Processor performance: Highest, Reduced, Auto

[alphaq619]

I was at the Apple store today and I noticed on the 12" PowerBook, I went into the Energy Saver Preferences. I noticed under Processor Performance, there were 3 settings, Highest, Reduced and Automatic.

I'm sitting here at my 12" (Rev A) and I notice I don't have the 3rd setting: automatic. Is this a feature of the 12" Rev B, or am I missing something?

Again, I have a 12" 867 MHz and I just upgraded to 10.3.3 from 10.3.1. Any thoughts?

 

[cjc343]

I don't know why that is, but in case you are wondering... Automatic runs at lower speeds unless it NEEDS to run faster, I have generally found it to be inadequate.

 

[johnnyjibbs]

What did your PowerBook default to? I have the rev B 1GHz 12" and I do have the third setting, which it was on my default. Maybe it's new. However, I find that I put it on Highest setting when plugged in, Automatic when I'm on battery. Everything is silky smooth (e.g. minimising, expose, etc) on Highest setting but the fan comes on more often (predictably).

It must just be a new feature. I read in a help file that not all computers have it. Maybe it's in response to the overheating rev A's or something. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[alphaq619]

I also posted this on the Apple discussions forum and a member told that it is a feature of the rev B PowerBooks. Too bad for me. Thanks for the replies though.

 

[MoparShaha]

I also posted this on the Apple discussions forum and a member told that it is a feature of the rev B PowerBooks. Too bad for me. Thanks for the replies though.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have a rev. B 12", and I don't even use automatic. It's not that great. On battery, I keep it on reduced, just to maximize battery life. When plugged in, I've got it on highest, because automatic just can't respond fast enough. It's much smoother overall in highest mode.

 

[blue&whiteman]

does reduced speed really save that much battery juice? is it worth the lowered performance?

 

[Horrortaxi]

My G3 iBook has the "automatic" setting.

 

[johnnyjibbs]

The Automatic setting basically keeps the processor at Reduced unless you do some heavy tasking work such as Photoshop blur or such like, when it switches to the Highest setting. Therefore, Automatic does not really use up more juice unless you are doing intensive tasks. However, I don't like Automatic because it means you are running on reduced the whole time usually, so dock magnification adn the general GUI, etc isn't as silky smooth as it would be otherwise.

 

[ExoticFish]

i tested out the difference between automatic and high when my machine was plugged in with xbench and the automatic setting got a lower score every time, that's when i switched it to high!

 

[Danrose1977]

i tested out the difference between automatic and high when my machine was plugged in with xbench and the automatic setting got a lower score every time, that's when i switched it to high!

Same with my iBook....

I'm still getting around 5-6 hours constant use on high though, so I don't really see it as a major issue.

 

[jxyama]

does reduced speed really save that much battery juice? is it worth the lowered performance?

i think it does. my undocumented experience is that i can get about an hour more on reduced performance... (say, 3 hrs vs. 4 hrs.)

another gauge is iTunes ripping speed. reduced goes up to about x4 but highest performance goes up to around x7.

if you are off the mains and just want to surf the web and email, i don't think there's any downside to using reduced performance. if i run heavy apps, like iMovie or emulators, i do notice the reduced performance so i usually plug my PB in, if that's an option...

 

[ingenious]

ill check

ill check on my PB tomorrow when I'm back at school.