Difference between revisions of "Overclocking"

From Emulation General Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(NES: Clarified which builds of FCEUX support overclocking and how it works, with reference to Sourceforge commit page.)
m
Line 1: Line 1:
Overclocking is the process by which the CPU clockspeed is increased. The reason for doing this would be to reduce slowdown in games, or to increase the framerate. However, as this is a hack and not intended by designers, it can result in many issues. Certain systems can have an overclocked CPU with few if any issues, while others can not overclock without major issues.  
+
Overclocking is the process by which the CPU clockspeed is increased. The reason for doing this would be to reduce slowdown in games, or to increase the frame rate. However, as this is a hack and not intended by designers, it can result in many issues. Certain systems can have an overclocked CPU with few if any issues, while others can not overclock without major issues.  
  
 
==Chart==
 
==Chart==
Line 16: Line 16:
 
| style="text-align: center;"|?
 
| style="text-align: center;"|?
 
|-
 
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES]] Main CPU
+
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES]] (Main CPU)
 
| style="text-align: center;"|3.58 MHz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|3.58 MHz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|Yes
 
| style="text-align: center;"|Yes
| style="text-align: center;"|No
+
| style="text-align: center;"|Yes
 
| style="text-align: center;"|4.1 -7.6 Mhz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|4.1 -7.6 Mhz
 
|-
 
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES]] SFX1
+
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES]] (Super FX 1)
 
| style="text-align: center;"|10.5 MHz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|10.5 MHz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|Yes
 
| style="text-align: center;"|Yes
Line 28: Line 28:
 
| style="text-align: center;"|40-60 Mhz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|40-60 Mhz
 
|-
 
|-
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES]] SFX2
+
| style="text-align: center;"|[[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES]] (Super FX 2)
 
| style="text-align: center;"|21 MHz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|21 MHz
 
| style="text-align: center;"|Yes
 
| style="text-align: center;"|Yes
Line 65: Line 65:
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Sega Saturn has two SH-2 CPUs
+
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Sega Saturn has two SH-2 CPUs
  
 
==NES==
 
==NES==
 
Overclocking is possible on real hardware, but doing so also speeds up the audio unless you're using a special hardware mod like the HiDefNES which does allow for overclocking without changing the audio pitch<ref name="HiDefNESoverclock">https://youtu.be/QnQuBN3iYVA?t=4m8s</ref>.  
 
Overclocking is possible on real hardware, but doing so also speeds up the audio unless you're using a special hardware mod like the HiDefNES which does allow for overclocking without changing the audio pitch<ref name="HiDefNESoverclock">https://youtu.be/QnQuBN3iYVA?t=4m8s</ref>.  
 
  
 
Build r3120 and above of FCEUX allow overclocking by adding extra scanlines to the PPU loop. This method doesn't cause audio distortion. It is found under the Timing menu and the number of added scanlines is user definable. <ref name="FCEUX Overclock">https://sourceforge.net/p/fceultra/code/3120/</ref>
 
Build r3120 and above of FCEUX allow overclocking by adding extra scanlines to the PPU loop. This method doesn't cause audio distortion. It is found under the Timing menu and the number of added scanlines is user definable. <ref name="FCEUX Overclock">https://sourceforge.net/p/fceultra/code/3120/</ref>
Line 77: Line 76:
 
The main SNES CPU ran at 3.58 MHz and can be overclocked. However it causes issues. With those who have tested it, the following issues occur:  
 
The main SNES CPU ran at 3.58 MHz and can be overclocked. However it causes issues. With those who have tested it, the following issues occur:  
  
*"4.1 MHz: Small amounts of sprite breakup occasionally; very little slowdown.
+
* 4.1 MHz: Small amounts of sprite breakup occasionally; very little slowdown.
 
+
* 5.1 MHz: Sprite breakup; no slowdown
*5.1 MHz: Sprite breakup; no slowdown
+
* 6.6 MHz: Color palette errors; sprites fail to render
 
+
* 7.6 MHz: Color palette errors; sprites fail to render. Freezes after a few minutes.<ref name="SNES overclock">http://web.archive.org/web/20070629163744/http://www.undergroundcm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=38</ref>
*6.6 MHz: Color palette errors; sprites fail to render
 
 
 
*7.6 MHz: Color palette errors; sprites fail to render. Freezes after a few minutes."<ref name="SNES overclock">http://web.archive.org/web/20070629163744/http://www.undergroundcm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=38</ref>
 
  
There are no SNES emulators that allow for an overclocking option, likely because of those issues.  
+
Only MAME has an option to change the main CPU frequency, which requires you to enable cheats. MAME SNES emulation is very demanding by default, and activating the overclock only makes it worse. It is more stable than the real hardware while overclocked and won't exhibit the same issues, but it is still very unstable especially if you adjust the frequency multiple times. It also does not allow you to go over 200% clock speed, which isn't enough to fully get rid of slowdowns in some games.
 
