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INSTANT CPU SPEED DETAILS FOR MAC OS X

 * Thread starter 9600man
 * Start date Nov 2, 2004

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9600MAN

ARS LEGATUS LEGIONIS


23y 11,991
Nov 2, 2004 #1
 * Nov 2, 2004

 * Add bookmark
 * 
 * #1

Anyway I can get instant information at what speed my CPU is running at, like
from the terminal, or some funky dockling?<BR><BR>I know people are going to
suggest that I do the frame rate calculations: but the calcs will only give me a
rough estimate, and secondly that performance does not scale linear (especially
with our lovely bandwidth starved G4 architecture).<BR><BR>Also, I'm kinda anal
in that I want to know what's exactly going on. The reason I ask is because I
noticed my splinter cell perfomance nose dived when I forgot to set my laptop
CPU performance from reduced to highest one time. The frame rate drop was
significant enough to warrant a, 'what the fsck? splinter cell has bullet time?'
before I realised I didn't change my energy settings in control panel.<BR><BR>I
think I remember a terminal command that gives me the current CPU details.
'hostinfo' doesn't work as I get this:<BR><BR><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">
Mach kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 7.5.0:
Thu Aug 5 19:26:16 PDT 2004; root:xnu/xnu-517.7.21.obj~3/RELEASE_PPC


Kernel configured for a single processor only.
1 processor is physically available.
Processor type: ppc7450 (PowerPC 7450)
Processor active: 0
Primary memory available: 512.00 megabytes.
Default processor set: 48 tasks, 125 threads, 1 processors
Load average: 1.81, Mach factor: 0.28
</pre><BR><BR>and that is with reduced CPU at the moment.<BR><BR>'top' only
gives me this much about the system before it shows the various stuff running on
my mac:<BR><BR><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">
Processes: 47 total, 3 running, 44 sleeping... 125 threads 00:58:38
Load Avg: 0.63, 0.62, 0.54 CPU usage: 67.1% user, 10.8% sys, 22.2% idle
SharedLibs: num = 123, resident = 30.3M code, 3.41M data, 10.1M LinkEdit
MemRegions: num = 4665, resident = 72.8M + 10.1M private, 78.1M shared
PhysMem: 58.6M wired, 126M active, 113M inactive, 298M used, 213M free
VM: 3.42G + 83.4M 19946(0) pageins, 0(0) pageouts</pre><BR><BR>So, any hints or
ideas?
 

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9600MAN

ARS LEGATUS LEGIONIS


23y 11,991
Nov 2, 2004 #2
 * Nov 2, 2004

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You know, I just thought that what would be great with these temp. apps you can
get for mac os x, is a mention of current CPU speed alongside the temp details.
I just fired up thermographX (i downloaded from version tracker ages ago) and it
doesn't give me the CPU speed. Kinda silly as you'd like to graph the results of
temperature against the CPU speed (and type, which is given).
 

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STEPHENB

ARS LEGATUS LEGIONIS

24y 11,837
Subscriptor++
Nov 2, 2004 #3
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #3

Does MenuMeters work for you? It's simple and I really like the network
performance indicator.
 

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N8_F

ARS CENTURION

23y 360
Nov 2, 2004 #4
 * Nov 2, 2004

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I thought "sysctl -a hw" would do it, but on my iBook I get 1.2Ghz for both the
current, min, and max and it doesn't change when I am on "Reduced." Perhaps it
doesn't step like the G5s? I thought the G4s had some power saving features
 

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GLYPHON

ARS SCHOLAE PALATINAE

21y 1,405
Nov 2, 2004 #5
 * Nov 2, 2004

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^ doesn't change on my g5 either
 

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HELIXBLUE

ARS CENTURION

22y 300
Nov 2, 2004 #6
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #6

This is what you want. It used to be /usr/sbin/AppleSystemProfiler, but now it's
/usr/sbin/system_profiler<BR><BR>system_profiler -detailLevel -2
 

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OPCENTER

ARS PRAEFECTUS

24y 3,361
Nov 2, 2004 #7
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #7

Here is (most of) what I get:<BR><BR>$ system_profiler -detailLevel
-2<BR>Hardware:<BR><BR> Hardware Overview:<BR> <BR> Machine Model: PowerBook G4
15"<BR> CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.2)<BR> Number Of CPUs: 1<BR> CPU Speed: 1
GHz<BR> L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB<BR> L3 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB<BR> Memory: 1
GB<BR> Bus Speed: 133 MHz<BR> Boot ROM Version: 4.5.3f2<BR> Serial Number:
QQQQQQQQQQQ
 

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BAKSHI

ARS TRIBUNUS ANGUSTICLAVIUS

21y 6,038
Nov 2, 2004 #8
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #8

You may want to edit out that serial number, opcenter.
 

