MorphZone

A tool to limit cpu usage?

igracki

# 1
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 411 from 2003/2/25

From: Berlin

Hi,

is there a way/tool to limit the total system cpu usage?

Because the cpu (?) cooler of the mac mini is sometimes too noisy, and in some situations I could live with less cpu power, when I would get a more calmly computer instead...

Or is there a way to easy install a less noisy fan in the mac mini?
»16.03.10 - 12:39

jcmarcos

# 2
Paladin of the Pegasos

Posts: 1178 from 2003/3/13

From: Pinto, Madrid ...

Very interesting question for a kernel developer. I'm not aware of any system that does something remotely similar. perhaps because it doesn't even make sense: Computers are always doing something, even if it's just waiting.
»16.03.10 - 16:12

stephen_robinson

# 3
Priest of the Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 746 from 2007/4/22

If I could (software, ie quickly and reversably) downclock my 1.5gHz MacMini to 1.42 I would, keep the fan quiet for little change in performance, at least with MorphOS, I would.
»16.03.10 - 17:02

trotter

# 4
Acolyte of the Butterfly

Posts: 106 from 2010/1/14

From: UK

I presume you have opened the mini up and used canned air to blow out the dust?

I found alot of dust on the heatsink in the mini.

It was suprising easy to opened the mini and take the hard drive etc out for cleaning.

Martin N
Running MorphOS v3.18 on Mac mini 1.5GHz 64meg VRAM,1gig ram.
Palm T3 pda along with pixel 4a GrapheneOS smartphone. Updated August 2023
»16.03.10 - 17:21

igracki

# 5
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 411 from 2003/2/25

From: Berlin

Quote:

by stephen_robinson on 2010/3/16 20:02:27

If I could (software, ie quickly and reversably) downclock my 1.5gHz MacMini to 1.42 I would, keep the fan quiet for little change in performance, at least with MorphOS, I would.

Same for me.

Its enough that the cpu usage is more than about 5 seconds at maximum for the fan to start making noise;(
»16.03.10 - 19:52

dake

# 6
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 204 from 2007/9/14

From: The building p...

I overclocked my mini to 1.83GHz and it takes about 30 seconds@100% cpu, before I can hear the fan, and about 60 seconds before the fan is annoying.
You must open up your mini and remove the dust from the cooler.
There may be another way to clean your mini if you can't open it, I haven't tried this but it may work. Use compressed air very very gently in the mini's air outlet. If you use to much air you can damage the thin air tunnel. If you are lucky the dust moves from the cooler, thru the fan and out from the mini.
»16.03.10 - 20:32

pampers

# 7
Paladin of the Pegasos

Posts: 1061 from 2009/2/26

From: Tczew, Poland

Rarely I can hear any noise under MorphOS with my 1.5Ghz version. It seems that your fans need a bit of love and cleaning ;)
MorphOS 3.x
»16.03.10 - 22:05

Dreamcast270mhz

# 8
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 152 from 2009/12/9

From: Virginia,USA

I suggest to open the mini, luckily my Powermac G4 has the rev b PSU and I don't need to worry about noise. Anyways, its best to open the mini, because of air duct damage and you won't get a very good cleaning.
My Macs:
Powerbook G4 ALU 1.5GHZ 15" 1.5GB OSX.5.8
Powermac G4 MDD 1.5GHZ OSX.5.8 MOS2.7

Want a part for a Mac? Let me know, I'll see what I can do.

Amithlon is amazing, questions and help I can provide.
»16.03.10 - 23:03

stephen_robinson

# 9
Priest of the Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 746 from 2007/4/22

Quote:

igracki wrote:
Hi,

is there a way/tool to limit the total system cpu usage?

Because the cpu (?) cooler of the mac mini is sometimes too noisy, and in some situations I could live with less cpu power, when I would get a more calmly computer instead...

Or is there a way to easy install a less noisy fan in the mac mini?

