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seong

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 11, 2010
1,031
28
I was wondering if there are any way of overclocking nVidia 9400m on Windows XP. Does anybody have a clue of overclocking it?
 

ssn637

macrumors 6502
Feb 12, 2009
452
48
Switzerland
NVidia 9400M Overclocking

I've been overclocking both the CPU and the NVidia 9400M graphics card on my MacBook Pro 13" 2.53 GHz ever since I took it home without any problems. Using the NVidia-provided System Tools Performance Feature http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia_system_tools_6.06.html
you can set up profiles which can be used at Windows start-up or when launching a game. In Windows XP you even have the option to alllow the program to recommend an optimal overclocking frequency, which for my 9400M was quite high (563 MHz core graphics clock). Unfortunately, this option is unavailable in Windows 7 64-bit mode, but I currently have my GPU clocked to the same frequencies as the 330M (575/1265) with the CPU running at 300 MHz front side bus speed.
I recommend you download the excellent Fan Controller from Lubbo, which can be found at http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol/ and which is far superior to the default fan settings. My GPU temperatures never exceed 80° C with this utility.
Of course, overclocking is not recommended and you need to be aware of the dangers involved, including violation of your warranty. But my experience has been that so long as temperatures are under control then go for it!
I haven't found a way to overclock in Mac OS X, but since I use the Boot Camp partition for gaming and want the most out of the GPU this hasn't been an issue for me.
Here's hoping the new 13" MBPs will feature the NVidia 330M with 1 GB dedicated RAM! They're reported as being 4x faster than the current 9400M variant, so I just might give my laptop to my wife and go for the new model when it finally arrives. Maybe this coming Tuesday?
 

seong

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 11, 2010
1,031
28
lol, thanks!

;)thanks for posing the reply!
Finally, somebody was smart enough to give me one good explanation and solutions for it!
BTW, 1GB of nVidia 9400m? That's incredible! My question is, are there any ways for previous Macbook Pro owners to upgrade?
 

seong

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 11, 2010
1,031
28
ummm, one problem

I have successfully installed the nVidia overclocking software, but the problem occurred for the Fancontrol.
error message:
C:\Documents and Settings\(My username)\Desktop[\LubbosFanControl.exe
This application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application may fix the problem
 

ssn637

macrumors 6502
Feb 12, 2009
452
48
Switzerland
I recommend you check the support forum for Lubbo's fan control utility at SourceForge.net, since he'll be able to offer advice directly.
Rather than saving the executable file on your desktop I'd recommend creating a separate folder for it where all the associated .dll's can be stored together, then just drop the executable file to your taskbar or even to your startup folder.
My NVidia 9400M has 256 GB of shared VRAM...but some are speculating that the upcoming 13" MBP may include the new NVidia 330M GPU with 1024 dedicated VRAM. If so, the new model will have 4x the graphics power of the June 2009 version. The CPU upgrade won't really make that much of a difference, adding 20% more speed and saving an additional hour of battery life, according to the preview at MacOSRumors.com.
 

The Tuck

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2003
426
55
I recommend you check the support forum for Lubbo's fan control utility at SourceForge.net, since he'll be able to offer advice directly.
Rather than saving the executable file on your desktop I'd recommend creating a separate folder for it where all the associated .dll's can be stored together, then just drop the executable file to your taskbar or even to your startup folder.
My NVidia 9400M has 256 GB of shared VRAM...but some are speculating that the upcoming 13" MBP may include the new NVidia 330M GPU with 1024 dedicated VRAM. If so, the new model will have 4x the graphics power of the June 2009 version. The CPU upgrade won't really make that much of a difference, adding 20% more speed and saving an additional hour of battery life, according to the preview at MacOSRumors.com.

Wow, you really did your research and were spot on with the new releases! Congrats. I'm trying to download the NVidia controls now to overclock my 9400m MacBook Pro (it's the 2.16ghz model).

-Tuck
 

macpilot757

macrumors newbie
Aug 10, 2010
3
0
I've been overclocking both the CPU and the NVidia 9400M graphics card on my MacBook Pro 13" 2.53 GHz ever since I took it home without any problems. Using the NVidia-provided System Tools Performance Feature http://www.nvidia.com/object/nvidia_system_tools_6.06.html
you can set up profiles which can be used at Windows start-up or when launching a game. In Windows XP you even have the option to alllow the program to recommend an optimal overclocking frequency, which for my 9400M was quite high (563 MHz core graphics clock). Unfortunately, this option is unavailable in Windows 7 64-bit mode, but I currently have my GPU clocked to the same frequencies as the 330M (575/1265) with the CPU running at 300 MHz front side bus speed.
I recommend you download the excellent Fan Controller from Lubbo, which can be found at http://sourceforge.net/projects/lubbofancontrol/ and which is far superior to the default fan settings. My GPU temperatures never exceed 80° C with this utility.
Of course, overclocking is not recommended and you need to be aware of the dangers involved, including violation of your warranty. But my experience has been that so long as temperatures are under control then go for it!
I haven't found a way to overclock in Mac OS X, but since I use the Boot Camp partition for gaming and want the most out of the GPU this hasn't been an issue for me.
Here's hoping the new 13" MBPs will feature the NVidia 330M with 1 GB dedicated RAM! They're reported as being 4x faster than the current 9400M variant, so I just might give my laptop to my wife and go for the new model when it finally arrives. Maybe this coming Tuesday?


hey,
i have the 2.26 ghz pro 13 in. with vista home premium, i have installed the software, but i cant figure out how to use it to over clock it. i know the risks i put ice pcks under my computer while i play games lol. could anyone tell me how to do it?
 
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