Overclocking Macbook Pro

AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

Hello Macrumors! This is my very first thread

So, I own a Mid 2010 13" Macbook Pro (Specs are in my sig) and instead of purchasing a new macbook pro (because my mac is absolutley fine and it would be a waste of money) I would like to max out the performance of my computer. I have done it by maxing out the RAM to 8Gb 1333Mhz and removed the ODD, putting in 2 SSD's. But now I'd like to take it a step further by overclocking my RAM, CPU and GPU.

I know how I would go about doing this- using boot camp etc. but my query is, how much should I overclock it? There is always the danger of overclocking them too much and so they burn, obviously, I don't want that to happen as it's very expensive equipment.

For example, the speed of my CPU is 2.4Ghz, I want to overclock this, what should I overclock to? I understand that this lowers battery life and makes it hotter etc.

Intell · Jul 12, 2012

You should overclock it by 0%. Macbook Pro's don't overclock at all or very well.

AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

Intell said:
You should overclock it by 0%. Macbook Pro's don't overclock at all or very well.

Yes, they do.

inlinevolvo · Jul 12, 2012

Agreed, not to mention the 13 inch has a lower thermal capacity than the larger systems. Besides, I thought you couldn't oc under osx. Any oc done otherwise would revert to normal once you boot into osx. Please excuses me if I've totally misunderstood that last statement.

Intell · Jul 12, 2012

AlexBass said:
Yes, they do.

The GPU in some of them can overclock in Windows. But the CPU and ram speed is rather hardset by the EFI. Those that do manage to overclock the GPU quickly run in to the thermal limitations set forth by Apple.

AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

I have managed to overcome overheating problems, so they won't be much of an issue. I use Arctic Silver 5 on my CPU and GPU, that lowers the temperature significantly (by about 20 degrees) and I have my macbook pro mounted about half an inch off from my desk using juice carton lids (I know, it's cheap)

Sir Al · Jul 12, 2012

AlexBass said:
I have managed to overcome overheating problems, so they won't be much of an issue. I use Arctic Silver 5 on my CPU and GPU, that lowers the temperature significantly (by about 20 degrees) and I have my macbook pro mounted about half an inch off from my desk using juice carton lids (I know, it's cheap)

Are you serious about the 20 degrees thing? You must mean Fahrenheit, right? Did you measure it before/after? You'd think Apple would have done research on what cooling compounds would be best for their computers as they put so much effort into keeping the machine cool.

TUSR · Jul 12, 2012

Had to make an account to respond to this.

No, no, no. 20 degrees yeah right.

SuperMini · Jul 12, 2012

Im pretty sure you cant OC under OSX at all. I dont think you can oc an integrated gpu and even in windows cpu overclocks are pretty unstable compared to bios overclocks in my experience.

If I am completely wrong and you can overclock all three in osx I wouldn't bother at all. Performance gains would be minimal becuase you wouldnt be able to get very far, would not be worth higher temps, unstable performance and possibly breaking or impacting the lifespan of the laptop.

AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

Sir Al said:
Are you serious about the 20 degrees thing? You must mean Fahrenheit, right? Did you measure it before/after? You'd think Apple would have done research on what cooling compounds would be best for their computers as they put so much effort into keeping the machine cool.

It's more like 18 degrees Celsius.

estrides · Jul 12, 2012

Don't overclock your Mac...its just a bad idea...its not an old G4 that your trying to bump up 50mhz...It's set the way it is for a reason and trying to modify that with some software changes is asking for voided warranties and broken pieces.

DaffyDuck · Jul 12, 2012

AlexBass said:
Hello Macrumors! This is my very first thread

So, I own a Mid 2010 13" Macbook Pro (Specs are in my sig) and instead of purchasing a new macbook pro (because my mac is absolutley fine and it would be a waste of money) I would like to max out the performance of my computer. I have done it by maxing out the RAM to 8Gb 1333Mhz and removed the ODD, putting in 2 SSD's. But now I'd like to take it a step further by overclocking my RAM, CPU and GPU.

I know how I would go about doing this- using boot camp etc. but my query is, how much should I overclock it? There is always the danger of overclocking them too much and so they burn, obviously, I don't want that to happen as it's very expensive equipment.

For example, the speed of my CPU is 2.4Ghz, I want to overclock this, what should I overclock to? I understand that this lowers battery life and makes it hotter etc.

