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Can you overclock consoles?

LordBritish

LordBritish

2[H]4U
Joined
Jan 28, 2001
Messages
2,062
Is it possible to overclock consoles?

It might take HW mods but I would think it's possible.
 
consoles these days are just packaged PCs. Its possible, though I havent seen it myself yet.
 
Well, I can think of one game that may marginally benefit from overclocking on a console: Mass Effect. Game hitches like mad, then again not sure if its because its accessing RAM/harddrive or the R500 isn't keeping up. The Xbox360 has enough problems with heat as is anyway. :D
 
Langford said:
The TV it's outputting to is at a fixed rate. There is no benefit to outrunning it.
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Thats like saying if you use VSync, theres no point in upgrading your CPU, Ram or graphics card.
 
Nenu said:
Thats like saying if you use VSync, theres no point in upgrading your CPU, Ram or graphics card.
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Not exactly. If you were on a PC system that let you up the resolution or tweak the filters, a faster CPU or GPU would matter, but a console is different. Even when you can settings the resolution, it's intentionally limited on choices. Whats more, is that the games have all been made for the specs the system comes with, so unless they are poorly made, they shouldn't lag even with original equipment.
 
I think the games are directly effected by the clock speed, eg if you up the clock speeds the game will actually run faster making it hard to play.
 
Langford said:
Not exactly. If you were on a PC system that let you up the resolution or tweak the filters, a faster CPU or GPU would matter, but a console is different. Even when you can settings the resolution, it's intentionally limited on choices. Whats more, is that the games have all been made for the specs the system comes with, so unless they are poorly made, they shouldn't lag even with original equipment.
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Nice and idealistic but some games need a faster console.
I think a "um" faster console might help.
 
with the xbox1 you could add 64mb ram to help run some mame games. the soldering skills needed to do it was way beyond my skill level.
 
Overclocking a console brings instability. Do you really think the game will just get faster by overclocking the the cpu/gpu. Its more complex than that. Most console games are written and tested with the pre-defined hardware ability. Changing the speeds can make code behave differently.
 
cpt.whistlepants said:
Overclocking a console brings instability. Do you really think the game will just get faster by overclocking the the cpu/gpu. Its more complex than that. Most console games are written and tested with the pre-defined hardware ability. Changing the speeds can make code behave differently.
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Its true, if the game code expects a certain number of cycles (processor or bus etc etc) to occur before an event is triggered then different speeds will have an effect, generally not positive.
PC game coders have known for a long time how to produce code without this type of dependancy so its not new or hard to write a game without this problem.
Its sensible for developers to make the code independent of bus speeds as the games may have to run on future upgraded console versions if/when they are brought out. The games will also be easier to port to other platforms.

Inevitably some games will suffer with different clock speeds but I reckon the list wont be very big.
If a game stutters, and its easy to try an overclock, its gotta be worth a go as long as the extra cooling is taken care of.

Those games that are tied to the say 60Hz refresh rate so there is a constant 60 frames per second should benefit too.
To maintain 60fps there will be code that checks if too much work is being processed and will reduce quality or other types of processing to compensate.
A faster console will see less reduction in processing and allow higher quality to be seen, still at 60fps.
 
I think most of them have been overclocked. PSP and DS can both be overclocked. Gameboys and the NES could be overclocked.
 
Step one: Put that fucker in the microwave.
Step two: 2 minutes on medium.
Step three: ????
Step four: Profit.


Step five is for me.. I sit, refresh and see how many people ruin their brand new Christmas gifts by trying that or other stupid ideas.
 
lloose said:
Step one: Put that fucker in the microwave.
Step two: 2 minutes on medium.
Step three: ????
Step four: Profit.


Step five is for me.. I sit, refresh and see how many people ruin their brand new Christmas gifts by trying that or other stupid ideas.
Click to expand...

This is an overclockers website, some of us will clock a console for kicks if not to try and get better graphics.
Many of us have easily enough knowledge to do this safely, if you cant thats fair enough but its best not to assume we are all like that.
Some interesting details might come from this thread, dont knock it !
 
