Macbook Pro 13" Early 2011's clock run fast

[nchwrpn]

I have a Macbook Pro 13" Early 2011 with OS X 10.9.5.

Now my machine's clock run around +1.25 to +1.30 second(s) per hour, which means around +30 seconds a day !!!

Even if I let OS X set date and time automatically, I sometimes still get +15 seconds.

I already try resetting PRAM and SMC, but still no luck.

What is your suggestion?


Thank you,
nchwrpn


PS. here is some of the ntpdate command messages

ntpdate -q pool.ntp.org
server 103.22.182.121, stratum 2, offset 67.725594, delay 0.05719
server 124.109.2.169, stratum 16, offset 67.727547, delay 0.05719
server 203.146.215.116, stratum 2, offset 67.725153, delay 0.05771
server 203.158.247.150, stratum 2, offset 67.731941, delay 0.05899
7 May 00:07:56 ntpdate[68420]: step time server 103.22.182.121 offset 67.725594 sec

 

[scaredpoet]

There are two issues here. First and foremost: onboard PC clocks - including clocks on Macs - aren't very accurate at all. They are low-cost components and all of them have significant drift. 30 seconds a day is a little on the high end for inaccuracy, but not unheard of at all.

(As an aside: Apple Watch owners, if you think your timepiece is going to stay super-accurate without the use of your phone's GPS as a time reference, think again!)

Second: NTP is pretty much unusable on OS X 10.9. I had all kinds of trouble with it in Mavericks, and it would stop working entirely after just a couple of hours... only way to fix it would be to reboot and do an ntpdate to a server to force-fix the time.... only to have ntp fall out of sync and stop working again after a few hours. All users of OS X Mavericks have this issue... though the only people who notice it are those who actually care about accurate time. Most remaining mavericks users are blissfully unaware.

Three potential fixes here:

1. Set up a script so that on boot, an ntpdate correction is forced. Then, reboot or run the script whenever you need the correct time.

2. Grab and compile the latest production version of NTP source code and run that instead. Note that this will probably break the Date/Time preference pane. And if you don't know how to compile source code and use the executable in place of existing services, you definitely shouldn't attempt this.

3. The easiest route: Upgrade to Yosemite. It has a working version of ntp that actually keeps the system time correct.

 

[nchwrpn]

Thank you for your reply,

I think I will go with the script first because I still want to stick with the Maverick.

If it doesn't work, then the upgrade.

thanks again,
nchwrpn

There are two issues here. First and foremost: onboard PC clocks - including clocks on Macs - aren't very accurate at all. They are low-cost components and all of them have significant drift. 30 seconds a day is a little on the high end for inaccuracy, but not unheard of at all.

(As an aside: Apple Watch owners, if you think your timepiece is going to stay super-accurate without the use of your phone's GPS as a time reference, think again!)

Second: NTP is pretty much unusable on OS X 10.9. I had all kinds of trouble with it in Mavericks, and it would stop working entirely after just a couple of hours... only way to fix it would be to reboot and do an ntpdate to a server to force-fix the time.... only to have ntp fall out of sync and stop working again after a few hours. All users of OS X Mavericks have this issue... though the only people who notice it are those who actually care about accurate time. Most remaining mavericks users are blissfully unaware.

Three potential fixes here:

1. Set up a script so that on boot, an ntpdate correction is forced. Then, reboot or run the script whenever you need the correct time.

2. Grab and compile the latest production version of NTP source code and run that instead. Note that this will probably break the Date/Time preference pane. And if you don't know how to compile source code and use the executable in place of existing services, you definitely shouldn't attempt this.

3. The easiest route: Upgrade to Yosemite. It has a working version of ntp that actually keeps the system time correct.