements that way too.

 

wow darnok44, thx a LOT!! gotta try that out...but unfortunately, my lappy's adapter is being replaced, so i can't use it yet..

the specs are pretty close, but aren't exact. don't think it will affect though..
and i think theres a problem. i've always assumed that its GM45, but the specs don't match up. i'll post as much as i can remember (lappy has no power, cause my adapter's gone for now)

BIOS : InsydeH2O
CPU: Intel C2D T5800 2GHz, 800MHz FSB Merom
Chipset : Intel Express 4 Series (unfortunately, it does not look like GM45)
Platform: Intel Centrino (Montevina)
HDD: SATA
PCMCIA: none
Bridge: don't remember
Video: Intel GMA 4500MHD
Memory: DDR2-667 / 800MHz
Card Reader : it is Jmicron
Audio: Realtek HD Audio..not sure what the number is.
LAN : correct, its Atheros 8xxx series
Fingerprint : Authentec
eSATA : yes

i'll have to wait around 3 days to get the damned adapter back (the Acer service center is SO SLOW!)

Nando4: i really daren't mess with the BIOS. I got a grounding once for wrecking my old PC. Once bitten, twice shy.

 

If you try CPUCool (pay the registration fee, it's worth it) it is a question of finding the right PLL for your Acer. Mine is ICS 954310 (Aspire 3680) I'm running a T5200 (1.60Ghz c2d) @ 1.86Ghz (620fsb) and it is very stable. It runs slightly less hot than the M440 originally supplied and better battery life. Heat is the enemy if you oc too much. It isn't that easy identifying which components you fried with a too-aggressive oc, and there are a lot of screws to keep track of to get to many of them. BTW, video performance with the GMA950 still only gets a 3.0 in the Vista performance ratings-less than a 10% improvement over stock. The rest of the system rates in the 4.7-5.0 range.

 

darnok44, are you sure its ICS 9LPRS 387 ?
i can't seem to find it on the IDT website (manufacturer of ICS chips). Abo (setfsb creator) replied saying if i could find the datasheet of that PLL he would support it, but even the mighty Google turns out absolutely nothing.

 

What I past it's part of official relese note for aspire 4935 bios taken from acer support site therefore we have to believe acer that this is true. Unfortunately I coudn't find anything either about this ICS chip. There is actually one site where is something about Acer Aspire 4925/4930 » 4930G and 9LPRS387 but because its chinese site I don't understand nothing and even google translator not helping at all. There's link for this site: http://benyouhui.it168.com/viewthread.php?tid=951641&extra=&page=1

 

hmm...aspire 4930/4925 might not have the same pll, cause mine is aspire 4935 without G.

and you might have told me the site earlier, cause i can read chinese
says they're waiting for a datasheet.

 

I think that datasheet will not be availble soon because this particular chip isn't even listed on IDT websites. But can You do something for me and try use setfsb, choose ICs9lprs365 and try diagnosis and try get fsb. Can You make screenshots of this, if there will not be pll error, and post them here.

 

Everything is in attached file. There's comparision of registers from aspire 7720 with ics..365 and aspire 4935 with ics...387 and description from datasheet ics..365

 

i have the same pll....
ICS 9LPRS387 in an acer aspire one d250

 

Do you have a datasheet for the PLL?

 

wish i did.... can't find almost anything on google about this pll...
as you can see... 365 kinda opens up in setfsb, so i guess it is a slightly modified 365

 

Well then I would think you have TME enabled and need to pin mod to disable it:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=393027

 

yea... need some time to read that thoroughly
i am not sure yet what i have to solder to get this running...

[EDIT] also.. since no datasheet is available... i am not quite sure if the pins needing the modding would be the same....

 

What harm could come from connecting pin 4 to GND apart from shorting out the notebook

 

yeah... short it out and make it unusable

 

whoa my old thread is resurrected. to bogdi1988, i have scoured the internet probably more than you have trying my EXTREME VERY BEST to turn my lappy into something more useful. the ICS 9LPRS 387 datasheet just does not exist on the web. And how do you know precisely if its 387? did you open the lappy? as i have also seen, the registers closest to 387 (e.g 365) do read correctly, but when the slider is moved, the slider is pulled to the right and reads 66MHz, and nothing short of reopening the program (which is a pain, due to UAC) will reset that slider, although actual CPU speed is untouched.

and careful if you dare pinmod...i for one, DO NOT dare take that risk. there's a reason why moral chose his nick

 

TME is enabled on the Acer's ics9plrs387 PLL (byte 09, bit 6=1). Could try the TME workaround that was applied to ics9lprs355 here. If doesn't work, then only way you're going to get an overclock is either a TME-unlocking pinmod OR set the PLL directly for a overclock. Both scenarios shown in same link.