 
===SFX chip===
 
  
 +
===Super FX chip===
 
The first version of the chip, commonly referred to as simply "Super FX", is clocked with a 21 MHz signal, but an internal clock speed divider halves it to 10.5 MHz. Later on, the design was revised to become the Super FX GSU-2; this, unlike the first Super FX chip revision, is able to reach 21 MHz.
 
The first version of the chip, commonly referred to as simply "Super FX", is clocked with a 21 MHz signal, but an internal clock speed divider halves it to 10.5 MHz. Later on, the design was revised to become the Super FX GSU-2; this, unlike the first Super FX chip revision, is able to reach 21 MHz.
  
The SFX chip however can be overclocked with fewer issues on real hardware or emulation. It does however increase the speed of the game as well.  
+
The SFX chip can be overclocked on real hardware or emulation with fewer issues than overclocking the CPU. However, tests have shown that overclocking can increase the speed of the game, in addition to increasing the frame rate and removing slowdown.<ref name="Dragon50hztest">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfNI3HpUt-4</ref>
 
 
Tests have shown that overclocking can increase the speed of the game, in addition to increasing the framerate and removing slodown.<ref name="Dragon50hztest">
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfNI3HpUt-4</ref>
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
Line 115: Line 107:
  
 
==PC-Engine (TG-16)==
 
==PC-Engine (TG-16)==
Overclocking the main CPU also has the effect of speeding up the audio as well.<ref>When you overclock the CPU, the audio speeds up as well.</ref>
+
The main CPU can be overclocked on real hardware but will also speed up audio.<ref>http://nfggames.com/games/pce/</ref>
  
 
[[Mednafen]] allows overclocking the CPU up to 100x, without affecting audio pitch, in its non-default [http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/documentation/pce_fast.html pce_fast] core via the [http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/documentation/pce_fast.html#pce_fast.ocmultiplier pce_fast.ocmultiplier] setting.
 
[[Mednafen]] allows overclocking the CPU up to 100x, without affecting audio pitch, in its non-default [http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/documentation/pce_fast.html pce_fast] core via the [http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/documentation/pce_fast.html#pce_fast.ocmultiplier pce_fast.ocmultiplier] setting.
  
 
==N64==
 
==N64==
Some emulators like [[RetroArch|libretro]] port of [[Mupen64Plus]] have an overclocking option called "VI Refresh", and 1964 UltraFast (a very old fork of 1964) have an option to overclock the CPU.
+
Some emulators like the [[Libretro|libretro]] port of [[Mupen64Plus]] have an overclocking option called "VI Refresh", and 1964 UltraFast (a very old fork of 1964) have an option to overclock the CPU.
  
Some games (see the list below) can take advantage of overclocking and improves framerate, while most others (such as Super Mario 64) have built-in framerate limiter and unaffected by overclocking.
+
Some games (see the list below) can take advantage of overclocking and improves frame rate, while most others (such as Super Mario 64) have built-in frame rate limiter and unaffected by overclocking.<ref>http://forum.pj64-emu.com/showpost.php?p=51810&postcount=6</ref><ref>http://www.emucr.com/2011/02/1964-ultrafast-v3.html</ref>
  
 
===List of games that can take advantage of overclocking===
 
===List of games that can take advantage of overclocking===
Line 133: Line 125:
 
Conker's Bad Fur Day
 
Conker's Bad Fur Day
 
Destruction Derby 64
 
Destruction Derby 64
Disney's Donald Duck - Goin Quackers / Donald Duck - Quack Attack
+
Disney's Donald Duck - Goin' Quackers / Donald Duck - Quack Attack
 
Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck / Looney Toons - Duck Dodgers
 
Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck / Looney Toons - Duck Dodgers
 
Earthworm Jim 3D
 
Earthworm Jim 3D
Line 141: Line 133:
 
F-1 Pole Position 64
 
F-1 Pole Position 64
 
Gex 3 - Deep Cover Gecko
 
Gex 3 - Deep Cover Gecko
Goldeneye 007
+
GoldenEye 007
 
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing
 
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing
 
Human Grand Prix - New Generation
 
Human Grand Prix - New Generation
Line 178: Line 170:
 
World Cup 98
 
World Cup 98
 
</pre>
 
</pre>
 
[http://forum.pj64-emu.com/showpost.php?p=51810&postcount=6 Source 1]
 
[http://www.emucr.com/2011/02/1964-ultrafast-v3.html Source 2]
 
  
 
==GameCube/Wii==
 
==GameCube/Wii==
Line 190: Line 179:
 
On real hardware, overclocking is possible using [http://djky2k3.tripod.com/psx_oc.html this modification].
 
