[ExI] idear question

[spike at rainier66.com]

Question please for microprocessor gurus please.

 

In the olden days, we fooled around with overclocking processors, above
their stunning 1.4 MEGAHERTZ (hey, I did say OLDEN days (a decade before we
were giga-ing anything (when plenty of us were still kiloing about in our
quirky electro-mathematical hobby.)))  

 

We knew what happens when we overclocked a processor: it got hotter and
might still work up to perhaps 2 MHz if a prole was clever with his
heatsinks and such, but it might crash or glitch and if the misguided prole
is running Lucas Lehmers, the checksum indicates he was a bit too ambitious.

 

We also knew back in the olden days one could go downclock: run the
processor slower than spec.  We did it just to verify it could be done, not
that it would have any practical purpose.  Now it might have a practical
purpose to downclock. 

 

What I don't know is if modern high-end GPUs can be underclocked reliably.
My reasoning suggests they can be underclocked.  There is no apparent reason
why not, but please verify, for my experience came from the days when the
clock circuitry was external (Motorola did it that way intentionally before
the venerable 6502.)  I don't know that it is that it is done that way
today, that it is even possible to underclock a modern microprocessor.  If
so, is it done the old-fashioned way: oscillator to a signal generator which
Fourier square-wave-izes the signal and feeds back into the (defeated)
processor clock?

 

If a modern processor cannot be underclocked because there is no
user-accessibility to the timing circuitry, but a prole has the idea(r) of
using a microprocessor as intelligent cabin heaters in electric cars,
replacing a resistance coil (which seems like an egregiously wasteful path
to high entropy) perhaps there is a software workaround.  If the EV cabin
heater is turned open throttle full heat, then the processor would work at
maximum capacity.  If it is only a little cool outside and the prole wants
only a tenth the heat, then the processor could do bursts of calculation:
mine for BitCoins one second, idle for ten seconds, repeat, result low heat
to EV cabin.

 

After I wrote that paragraph above, the workaround notion grew on me: EV
cabin heater control via software is a better idear than attempting to
underclock a modern GPU: it doesn't require expensive hardware modification.

 

Sheesh, I answered my own question just by asking it.  It's embarraskin I
tells ya.

 

spike

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