 

i am looking into that now... unfortunately i think it might not work, since the hex info is a bit different on this pll...

on a sidenote, the 355 pll can also be loaded into setFSB and does not give errors when trying to access the pll... so i guess the 387 is a derivative off 365 or 355

[EDIT] the workaround will not work... 0h, i can update it to 37, 11h switches automatically to E0 and i can not change it to A4, 12h is similar, and 15h will switch to 1... once i input the bit values for the fsb in 0D and 0E, and apply that, 15h goes to 0. once i press getfsb once again, it the slider goes all the way to the left...

i guess i might have to try the TME unlocking pinmod... but i am not sure if i should risk it since we have no datasheet...

 

@nando any idea which pins it would be for the tma? the 387 is a scuqre chip with 72 pins.... not the usual 64...

 

For ICS PLLs we know:

* If it's 64-pin TSSOP [rectangular]: TME=pin57 as shown here.
* If it's 64-pin MLF [square]: TME=pin4 as shown here
* If it's a 72-pin MLF [square]: then need to find a datasheet for it to be sure

 

here is the best macro pic i could take with my nexus... you can see the package...

http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=rzhnyqmnmr2

i saw online that some gigabyte mobo was using the ics 914 chip and that was also a 72pin

http://www.legitreviews.com/images/reviews/1158/Gigabyte-P55A-UD6-PLL.jpg

 

anybody have any suggestions?
could we contact the person that makes setfsb for any help with this PLL? or where could we find any datasheet for this?
anybody seen any 72pin pll from ics? i would be willing to try and see if the pinmod for any ics 72pin pll would work on this...

 

is there really no one on this forum that has seen a 72-pin pll and might have a datasheet for it? any model, just idt brand...

 

Yep, never seen one.

I'm looking for one though because my notebook has 9lpr113AKLF which has 72 pins.

People with the M11 also have a 72-pin PLL.

Nobody can find a datasheet.

Send an email to IDT, I did...

 

i was about to send an email to IDT myself, but since the creator of SetFSB said something about not developing SetFSB anymore, i gave up. As i said previously, there is simply no such datasheet for the 9LPRS 387 on the net.

 

Setfsb will work after you pin mod the PLL, that is why you need the datasheet.

You need to know which pin is the TME pin, then GND that pin.

 

this blows... i could use a faster carputer...

 

Likely the 72PIN ICS PLL pinout is the same as that of a ICS954305EKLF PLL here. That PLL is not software programmable. Couuld still change the FSLx pins to overclock it but you'd need to reprogram the SPDTable of the RAM to accept the faster timings.

 

What did you use to OC the X3100?

EDIT:
Through the HW PLL MOD? I mean is it by increasing the FSB of the whole system?

 

It's not possible to OC the X3100. The GMABooster guy gave up trying to change the core render clock speeds for those systems who are not running 500Mhz. Can see some details of that here.

So then, the only way to "overclock X3100 graphics" is a FSB overclock by increasing the PLL frequency via pinmod and/or setfsb.

 

I suggest checking the pins which are shown as GND in the datasheet to make sure the pinout is the same.

My 72-pin PLL is software programmable, don't know if that means anything.

 

interesting link.
I thought the guy who developped gmabooster did not make a version for the X3100 and the X4500 because of lack of funding and time.

once again intel

 

72-pin PLL datasheet found, here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=463095&page=7

*ICS9LPRS387BKLF*

 

wow... i forgot to log in for a while and missed quite a lot
you guys are awesome! i went and bought a 10k resistor today and will attempt to pinmod the tme tomorrow and see if setfsb works after that...

i'll keep ya updated on wether it works or not.

 

so... i added a resistor from pin 14 to a ground pin (usb ground). now... when i run setfsb and i select the ics 365 one, i can read the fsb, and when i press set, even it if is for a 1mhz increase, the screen goes black... i guess that setfsb makes some illegal settings?

 

Yeah, you have to troubleshoot it.
Manually change the registers in setfsb.

 

Can't do that anymore. tried to. Pin mod it to 333 fsb and I think I fried the board.

 

leave the CMOS battery out for a while.

Maybe re-seat some stuff...