Copyright (C) 1999, by kykz's Software. All rights reserved.
Description
G4Strip is a Control Strip Module to control the PowerPC7400 & PowerPC750's back-side cache and display a range of CPU information.
Installation
To use this module, drag G4Strip into the Control Strip Modules folder in the System Folder.
Then drag G4StripLib into the Extensions folder in the System Folder and restart.
Instructions
Note: changing the cache parameters, in particular the speed, can cause the Mac to crash after a few seconds in some cases.
Never experiment with cache settings unless you have saved any work you have in progress.
- To chose the CPU parameter that is displayed, click on the module in the Control Strip and select a Display option from the popup menu.
The options are:
- "CPU-type": The type of microprocessor installed
- "CPU-clock": The speed of the microprocessor; the figure most commonly quoted as 'system speed'
- "Cache-clock": The speed of the Level 2 cache (normally less than CPU-clock)
- "Bus-clock": The speed of the main system bus, connecting to memory, display & other components
- "Therm-reg (C)": The internal temperature of the microprocessor, in degrees Celsius
- "Therm-reg (F)": The internal temperature of the microprocessor, in degrees Fahrenheit
- "Performance": The number of practicable increment instructions per second
- To simultaneously display a second parameter, hold down the Shift key when selecting a second Display option.
- To change the cache speed or size, select the appropriate setting from the pop-up menu.
G4Strip will check the selected setting, and will reject it with an alert beep if the cache cannot support it.
Cache speed ratios, relative to the main clock speed, that are above the standard ratio are shown in italics.
If you select one of these ratios, the new setting is not saved in the Preferences file unless you change another setting, which automatically saves all preferences, or the Mac has run successfully for one minute.
This is because these high cache speeds can cause the system to crash - if the preferences have not been saved, the Mac can reboot successfully on the previous (working) setting.
- If you hold down the Space key when the Finder is starting up, G4Strip will void its preferences.
- The "Cache-mode Write-through" option sets the cache mode to write-through. The other side (to remove this option) sets the cache mode to copy-back.
The copy-back cache is usually faster than the write-through cache.
- The "Default at Startup" option means the standard cache settings will not be changed at startup, and must be manually selected each time.
This provides a safe option for experimentation; you can switch it off when you are satisfied the Mac is stable with your non-standard setting.
- The "Forced Cache setting" option makes it possible to change the cache size and speed when the cache is disabled at the system startup. Note: This option is for an expert.
- The "No cache when on battery" option sets the cache size to zero when operating on battery power, to reduce battery consumption.
It will, of course, also reduce performance when the Mac is running on battery.
- The "Ratio 1:4(1:3) when on battery" option sets the cache speed to slowest settings when operating on battery power, to reduce battery consumption.
It will, of course, reduce performance slightly when the Mac is running on battery.
Distribution
G4Strip is shareware. G4Strip is copyrighted software and is freely distributed.
G4Strip must be licensed for commercial distribution. To contact the author, use the e-mail address below.
Disclaimer
Use this software at your own risk. The author does not provide any warranty with this software and cannot be held liable for any problems caused by its use.
The author would like to receive bug reports from users, but cannot make any promises regarding future versions.
Registration
If you find G4Strip useful and continue to use it beyond the 20 times (Macintosh startup) free trial period, you are required to register your copy.
You can register one of two ways: on-line registration using a web browser, or off-line registration using the Register program.
Our online registration can be found at:
<http://order.kagi.com/?QGF>
Or, using the Register program, follow the instructions in the "Registration by Kagi" file included in the download package.
A $10 registration fee will license a single user.
Contacting the author
Send bug reports, suggestions for new features or other information to:
E-mail:kykz@kagi.com
The latest versions of this program and others by the same author are available at:
