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Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro, significantly slower with no battery

sycho

sycho

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 7, 2006
865
4
I ordered a 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro the day after they were released and I have been extremly pleased with it. Except for one thing. When I remove the battery it seems the machine clocks down significantly. I forget the name off the application, but it would display the current clock speed, with out the battery it would be 1GHz. I let this side for a while, reinstalled OS X since then, forgot about it, until today.

I ran XBench today, top is without battey, bottom is with.
Code: 
						Score	Details

Results						51.69	
	System Info		
		Xbench Version				1.3
		System Version				10.4.8 (8N1037)
		Physical RAM				2048 MB
		Model					MacBookPro2,2
		Drive Type				Hitachi HTS541612J9SA00
	CPU Test					51.69	
		GCD Loop			116.66	6.15 Mops/sec
		Floating Point Basic		56.28	1.34 Gflop/sec
		vecLib FFT			42.01	1.39 Gflop/sec
		Floating Point Library 		36.70	6.39 Mops/sec


----------------------------
Results						120.24	
	System Info		
		Xbench Version				1.3
		System Version				10.4.8 (8N1037)
		Physical RAM				2048 MB
		Model					MacBookPro2,2
		Drive Type				Hitachi HTS541612J9SA00
	CPU Test					120.24	
		GCD Loop			265.89	14.02 Mops/sec
		Floating Point Basic		131.62	3.13 Gflop/sec
		vecLib FFT			96.68	3.19 Gflop/sec
		Floating Point Library		86.48	15.06 Mops/sec

The only thing I have really noticed slowdown on are iTunes visualizations and 1080P videos slow down a fair bit. It is a little annoying since I'd like to just put the battery at about 60% charge and store it for a while when my MacBook doesn't move for weeks at a time.

Anyone have any insight to this?
 
I remember hearing somewhere that a 2.0ghz Macbook Pro will clock down to 1.5ghz when there's not battery installed. But don't quote me on that, I'm sure someone else will chime in.
 
like a car

a car will run fine if you take the battery out. turn on an accessory like the lights and it shuts off immediately. it needs the battery for heavy use at times.

(cars used to be that way. can't say about now.)

so it makes sense that a computer would run at a reduced rate because it doesn't have the reservoir of power.
 
orangemacapple said:
a car will run fine if you take the battery out. turn on an accessory like the lights and it shuts off immediately. it needs the battery for heavy use at times.

(cars used to be that way. can't say about now.)

so it makes sense that a computer would run at a reduced rate because it doesn't have the reservoir of power.
Click to expand...

If you take a battery out of a car nowadays, the car will die immediately. I recently had a battery go bad on me and even while driving it still died. The car stalled out.

If I remember correctly it has to do with distributor-less ignition systems as well as the computer systems needed to run modern cars. Without the juice, the computers cannot control the valve timing, fuel injection etc that will keep a car running.
 
orangemacapple said:
so it makes sense that a computer would run at a reduced rate because it doesn't have the reservoir of power.
Click to expand...

Right... but when charging the both the battery and computer are the load to the power adapter, there is no reason for this, it is not because it doesn't have the reservoir of power, it's a firmware bug that should be addressed.
 
sycho said:
Right... but when charging the both the battery and computer are the load to the power adapter, there is no reason for this, it is not because it doesn't have the reservoir of power, it's a firmware bug that should be addressed.
Click to expand...

Explain to a simpleton why you would even want to take the battewry out in the first place and run your macbook without it?

I don't see the point, but then again...I'm a Mac noobie.
 
jmre5150 said:
Explain to a simpleton why you would even want to take the battewry out in the first place and run your macbook without it?

I don't see the point, but then again...I'm a Mac noobie.
Click to expand...

There are weeks when my MacBook sits at my desk at 100% charge. This is not good for the battery. A better thing for the battery would be to charge it to around 40-60% and then store for that period of time. So having the battery out isn't a bad thing, and the computer shouldn't run at 1/3 the normal speed.
 
You shouldn't take the battery out...all you do is open up the inside of the computer to dust and expose the battery connector to possible damage. If you're going to be using it at a desk all the time, just remember to calibrate it every month or two...your battery will be fine.
 
WildCowboy said:
You shouldn't take the battery out...all you do is open up the inside of the computer to dust and expose the battery connector to possible damage. If you're going to be using it at a desk all the time, just remember to calibrate it every month or two...your battery will be fine.
Click to expand...

Not using with it charged at 100% and calibrating it every so often will hurt it way more then storing it at about 50% charge.

The issue here is not me deciding to remove the battery, it is that when the battery is removed, for what-ever reason, that the computer runs at approximately 1/3 it's advertised speed.
 
MBP w/o battery

I agree. I pretty much use my macbook pro as a desktop computer and I noticed when the battery was out the computer ran like crap. So I read up and Apple is telling me that the computer slows down a lot to conserve power. Lame.
 
Please search the forum before starting a new thread - this was discussed countless times before.

The CPU clocks down without the battery for objective reasons. Its not better for the battery to be kept at 60% in a closet than keeping it at 100% inside the computer and calibrating it once a month or two, otherwise Apple would state that in the support documentation.

I'm sorry that you didn't research enough before your purchase. Please do so next time.

Good day.
 
sycho said:
There are weeks when my MacBook sits at my desk at 100% charge. This is not good for the battery. A better thing for the battery would be to charge it to around 40-60% and then store for that period of time. So having the battery out isn't a bad thing, and the computer shouldn't run at 1/3 the normal speed.
Click to expand...

This actually makes sense, but it is not the case with the Lithium-Ion batteries that MBPs use.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-14A.htm
About Li-on batteries said:
Should I use up all battery energy before charging?
It is better to recharge more often; avoid frequent full discharges.
On batteries with a fuel gauge, allow a full discharge once a month to enable reset.

Should I charge my battery partially or fully?
Does not matter. Charging in stages is acceptable. Full charge termination occurs by reading the voltage level and charge current. Charging a full battery is safe and does not cause harm.

Should I remove the battery from the charger when full?
It does not matter. The charger automatically cuts the charge current when the battery is full. A laptop may be connected to the AC when not in use.
Click to expand...

Hope this helps.
 
It is NOT a firmware bug, rather a firmware design. The machine is underclocked when the battery is not present. I've never understood why people get so OCD about a $70 battery. Just use your device as intended. Have you any idea how much of a fit your machine would throw if you accidently unplugged it without a battery?!
 
its a good thing

I actually use this when i use handbrake
it really bothers me when my macbook goes to a temp of 80 C and the fans run so hard i think it will fly away.
so i take the battery out it underclocks and it doesnt overheat! :)
always looking at the pos things about my mac
 
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