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iMAl right · Oct 3, 2003, 09:02 PM

OK, So I avoid all these updates because I am paranoid that it will slow my RevA 12" down. Sure enough, I load up 10.2.8 ( hoping heat will decrease) and I drop a couple of percent in my Xbench score. But wait, what's this, I now have a 534 MHz processor?!! Historical scores I've saved have PowerPC G4 @ 867MHz , not to mention are faster. I am curious what may cause this?? Also, does anyone know how to revert to an older version of the OS, say 10.2.5?

Results 73.59
System Info
Xbench Version 1.0
System Version 10.2.8
Physical RAM 640 MB
Model PowerBook6,1
Processor PowerPC G4 @ 534 MHz
Version 7455 (Apollo) v3.3
L1 Cache 32K (instruction), 32K (data)
L2 Cache 256K @ 534 MHz
Bus Frequency 134 MHz
Video Card GeForce4 MX
Drive Type FUJITSU MHS2060AT

CPU Test 93.19

{TRUNCATED REPORT}

ulmer · Oct 3, 2003, 09:25 PM

Sorry if this is a dumb questions but, are you running on battery? If you have reduced processor power savings on that could explain it...

filmmaker2002 · Oct 3, 2003, 09:26 PM

Are you running off battery or are you plugged into the wall. I believe with the correct Energy Saver settings, it will downclock...giving you the lower speeds.

schk · 09:44 PM

I noticed some other posts mentioning this. They said they needed to reset the PMU in order to get it to running full speed. I did upgrade to the new 10.2.8, but haven't tested speeds, maybe I should.

http://discussions.info.apple.com/We...3267@.599a42a6

iMAl right · Oct 3, 2003, 09:51 PM

The Xbench test was run on Highest Performance while being plugged in. Also, right after the initial restart after the 10.2.8 install. I am trying to find those previous posts with similar observations -- I couldn't find them before my post. And currently, with no luck yet of finding others with similar experiences-- any hints?

Oracle · Oct 3, 2003, 10:57 PM

Mine is showing 667mhz even though it's 867mhz. I think software bug is making pb stay in reduced speed even though it's set to highest. Maybe time to submit bug to apple.

h00ligan · Oct 3, 2003, 11:07 PM

this is an xbench thing.. my ghz ti shows as a 667 too

bobpensik · Oct 3, 2003, 11:45 PM

i just ran a test and my 12inch PB 867Mhz is showing like 534Mhz too, and it is plugged into the wall and set to highest performance

amazing · Oct 4, 2003, 01:28 AM

Did anyone save their X-Bench reports from a previous test? The reason I'm asking is that the cpu test seems normal for that model number, even though X-Bench is saying it's at 534 mhz.

Can you compare your test results to a previous test? Perhaps X-Bench is getting the wrong mhz reading from somewhere.

h00ligan · Oct 4, 2003, 02:08 AM

the score is correct, it is misreporting the mhz, that is all, nothing else is wrong, just the mhz, the machine is fine, xbench is otherwise fine, aside form reporting the wrong mhz.

btw, it's just incorrectly reporting the mhz ;P

nagromme · Oct 4, 2003, 07:29 AM

It seems as though Xbench ought to be entirely discarded--I see more reports of misinformation from it than otherwise! And even different results from the same test on the same machine. I know nothing about the program, but I know I take what I see from it with lots of salt.

schk · Oct 4, 2003, 09:07 AM

Yeah, it seems the consensus is that Xbench is flaky at best. I think we could all tell if the processor was really being throttled back after the update.

dennis88 · Oct 4, 2003, 09:17 AM

It says 1,25ghz on mine, and that's right.
I have updated to the 10.2.8.

Oracle · Oct 4, 2003, 01:32 PM

Oynx is also misreporting the cpu speed. Anybody tried PMU reset to see if it fixed it?

Oracle · Oct 4, 2003, 02:00 PM

I got this from apple disscusions:

Since installing the 10.2.8 upgrade, processor speed is not controllable by the energy saver panel settings. At start up my 1 GHz PowerBook G4 (Titanium) runs at 667 MHz. This is measured with several utilities (MegaMyth, Overclocker's Helper, and Xbench). The only way to change this is to reset the power manger unit. At restart, the machine runs at 1 Ghz, but will not run at reduced speed in response to energy saver settings. However, at restart, the machine reverts to 667 Mhz and the cycle starts again. Resetting nvram and pram have no effect, although some report that a pram reset cured their problem. Only the PMU reset has worked for me, but only until the next restart. Nothing has restored energy saver funtion.

h00ligan · Oct 4, 2003, 02:11 PM

well mine is saying it in panther. sooo....
i will try a pram reset, but i really don't think it is that. esp since my score is consistently higher then when running jag.. i am scoring, 97 + with a tibook.. no way i would get that if i was running at 667

it is more likely apple changed some small piece of code and it needs to be updated.

amazing · Oct 4, 2003, 04:02 PM

Reduced processor speed would account for the improved battery performance.

Oracle · Oct 4, 2003, 07:29 PM

typing in sysctl hw.cpufrequency in terminal gives me a 667 reading. So maybe is really is apple.

h00ligan · Oct 4, 2003, 07:54 PM

lo and behold it does, however i still think it is a reporting problem, not an actual performance thing.

how could i be scoring 97 in xbench with a 667 tibook?

all2ofme · Oct 5, 2003, 06:04 AM

FWIW my original 17" PB is saying (via sysctl hw.cpufrequency in the Terminal) that it's running at 1GHz both before and after the update.