I have this notebook 1 week ago. I have XP pro on it. The situation is that in BIOS you can set in power management options to "recommended" that supossed to give you low Mhz on battery power and full Mhz connected to the wall automatically. It has a P4-M 1.6 Ghz. If I check processor speed with WinCPUID it gives me 1.2 Ghz ALWAYS! doesn't matter if connected to the wall or in battery. Have tried setting the BIOS to "Max performance" that supossed to let it all time on the max speed and no luck, same 1.2 Ghz. in Windows. If I change XP power scheme from the default "portable/laptop" to "Home/Office desk" then I get the 1.6 Ghz.
I am very unsure if this is really taking full advantage of the processor. I have run this test and have found this strange thing:
Program: 3dMark 2001 SE last build.
BIOS power setting: "recommended" (low Mhz. on battery, full when connected to wall)
WinXP power scheme: "portable/laptop".
Running fron battery.
Results: 1490 3dMarks (fuc#%$ng Nvidia Geforce2 Go SUCKS!)
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BIOS power setting: "Max performance" (Always max. Mhz.)
WinXP power scheme: "Home/Office desk".
Running connected to the wall.
Results: 1491 3dMarks !!!!!!!
As you can see I didn't get any advantage when running the thing on max performance!
I have been thinking that maybe the speed step technology puts more power to the processor when it is been more needed by the applications (starts at 1.2 and if its been needed it raises until it tops at 1.6Ghz. like when running 3dMark), this could be one explanation to this behavor, and it is cool! Very nice behavor. The other explanation (I hope its not like this) is that the notebook is not taking advantage of the 1.6 Ghz. even when its running on the wall and with the speed step off.
I really apreciate that some notebook experts here can put this clear to me, I am new on the portable world, but always like to have the best of my machines.
As an ending comentary I have to say that I am very dissapointed with the performance of the Geforce2 go chip. I was really thinking that it could give some descent scores, and it looks like even Vodoo 3 cards can bypass it. This notebook is using the Geforce2 Go 200 I think (or maybe 100?), with 16MB memory on it.
Maybe the good Geforce Go is the 4 version, but its not avaliable yet here.
Thanks as always!
I am very unsure if this is really taking full advantage of the processor. I have run this test and have found this strange thing:
Program: 3dMark 2001 SE last build.
BIOS power setting: "recommended" (low Mhz. on battery, full when connected to wall)
WinXP power scheme: "portable/laptop".
Running fron battery.
Results: 1490 3dMarks (fuc#%$ng Nvidia Geforce2 Go SUCKS!)
-----------
BIOS power setting: "Max performance" (Always max. Mhz.)
WinXP power scheme: "Home/Office desk".
Running connected to the wall.
Results: 1491 3dMarks !!!!!!!
As you can see I didn't get any advantage when running the thing on max performance!
I have been thinking that maybe the speed step technology puts more power to the processor when it is been more needed by the applications (starts at 1.2 and if its been needed it raises until it tops at 1.6Ghz. like when running 3dMark), this could be one explanation to this behavor, and it is cool! Very nice behavor. The other explanation (I hope its not like this) is that the notebook is not taking advantage of the 1.6 Ghz. even when its running on the wall and with the speed step off.
I really apreciate that some notebook experts here can put this clear to me, I am new on the portable world, but always like to have the best of my machines.
As an ending comentary I have to say that I am very dissapointed with the performance of the Geforce2 go chip. I was really thinking that it could give some descent scores, and it looks like even Vodoo 3 cards can bypass it. This notebook is using the Geforce2 Go 200 I think (or maybe 100?), with 16MB memory on it.
Maybe the good Geforce Go is the 4 version, but its not avaliable yet here.
Thanks as always!
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