Mac chips do they slow down?

ANSWER

It's not really that the chips slow down, it's that they become out-dated. The new os updates (like Jaguar; though jaguar is much faster on my computer than any X before) become more processor and resource-intensive along with newer programs. Things get more complex to run on an old G3 (more graphical goodies and features). I have an iMac DV SE 400mhz g3 and it works pretty decently though one of my friends is convinced it's processor consists of a hamster turning a wheel; but the thing is 3 years old so...? Anyway, the short answer to your question is no. Try cleaning up the computer, taking useless things off (a fresh install is always good).

Nope, chips always stay the same speed until they stop working. It's software that gets slower and slower. Usually the higher the version number, the slower the software.

Originally posted by alkil47
well see what happens after a god clean up.

Click to expand...

wow. get Him to work on my machine, too

I don't think the processor slows down, but other parts such as Hard Drive can get old. If you have not upgraded your Hard Drive for more than 5 years, I recommend you upgrade them before they die on you, especially if you use it extensively.

Also, as others have mentioned, newer Softwares come out with recent Hardware in mind, so that could be another reason why your computer seems slow.

Processors only really show slow-downs when they get hot. The hotter they are, the slower they will run. RAM, I have heard, slows down slowly over time. Or rather, it decreases in performance due to many factors. I have noticed that over a period of a few years, using Norton SystemInfo benchmarking, my processor is gradually slowing up, but only a little every few months. We are talking about a processor from 1997 for mine, so that is a factor, too. Mine has had a lot more time to degrade over time. My best advice is to clean out the insides of the computer and make sure that the processor's fan is clean. Same with the heat-sinks. The components that show the greatest slow-downs over time are moving parts (like hard drives, optical drives, and other types of drives. Fans can slowly show degrade in performance, too, so keep them clean. You said you are using OS 9.x. My best advice is to just optimize the hell out of the system folder. Clean out unused prefs, stuff whatever you can, and go from there. You want to get a good defragger, too

KingArthur:

Wowa, regardless of your perceptions of performance or even what a program tells you, clock-controlled processors and other syncronous digital devices can not slow down by getting old, or by getting hot. If they degrade due to age or heat to the point where the signals aren't getting where they need to as cleanly as they need to, then they generate errors. There is no slowing down, there is only correct operation or incorrect operation.

This is similar to the fact that a 130nm processor is exactly as fast as a 180nm processor, provided that they each run at the same clock speed, are of the same design, and have all other periphrials the same. While it is true that because of the superior technology the 130nm chip could generally be clocked faster and therefore be a faster processor, if it is not clocked faster then it is not faster.

The clock signal controls it all. The transistors (of a sycronous chip) do their thing when they hear the clock, then they sit and wait for the next clock. If they are too old or too hot to work correctly, they simply work incorrectly.

If you're using Illustrator 10 and Photoshop 7 on Mac OS X, that tells a lot. Neither of these two run very well despite performance enhancements. A fast hard drive and appropriate HD controller will help because Mac OS X digs into the hard drive quite often, especially if there's less than 512MB RAM in the machine.

Also, make certain the permissions are sorted out. You can use Disk Utility to repair permissions on the boot drive.