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underclocking an opteron

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  • 29-05-2008 2:44pm
    #1
    djr
    Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭


    hi there,

    i have a machine which i want to leave on 24/7. it's a hp ml115 server. my question is as follows.... according to this spec sheet, the opteron 1210 (santa rosa) has a TDP of 103w. this is obviously not ideal :(, it's akin to leaving a 100w lightbulb on all day. also, the other components in the system would clock up some wattage too, but i would guess the CPU is the biggest offender.

    i can't afford to get a HE sempron or opteron at the moment, so what i guess i'm asking is if i underclock the CPU (there are options for this in the bios), will i significantly reduce the TDP, if at all?

    d.


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    #2
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    your understanding is flawed. 103TDP is when the cpu is maxing out all cores at 100%. AMD opterons are server chips, and have power saving features built into them. Like shutting down cores and undervolting.

    You can underclock if you want, but it wont make much of a difference. And then when you need the raw power its not going to be there.


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    #3
    L31mr0d
    Registered Users Posts: 8,067 ✭✭✭L31mr0d


    ^ What he said

    You don't need to underclock the CPU. Also check the BIOS of the server, there should be some extra power saving options in there like automatically lowering the clock and voltage when the server is idle.


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    #4
    djr
    Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭djr


    i see.

    it's going to run linux, so i was going to use the "ondemand" governor of the cpufreq utility for this purpose.

    so basically, at idle, it'll more than likely draw a lot less power?

    what if i under-volt?

    this probably isn't even worth my while messing about with it is it, so long as "cool'n'quiet" is enabled in the bios, supported by the kernel, and the box is running cpufreq in "ondemand".

    sorry if the linux questions throw anyone, it's essentially the same as the speedstep utility on a laptop...


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    #5
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    djr wrote: »
    what if i under-volt?

    Leave it alone


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    #6
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    Ive tested my old 180 opty on undervolting, it didnt really work well at all to be honest. But yeah, with the cpu's not running at 100%, the draw will be much less. And to save more power you could have the hdds shut duwn after 10 mins of inactivity.


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