Underclocking a laptop?

[Kenazo]

OK, so here's my question. Is there a program that will automatically adjust my CPU's clock speed to maximize battery life? I have an Inspiron 6400 with a T7200, if that makes a difference.

I really don't have that much experience with Laptops, I've been in the desktop oc'ing scene for a while and am familiar with clockgen for doing quick oc'ing adjustments. Can I use it, or something like it to underclock my laptop to get better life out of my batteries?

 

[Brainonska511]

Try Notebook Hardware Control. IIRC, you can set automatic settings on it, undervolt your processor in addition to reducing the clock speed.

 

[DanDrop]

Under windows Control panel, there should be an icon for power management for your laptop. You can set this for long battery life when your lappy is unplugged.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: DanDrop
Under windows Control panel, there should be an icon for power management for your laptop. You can set this for long battery life when your lappy is unplugged.

Setting to "Maximum Battery" will give you the lowest default clockspeed for the processor, but NHC will let you get a lower clock in addition to undervolting, which will lead to more battery life.

 

[hmsrolst]

NHC will allow you to lock the multiplier at 6x so your CPU will run at 1GHz at all times. Unfortunately, Intel has blocked voltages below about .93v on the Yonah chips, and it may be similar with the Meroms. The P-M's are undervoltable to .70v and in my experience, they run 6x stably at that voltage.

 

[corkyg]

And, to save battery life, it is also good to turn off the LCD when not being used.