On real hardware, overclocking is possible using [http://djky2k3.tripod.com/psx_oc.html this modification].
  
On emulators, [https://github.com/SonofUgly/PCSX-Reloaded/releases this modified build] of PCSX-R allows for overclocking, most games will break past 1.5x clock-speed. Recent builds of Beetle PSX ([[Libretro]] fork of [[Mednafen]]) also support overclocking, by way of removing timing penalties instead increasing clock speed.
+
On emulators, [https://github.com/SonofUgly/PCSX-Reloaded/releases this modified build] of [[PCSX-Reloaded|PCSX-R]] as well as [http://ngemu.com/threads/pcsxr-pgxp.186369/ this fork] allow for overclocking, though most games will break past 1.5x clock speed. Recent builds of Beetle PSX (libretro fork of Mednafen's PS1 core) also support overclocking, by way of removing timing penalties instead increasing clock speed.
  
 
==PS2==
 
==PS2==
On original model PS2s you can overclock by a small amount without too much problem, the biggest issue will be sped up audio. Slim model PS2s use the GPU's clockrate as a base for the CPU (multiplying the GPU's clock by 2), so overclocking the CPU will also overclock the GPU resulting in many visual problems.<ref name="PS2OC">http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2220.0</ref>
+
On original model PS2s you can overclock by a small amount without too much problem, but the biggest issue will be sped-up audio. Slim model PS2s use the GPU's clock rate as a base for the CPU (multiplying the GPU's clock by 2), so overclocking the CPU will also overclock the GPU resulting in many visual problems.<ref name="PS2OC">http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2220.0</ref>
  
All recent builds of PCSX2 have a speed hack that allows you to increase the EE cycle-rate without having any effect on the audio, although it does still break a few games most of them run fine and with less slowdown. The emulator also has a speed hack called VU Cycle Stealing, which allows for increased GPU performance at the cost of CPU cycles. It gives an incorrect FPS readout, though.
+
All recent builds of [[PCSX2]] have a speed hack that allows you to increase the EE cycle-rate without having any effect on the audio, although it does still break a few games most of them run fine and with less slowdown. The emulator also has a speed hack called VU Cycle Stealing, which allows for increased GPU performance at the cost of CPU cycles. It gives an incorrect FPS readout, though.
  
 
==PSP==
 
==PSP==
[[PPSSPP]] allows over/underclocking of the main CPU. Due to Sony underclocking the CPU to 222 MHz then removing the underclock in a later firmware update to allow it to run at 333 MHz<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable_hardware#Technical_specifications</ref> (and thus not having games closely tied to clockrate), overclocking the system (and emulating an overclocked system) results to next to no ill effects.
+
[[PPSSPP]] allows over/underclocking of the main CPU. Due to Sony underclocking the CPU to 222 MHz then removing the underclock in a later firmware update to allow it to run at 333 MHz<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable_hardware#Technical_specifications</ref> (and thus not having games closely tied to clock rate), overclocking the system (and emulating an overclocked system) results to next to no ill effects.
 +
 
 
==Neo Geo==
 
==Neo Geo==
Final burn alpha allows for overclocking of Neo Geo games. MAMEUIFX (aka MAME32FX) also allows for overclocking.<ref>http://mame32fx.altervista.org/home.htm</ref>  All Neo Geo should run at full speed when overclocked.
+
[[Final Burn Alpha]] allows for overclocking of Neo Geo games. MAMEUIFX (aka MAME32FX) also allows for overclocking.<ref>http://mame32fx.altervista.org/home.htm</ref>  All Neo Geo should run at full speed when overclocked.
  
 
==Sega Genesis==
 
==Sega Genesis==
The original hardware can be overclocked leading to faster/smoother gameplay. <ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVrElANZg2M</ref>
+
The original hardware can be overclocked leading to faster/smoother gameplay.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVrElANZg2M</ref>
  
Most Genesis emulators don't allow overclocking. The [[Genesis Plus GX]] dev, for instance, says that implementing overclocking is "not easy to add without potentially break other things. "<ref>https://code.google.com/p/genplus-gx/issues/detail?id=223</ref>
+
Most Genesis emulators don't allow overclocking. The [[Genesis Plus GX]] developer, for instance, says that implementing overclocking is "not easy to add without potentially break other things. <ref>https://code.google.com/p/genplus-gx/issues/detail?id=223</ref>
  
 
[http://aamirm.hacking-cult.org/www/regen.html Regen] allows overclocking in the dev build version.<ref>http://segaretro.org/Regen</ref> Games with sprite flicker, like Altered Beast, and games with slowdown, like Rambo III or Mega Man: The Wily Wars, play perfectly with Regen's "Overclock M68000" setting at 732 (1.5x original speed). The game speed and audio are unaffected by overclocking.
 
[http://aamirm.hacking-cult.org/www/regen.html Regen] allows overclocking in the dev build version.<ref>http://segaretro.org/Regen</ref> Games with sprite flicker, like Altered Beast, and games with slowdown, like Rambo III or Mega Man: The Wily Wars, play perfectly with Regen's "Overclock M68000" setting at 732 (1.5x original speed). The game speed and audio are unaffected by overclocking.
  
 
==3DO==
 
==3DO==
Standalone Windows version of 4DO allows up to 400% of the original 3DO clock speed, making some low framerate titles such as Doctor Hauzer more playable. (libretro version of 4DO does not seem to contain overclocking features)
+
Standalone Windows version of 4DO allows up to 400% of the original 3DO clock speed, making some low frame rate titles such as Doctor Hauzer more playable. The libretro version of 4DO does not seem to contain overclocking features.
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 07:02, 12 September 2016

Overclocking is the process by which the CPU clockspeed is increased. The reason for doing this would be to reduce slowdown in games, or to increase the frame rate. However, as this is a hack and not intended by designers, it can result in many issues. Certain systems can have an overclocked CPU with few if any issues, while others can not overclock without major issues.

Chart

System Normal clock Hardware Overclock Emulation Overclock Overclock levels
NES 1.79 MHz Yes Yes ?
SNES (Main CPU) 3.58 MHz Yes Yes 4.1 -7.6 Mhz
SNES (Super FX 1) 10.5 MHz Yes Yes 40-60 Mhz
SNES (Super FX 2) 21 MHz Yes Yes 40-60 Mhz,
Sega Genesis 7.7 MHz Yes[1] Yes 13.1-25.4 MHz[1]
PlayStation 33.8 MHz Yes[2] Yes 66Mhz[2]
Sega Saturn 28.6 MHz* No No -
Nintendo 64 93.75 MHz Yes[3] Yes 125-187.5 Mhz[3]
Neo Geo 12 MHz Yes[4] Yes 14-18 MHz[4]

* Sega Saturn has two SH-2 CPUs

NES

Overclocking is possible on real hardware, but doing so also speeds up the audio unless you're using a special hardware mod like the HiDefNES which does allow for overclocking without changing the audio pitch[5].

Build r3120 and above of FCEUX allow overclocking by adding extra scanlines to the PPU loop. This method doesn't cause audio distortion. It is found under the Timing menu and the number of added scanlines is user definable. [6]

SNES

Main CPU

The main SNES CPU ran at 3.58 MHz and can be overclocked. However it causes issues. With those who have tested it, the following issues occur:

  • 4.1 MHz: Small amounts of sprite breakup occasionally; very little slowdown.
  • 5.1 MHz: Sprite breakup; no slowdown
  • 6.6 MHz: Color palette errors; sprites fail to render
  • 7.6 MHz: Color palette errors; sprites fail to render. Freezes after a few minutes.[7]

Only MAME has an option to change the main CPU frequency, which requires you to enable cheats. MAME SNES emulation is very demanding by default, and activating the overclock only makes it worse. It is more stable than the real hardware while overclocked and won't exhibit the same issues, but it is still very unstable especially if you adjust the frequency multiple times. It also does not allow you to go over 200% clock speed, which isn't enough to fully get rid of slowdowns in some games.

Super FX chip

The first version of the chip, commonly referred to as simply "Super FX", is clocked with a 21 MHz signal, but an internal clock speed divider halves it to 10.5 MHz. Later on, the design was revised to become the Super FX GSU-2; this, unlike the first Super FX chip revision, is able to reach 21 MHz.

The SFX chip can be overclocked on real hardware or emulation with fewer issues than overclocking the CPU. However, tests have shown that overclocking can increase the speed of the game, in addition to increasing the frame rate and removing slowdown.[8]

Clock speed Time Increase
Normal 1'46'02 -------
50hz 1'23'78 27.711%[8]

Snes9x-Next allows for SFX overclocking, as well as bsnes-mercury, though in the latter the increase in CPU requirements can be noticeable.

PC-Engine (TG-16)

The main CPU can be overclocked on real hardware but will also speed up audio.[9]

Mednafen allows overclocking the CPU up to 100x, without affecting audio pitch, in its non-default pce_fast core via the pce_fast.ocmultiplier setting.