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BADANDY

WELL-KNOWN MEMBER

22y 13,991
Nov 2, 2004 #9
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #9

ANYBODY KNOW IF THERE IS A LOW-LEVEL API EXPOSED TO GET THE INSTANTANEOUS
PROCESSOR SPEED?<BR><BR>This would be really, really informative in terms of
figuring out what the heck is going on WRT the Hot-G5 codes and trying to figure
out what the tasker is doing to "throttle" codes as we see them.
 

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DRPARALLAX

ARS TRIBUNUS MILITUM

21y 2,292
Nov 2, 2004 #10
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #10

this is when a /proc vfs would be very nice.<BR><BR>cat /proc/cpu would kick
ass. *sigh*
 

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HOBOLD

ARS TRIBUNUS MILITUM

21y 2,472
Nov 2, 2004 #11
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #11

Unfortunately system_profiler does not report "reduced" processor speed on my
TiBook 800. I see the parameters for full speed, even though the current MHz are
667 and L3 is turned off.
 

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DARYLF2

ARS TRIBUNUS ANGUSTICLAVIUS

23y 6,413
Subscriptor
Nov 2, 2004 #12
 * Nov 2, 2004

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 * #12

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally
posted by hobold:<BR>Unfortunately system_profiler does not report "reduced"
processor speed on my TiBook 800. I see the parameters for full speed, even
though the current MHz are 667 and L3 is turned off.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Same here with my Dual 2.5 GHz G5 (which has
PowerBook-like CPU energy saver settings). This would be nice to be able to see
"at a glance" (perhaps in AquaMon, if it is still in active development).
 

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9600MAN

ARS LEGATUS LEGIONIS


23y 11,991
Nov 3, 2004 #13
 * Nov 3, 2004

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 * #13

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally
posted by stephenb:<BR>Does http://www.ragingmenace.com/software/menumeters/
work for you? It's simple and I really like the network performance indicator.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>MenuMeter doesn't seem to report current CPU speed. Or
at least according to the website:<BR><BR><BLOCKQUOTE
class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR><BR>The CPU Meter can
display system load both as a total percentage, or broken out as user and system
time. It can also graph user and system load and display the load as a
"thermometer". The menu for the CPU Meter contains several pieces of information
I like to have a single click away (uptime, load average, open Process Viewer,
open Console). <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR><BR>So there is NO way to see what speed
you mac is running at? Is this a lack of system available knowledge on Mac OS X?
Or just no one has figured out how to do it on OS X? How does one go about
polling the CPU speed anyway?
 

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HOBOLD

ARS TRIBUNUS MILITUM

21y 2,472
Nov 3, 2004 #14
 * Nov 3, 2004

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 * 
 * #14

Determining CPU speed: not generally possible, but you can come close enough in
practice:<BR><BR>1. ask OS for CPU type<BR><BR>2. run CPU specific code path
with a known timing in terms of cycles<BR><BR>3. elapsed wall clock time divided
by known number of cycles is cycle time<BR><BR>If the OS tells you of a CPU type
you don't know, you are out of luck. Likewise, if the OS is sloppy about
reported wall clock time, or keeps scheduling the test process weirdly, you are
out of luck as well.<BR><BR>Usually you have to run the measurement loop several
time, and then pick the fastest run. This assumes that the fastest run was not
interrupted by something else, therefor wall clock time and processor time are
equal.
 

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9600MAN

ARS LEGATUS LEGIONIS


23y 11,991
Nov 3, 2004 #15
 * Nov 3, 2004

 * Add bookmark
 * 
 * #15

I found this script, CPUfrequency that apparently gives you your current CPU
hz.<br><br>Developer has this to say however: <br><blockquote
class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<font size="-1">quote:</font><hr>
<br>via Developer: Anonymous<br>: Hi, I made this, but I just want everyone to
know that while the script works, the shell command that it relies on doesn't
function properly in OS X 10.3. If Apple ever fixes this, it'll work like a
charm. whoo-hoo!<br> <hr>
</blockquote>
<br><br>and apparently is using this terminal command:<br><blockquote
class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<font size="-1">quote:</font><hr>CPUfrequency is a group of Terminal shell
scripts (<b>sysctl hw.cpufrequency</b>) that determine the speed that your
processor is actually running at. <hr>
</blockquote>
<br><br>Which I tried but I got this,<i>hw.cpufrequency: 1333333328</i>, no
matter if I did reduced or highest for CPU settings in Energy
saver.<br><br>*sigh* How come in Windows, you can get instant access to current
CPU speed, but with OS X, the very function seems to be broken? -- View image
here: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif --
 

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R

REV_ENG

ARS SCHOLAE PALATINAE

22y 720
Nov 3, 2004 #16
 * Nov 3, 2004

 * Add bookmark
 * 
 * #16

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally
posted by 9600man:<BR>So there is NO way to see what speed you mac is running
at? Is this a lack of system available knowledge on Mac OS X? Or just no one has
figured out how to do it on OS X? How does one go about polling the CPU speed
anyway? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>It looks like this guy has attempted to port
procfs from freebsd:<BR>http://www.kernelthread.com/mac/apme/procfs/
 

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