June 18, 2003
Hello All,
AMD has released a cool new utility for those of us with PowerNow! capable processors. For those of you with the original 800Mhz Duron this utility won't do anything for you. For information on how to upgrade your processor go here. The utility is called the AMD PowerNow Dashboard. Here is a link to the utility and its description on AMD's site.
PowerNow! Dashboard Utility AMD download (3.25MB)
Here is a brief synopsis of what AMD says about the utility
PowerNow! Dashboard
For notebooks with AMD PowerNow! technology, the PowerNow! Dashboard is available to download. The PowerNow! Dashboard explains how AMD PowerNow! technology operates with your notebook.
PowerNow! Dashboard includes:
All readouts for voltage, clock speed, and battery savings are done with gauges. To help support TPI, digital readouts are not offered.TPI -- Total Perfomance Initiative. AMD led industry group trying to replace the obsolete MHz as a standard performance measure. (Thanks Paul)
I have played around a little with the utility. It does verify that PowerNow! is changing processor speed by changing core voltage.
Here is a screen shot of the utility when running on AC power.
Here is a screen shot of the utility when running on batteries with PowerNow! set for Max Battery.
As you can see the utility graphically shows a representation of:
Unfortunately the utility does not put numbers to the gauges. I for one would like to see numbers and a digital readout on the CPU Voltage, and CPU Speed gauges. Oh Well. :(
Update -- Tony reports that on his Mobile Athlon 1.0Ghz FX21x that there are numbers on the guages. What is up with that?? Anyone got any ideas? Below is a screen shot from Tony's laptop.
For those of you that want to see real-time CPU Speed in a digital display check out the WCPUCLK utility developed by H. Oda.
Link to H. Oda WCPUCLK utility download (21kB)
Here is a screen shot of the WCPUCLK utility.
As always feel free to e-mail me with comments or additions.
Later,
Brad