N64

Some emulators like the libretro port of Mupen64Plus have an overclocking option called "VI Refresh", and 1964 UltraFast (a very old fork of 1964) have an option to overclock the CPU.

Some games (see the list below) can take advantage of overclocking and improves frame rate, while most others (such as Super Mario 64) have built-in frame rate limiter and unaffected by overclocking.[10][11]

List of games that can take advantage of overclocking

A Bug's Life
Aidyn Chronicles - The First Mage
Armorines - Project S.W.A.R.M.
Big Mountain 2000
Carmageddon
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Destruction Derby 64
Disney's Donald Duck - Goin' Quackers / Donald Duck - Quack Attack
Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck / Looney Toons - Duck Dodgers
Earthworm Jim 3D
Extreme-G
Extreme-G XG2
F1 Racing Championship
F-1 Pole Position 64
Gex 3 - Deep Cover Gecko
GoldenEye 007
Hot Wheels Turbo Racing
Human Grand Prix - New Generation
Jet Force Gemini / Star Twins
Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000
Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside
Madden Football 64
Madden NFL 99-2002
Mario Kart 64 (Multiplayer and some tracks only)
Milo's Astro Lanes
Monaco Grand Prix - Racing Simulation 2
Monster Truck Madness 64
NASCAR 99/2000
NBA In the Zone 98 / NBA Pro 98
Off Road Challenge
Perfect Dark
Quake II
Racing Simulation 2
Rakuga Kids
Rayman 2 - The Great Escape
Roadsters Trophy
San Francisco Rush - Extreme Racing (Multiplayer only)
San Francisco Rush 2049 (Multiplayer only)
South Park Rally
StarCraft 64
Starshot - Space Circus Fever
Super Robot Spirits
Taz Express
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Tonic Trouble
Toy Story 2
Transformers - Beast Wars Transmetal
Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil / Violence Killer - Turok New Generation
V-Rally Edition 99
WCW vs. nWo - World Tour
World Cup 98

GameCube/Wii

Dolphin supports overclocking and underclocking the CPU. Overclocking can remove slowdown from games that have them, pushing them closer to their actual target frame rate. It causes several issues with many games, so don't expect it to be a perfect solution.

Dolphin used to have a VBeam Speed Hack that doubled GPU clock rate. This has since been removed, as the developers found that it didn't really help in any cases.

PlayStation

On real hardware, overclocking is possible using this modification.

On emulators, this modified build of PCSX-R as well as this fork allow for overclocking, though most games will break past 1.5x clock speed. Recent builds of Beetle PSX (libretro fork of Mednafen's PS1 core) also support overclocking, by way of removing timing penalties instead increasing clock speed.

PS2

On original model PS2s you can overclock by a small amount without too much problem, but the biggest issue will be sped-up audio. Slim model PS2s use the GPU's clock rate as a base for the CPU (multiplying the GPU's clock by 2), so overclocking the CPU will also overclock the GPU resulting in many visual problems.[12]

All recent builds of PCSX2 have a speed hack that allows you to increase the EE cycle-rate without having any effect on the audio, although it does still break a few games most of them run fine and with less slowdown. The emulator also has a speed hack called VU Cycle Stealing, which allows for increased GPU performance at the cost of CPU cycles. It gives an incorrect FPS readout, though.

PSP

PPSSPP allows over/underclocking of the main CPU. Due to Sony underclocking the CPU to 222 MHz then removing the underclock in a later firmware update to allow it to run at 333 MHz[13] (and thus not having games closely tied to clock rate), overclocking the system (and emulating an overclocked system) results to next to no ill effects.

Neo Geo

Final Burn Alpha allows for overclocking of Neo Geo games. MAMEUIFX (aka MAME32FX) also allows for overclocking.[14] All Neo Geo should run at full speed when overclocked.

Sega Genesis

The original hardware can be overclocked leading to faster/smoother gameplay.[15]

Most Genesis emulators don't allow overclocking. The Genesis Plus GX developer, for instance, says that implementing overclocking is "not easy to add without potentially break other things. [16]

Regen allows overclocking in the dev build version.[17] Games with sprite flicker, like Altered Beast, and games with slowdown, like Rambo III or Mega Man: The Wily Wars, play perfectly with Regen's "Overclock M68000" setting at 732 (1.5x original speed). The game speed and audio are unaffected by overclocking.

3DO

Standalone Windows version of 4DO allows up to 400% of the original 3DO clock speed, making some low frame rate titles such as Doctor Hauzer more playable. The libretro version of 4DO does not seem to contain overclocking features.

References