You can easily OC the PS1, N64 and DC (and a few others); I've done it myself, and it helps eliminate slow-down in some games (as well as speed up homebrew on the DC); in a nutshell you basically wire in a new clock-gen/oscillator, and in conjunction with the fixed multi, you speed up your proc. Problem is, N64 & DC have rather less than stellar cooling, and going in excess of 30MHz so can be bad.

I don't think games since 3rd or 4th gen have been so low-level where they depend fully on the fixed clock speed of the CPU/display proc to run properly. For the latest consoles...seeing as you can't poke the BIOS (yet; and MS learned their lesson after not-encrypting anything on the Xbox), and that the mobos are multi-layer, attempting to change the clock speed through a hardware change of the clock-gen will likely end badly.
 
The PSP was set at 222 MHz, overclockers set it to 333 MHz, and now Sony has set it to 333 Mhz.
 
I've seen a few instances of games running very fast on overclocked consoles. Definitely hurts gameplay or makes it impossible in some situations.
 
Not overclocking at all, but I do recall an old online article on how to replace the original Xbox's default processor with a celeron clocked at 1.4GHz.

Can't say if that's really worth it.
 
BladeVenom said:
The PSP was set at 222 MHz, overclockers set it to 333 MHz, and now Sony has set it to 333 Mhz.
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Except the psp's clockspeed was always supposed to be 333mhz (and it always was), it was just underclocked by sony for some unknown (I think they said something about battery life) reason. It was never "overclocked", it was just set to the speed it was supposed to originally have shipped with.
 
I remember when they made a custom XBox which had a 740mhz/1480MHz, what was funny was that at the 740 setting some games would have squeaky audio and skipping graphics because it ran too fast. Other games ran better with the faster settings, but the main fact about current consoles is that they set them to run well on the console specs. Since the console has set settings that are not really adjustable, you can't tweak it.
 
BladeVenom said:
The PSP was set at 222 MHz, overclockers set it to 333 MHz, and now Sony has set it to 333 Mhz.
Click to expand...

MatDef said:
Except the psp's clockspeed was always supposed to be 333mhz (and it always was), it was just underclocked by sony for some unknown (I think they said something about battery life) reason. It was never "overclocked", it was just set to the speed it was supposed to originally have shipped with.
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Yeah, I don't think it counts as "real" OCing if it still isn't exceeding the manufacturer's max. I think they dropped it initially since the battery life was really sucking (it still is kinda bleh IMO), but I think it was Daxter or some Insomniac title that was the first release that needed 333MHz to run properly. (Commercial title anyways, people had been running @ 333 for homebrew for ages).
 
we want the ability to have more power thats what it comes down to. the real question is, which generation of consoles is going to see scalable and upgradeable consoles.
 
Revenicus said:
we want the ability to have more power thats what it comes down to. the real question is, which generation of consoles is going to see scalable and upgradeable consoles.
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Maybe never because then it will become much tougher to code for, more like a PC.
Essentially a modular console would become like a PC.
Consoles have locked hardware which makes them a lot easier/quicker to write games for.

Its clearly deliberate that they cannot be upgraded.
For example, how much would it cost Microsoft to add an extra DRAM slot so you can add more memory when its cheaper later?
It would cost almost nothing but they didnt do it in either of their consoles and neither has any other console company.
Yet the consoles have a definite lack of memory.

Also it steals the thunder from the launch of a new console if the old ones can be upgraded to near or perhaps even better performance.
 
TheRapture said:
Yeah but it is GPU heat because they buried the chip under the dvd drive where it can't get proper airflow.:confused:
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Yes very true. Its actually more a lack of heatsink size and a half working plan. The idea is very good that MS planned out for the cooling (the DVD Drive acts as a airfoil and "seals" the top of the heatsink to make it so air is forced through the entire heatsink instead of just coming in towards the shroud. The problem is the DVD Drive does not make a tight enough seal against the heatsink and it still just pulls in most air from right at the shroud.

An easy fix is to add a piece of non-flamable card (I used a piece of sturdy plastic) to complete the seal and make what MS wanted to happen actually happen. But in reality you should not void your warranty until the 3year warranty is up.

The CPU in the 360 runs just fine as far as heat is concerned, even without the upgraded heatsink.
 
Nenu said:
Also it steals the thunder from the launch of a new console if the old ones can be upgraded to near or perhaps even better performance.
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This will never be the case. If anything is going to be upgradeable, it won't be much beyond the hard drive and maybe memory. Consoles have always been designed to be easy to use and replacing a CPU, video card, memory, etc. is well beyond what most people would feel comfortable doing.
 
Yea imo the only thing they should allow for addon sake is Harddrives. Never release a console without one, just have bigger options availible. I couldnt see anything else being upgrable that would hinder game development.
 
dotK said:
This will never be the case. If anything is going to be upgradeable, it won't be much beyond the hard drive and maybe memory. Consoles have always been designed to be easy to use and replacing a CPU, video card, memory, etc. is well beyond what most people would feel comfortable doing.
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If a console design was opened up so components can be changed, its reasonable to assume that its possible to make the changes without much trouble.
I cant see too much of a problem having a CPU cartridge, a memory cartridge, extra slots to plug more of them in etc etc.
It can be made very easy for the consumer.

Also, I doubt we would be confined to using only microsoft etc parts, a new aftermarket components business would appear.
Who knows how much extra power could be got from an older system.
It could easily steal the thunder from a new launch.
 
Nenu said:
It can be made very easy for the consumer.
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Your idea of very easy and the average consumer's idea of very easy are two completely different things. For most people, anything beyond plugging in a few cables is entirely too confusing. For some people, even THAT is too confusing.
 
dotK said:
Your idea of very easy and the average consumer's idea of very easy are two completely different things. For most people, anything beyond plugging in a few cables is entirely too confusing. For some people, even THAT is too confusing.
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Not really.
I'm an electrical electronic prototyping and design engineer (amongst other things) and I cant see a problem designing an easy to use socket system that is robust.
If its too complex for a user, they dont have to make any changes, their friends or a shop can do it.
This is getting way too off topic for a hypothetical situation.
 
Nenu said:
Maybe never because then it will become much tougher to code for, more like a PC.
Essentially a modular console would become like a PC.
Consoles have locked hardware which makes them a lot easier/quicker to write games for.
Click to expand...

No it wouldn't actually if it was done correctly.

MS/sony could design an upgradeable 'base' console with extra slots. you just add more 'insert upgrade here' into each slot and you'd get more power. similar to SLI.

Sure the cost of making the board, including better cooling would be considerable, but those upgrades would sell like hotcakes. not to mention there would be bundles with 'full upgraded' systems, and it would mean big profit for them.

people who didn't want to fool around with upgrading and weren't die-hard best graphics whores could just get a vanilla console.
 
Revenicus said:
No it wouldn't actually if it was done correctly.

MS/sony could design an upgradeable 'base' console with extra slots. you just add more 'insert upgrade here' into each slot and you'd get more power. similar to SLI.

Sure the cost of making the board, including better cooling would be considerable, but those upgrades would sell like hotcakes. not to mention there would be bundles with 'full upgraded' systems, and it would mean big profit for them.

people who didn't want to fool around with upgrading and weren't die-hard best graphics whores could just get a vanilla console.
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This was covered in the posts after the one you replied to.
My "just like a PC" comment was meant architecturally as this is what affects game developers.
 
people who didn't want to fool around with upgrading and weren't die-hard best graphics whores could just get a vanilla console.
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Then it would just be like a PC. The whole point of a console is that everyone pays the same price (Sony and Microsoft, err, they've got different versions, but only on hard disk size and memory card slots, so you get my point) for the exact same graphics on every console for a price cheaper than a PC and without all of the added hassle of a PC either. If you're a die-hard best graphics whore then you'd just invest extra or get a better PC for graphics better than any console, because of more powerful components coming out every couple of months, driven by competition, for the PC.
 
I remember an article a while back about people overclocking the original NES by 100% (to 8 Mhz or so). Well, back then, they tied the games to the CPU speed (like some older PC games during the 486 era) so then games started running twice as fast.
 
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