If the inside of your Mac is as clean and as dust free as mine, <insert slightly sarcastic thanks to all the people who suggested cleaning it here> you could try reseting the PMU, didn't do anything for me, but you may fare better.

http://forums.macnn.com/58/imac-emac-and-mac-mini/282379/mac-mini-fan-noise/

Isn't the 1.5 version just an overclocked 1.42 anyway? Some chips will work better than others, so it's not surprising that some will heat up more than others, looks like we got noisy ones. :(

[ Edited by stephen_robinson on 2010/3/17 9:37 ]
»17.03.10 - 07:37

Georg

# 10

Acolyte of the Butterfly

Posts: 110 from 2004/4/7

Maybe something like this could work:

Code:


#define TASKPRI 100
#define SLEEP1 1000
#define SLEEp2 1000

SetTaskPri(FindTask(NULL), TASKPRI);
while(!CheckSignal(SIGBREAKF_CTRL_C))
{
   usleep(SLEEP1);

   Disable();
   [remove tasks from SysBase->TaskReady and insert into  a private list]
   [maybe exclude those which are in certain priority range]
   Enable();

   usleep(SLEEP2);

   Disable();
   [re-enqueue tasks from private list into SysBase->TaskReady]
   Enable();
}

»17.03.10 - 09:11

geit

# 11
MorphOS Developer

Posts: 1045 from 2004/9/23

Its quite normal that cpu load causes the fan spinning up after around 5 seconds on an 1.5 Ghz mini.

This mostly happens on heavy and constant CPU load like compiling and has nothing to do with dust.

if it takes 30 seconds on your system, than its probably the fan having problem of spinning up the melting blades. :)

Geit

[ Edited by geit on 2010/3/17 14:31 ]
»17.03.10 - 11:30

SixK

# 12
Butterfly

Posts: 72 from 2004/11/16

You can at least try to play with task priority...
You can use tools like scout for example for this.

SixK
»17.03.10 - 12:23

jacadcaps

# 13
MorphOS Developer

Posts: 3088 from 2003/3/5

From: Canada

Lowering the task priority won't reduce the global cpu usage of the system. It just means the task will get less cpu time compared to those with higher priority.
»17.03.10 - 12:52

dake

# 14
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 204 from 2007/9/14

From: The building p...

It takes about 45 seconds for the fan to spinup on my second 1.5GHz mini when running dnet client@100% cpu.
The same applies for mine third 1.5GHz and fourth 1.42GHz.
Before I remove the dust from them, the fan spinup very fast.
Maybe the termal grease should be replaced if the mini's cooler is clean?
»17.03.10 - 15:14

jcmarcos

# 15
Paladin of the Pegasos

Posts: 1178 from 2003/3/13

From: Pinto, Madrid ...

Do you remember, two decades ago, those PC clones with the "turbo" button? They switched the CPU clock from four to eight megahertz and back... Can this be done with our CPUs?
»17.03.10 - 15:44

Tom01

# 16
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 181 from 2009/9/20

My 1500 MHz Mini is relatively quiet.
Only when running Dnetc I can hear the fan a little bit.
Perhaps replacing it with a high quality Papst fan can help. But I don't know if threre is one available that fits into the mini.
I have replaced the noisy fan in my Power Mac G4 with a more quiet one.
»17.03.10 - 16:33

osco

# 17
Priest of the Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 680 from 2009/10/21

From: Boston, USA

Its embarrassing. I have never heard the fan. Maybe the hearing is gone? Couch potato for CPU usage? I was of the persuasion that it had no fan as the board that OS4 uses? Ignorance is bliss....
Mac Mini 1.5GHz, 1G, 250G Drive, Apple Cinema Display, MorphOS 3.1 registered, MacOS 10 PowerBook (5,8) 1.67Hz, 2G, 80G Drive,........Waiting
PowerBook (5,8) 1.67Hz, 2G, 40G MorphOS 3.1 unregisterd
»18.03.10 - 06:43