You might want to get one of these: http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/the-anti-griddle.php

Intell · Jul 12, 2012

You only think you overcame the heat problems. ArticSilver 5 doesn't cure or solver all problems. Nor does raising the machine off of a desktop. It will still overheat at even the slightest overclock because the copper heatpipes would be beyond their heat conductivity for their size. Apple made them just big enough to remove the properly clocked system's heat. Any additional heat and they wouldn't be able to remove it fast enough. Thus the safety thermostat in the CPU die would trigger an abrupt shut down of the system. And as the AS5 ages it will start to transfer less heat then the stock paste. Apple puts the stock paste in those machines for longevity, not for its abilities to remove heat.

NMF · Jul 12, 2012

You don't have an unlocked CPU. You quite literally cannot overclock it. At all.

AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

DaffyDuck said:
You might want to get one of these: http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/the-anti-griddle.php

That just made my day

----------

NMF said:
You don't have an unlocked CPU. You quite literally cannot overclock it. At all.

I can.

Intell · Jul 12, 2012

AlexBass said:
I can.

So you somehow reverse engineered Apple's EFI implementation? What documentation did you use? Because they certainly don't follow correct EFI protocol. Futhermore, Apple's EFI is not able to unlock a CPU the was locked by Intell before it ever reach Apple's production facility. This is like someone claiming to be able to overclock an iPhone. It just cannot be done.

TheMacBookPro · Jul 12, 2012

AlexBass said:
Yes, they do.

No, they don't. If you don't even know how to do it, what makes you think you'd know whether or not they overclock well?

You cannot overclock the CPU or RAM, period.

You can overclock a dedicated GPU in Boot Camp by using MSI Afterburner. As you have integrated graphics that's not an option so you cannot overclock that either.

Overclocking a desktop with improved cooling brings large performance gains. In a laptop, however, your computer would shut down due to it hitting its thermal limits before you would see an appreciable performance gain.

And no, applying a different type of thermal paste and lifting it up in the air does not help as much as you think it does.

AlexBass said:
I can.

Well then, in that case, I suggest you overclock it to 8.6GHz. My iPhone is running at 4.6GHz perfectly stably with passive cooling.

AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

TheMacBookPro said:
No, they don't. If you don't even know how to do it, what makes you think you'd know whether or not they overclock well?

You cannot overclock the CPU or RAM, period.

You can overclock a dedicated GPU in Boot Camp by using MSI Afterburner. As you have integrated graphics that's not an option so you cannot overclock that either.

Overclocking a desktop with improved cooling brings large performance gains. In a laptop, however, your computer would shut down due to it hitting its thermal limits before you would see an appreciable performance gain.

And no, applying a different type of thermal paste and lifting it up in the air does not help as much as you think it does.

Well then, in that case, I suggest you overclock it to 8.6GHz. My iPhone is running at 4.6GHz perfectly stably with passive cooling.

Will do, sir, will do.

I believe you can do it, using windows n stuff. What I was asking is how much I could do it. You've all made it clear that I shouldn't, thus, I am not going to. I just saw this video and presumed I could do it safely- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VwYECeZS7k

TheMacBookPro · Jul 12, 2012

AlexBass said:
Will do, sir, will do.

I believe you can do it, using windows n stuff. What I was asking is how much I could do it. You've all made it clear that I shouldn't, thus, I am not going to. I just saw this video and presumed I could do it safely- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VwYECeZS7k

Just realized you have the 320M. You can overclock that using MSI Afterburner as stated in my previous post, but I'd still like to see where you got the idea that you can overclock your CPU?

NMF · Jul 12, 2012

AlexBass said:
I believe you can do it, using windows n stuff.

No, you can't. That video is of a discrete GPU, which isn't a CPU. Only certain Intel CPU's can be overclocked, meaning they have "unlocked" multipliers. The chips Apple uses are not those chips. You cannot change the multiplier on your C2D. It simply cannot be done. Therefore you cannot overclock it. At all.

Also, replacing the thermal compound and putting your notebook on milk lids does not mean you will have the thermal capacity to overclock, even if it were possible. I mean LOL.

ibebyi · Jul 12, 2012

I'm pretty sure OP knows the risks. If you break it, you're out of a laptop.

that said, maybe check out Coolbook? (http://www.coolbook.se/CoolBook.html)
Only works with 10.6 and lower, and doesn't support i3/5/7's.

AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

TheMacBookPro said:
Just realized you have the 320M. You can overclock that using MSI Afterburner as stated in my previous post, but I'd still like to see where you got the idea that you can overclock your CPU?

My apologies to all, I simply presumed, I did not mean to be such a... douche.

In that case, how much do you think I could overclock the GPU without it becoming a major problem?

Interstella5555 · Jul 12, 2012

MBP over clock....not sure how else you would do it.

NMF · Jul 12, 2012

Interstella5555 said:
MBP over clock....not sure how else you would do it.

Image

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AlexBass · Jul 12, 2012

Thank you all for enlightening me, I'm probably high.

ya know

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