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PowerLogix Announces CPU Director 2.1 CPU Director unleashes Dynamic Frequency Switching and Power Management features to provide cool, reliable operation and long life for your computer

AUSTIN, Texas – July 27, 2005 – PowerLogix continues to innovate with the announcement of CPU Director 2.1, which brings exclusive new functionality for PowerForce G4 '47 and PowerForce G3 upgrades.

Power Management
The PowerForce G4 '47 has unique hardware features that, when combined with the new CPU Director 2.1, result in the ultimate in power management. This results in significantly lower power draw and operating temperature than any competing product.

A thermal sensor is built onto the circuit board of all PowerForce G4 '47 single and dual CPU models. This sensor is centrally located between the CPU(s) and the power supply, so as to provide a useful temperature reading. This sensor provides temperature data to CPU Director, Powerlogix's proprietary software utility.

CPU Director includes a thermal pane which appears when used with any PowerLogix CPU card that has an embedded thermal sensor. This pane shows instantaneous real time temperature, as well as a graph of temperature over time. This way the user can see the temperature change as the CPU is exercised. It can also help to diagnose problems (a fan that has failed for example.)

In addition to the reporting capabilities, CPU Director includes exclusive power management software code that allows the CPU to run as efficiently as possible.

Dynamic Frequency Switching
CPU Director now also supports DFS, or Dynamic Frequency Switching. DFS allows the operating system to dynamically choose either full or half CPU speed depending on the software load. The user can set the parameters for this via the Energy Saver System Preference. Since the majority of tasks do not need full throttle CPU power at all times, when set for 'Automatic,' the operating system increases clock speed as needed, and decreases it as needed, on the fly - all without user intervention.

We have produced this Quicktime video showing how DFS works. The computer is running CPU Director, Safari, TextEdit, iTunes, and SnapzPro X is running in the background (to record the movie.) Despite running all those applications at the same time, the computer runs at half speed or 900 MHz the majority of the time.
The video shows how Energy Saver increases the CPU speed on the fly, per the CPU demand. For example, clicking on a link on a webpage will boost CPU speed to 1.8 GHz, but once the page loads, the computer drops back down to 900 MHz.

The user can select 'Automatic' (whereby the operating system sets CPU speed); or 'Highest', which sets the CPU to full speed at all times; or 'Reduced', which sets the CPU speed to half-speed at all times.

By the Numbers
Combining power management and DFS results in a considerably more efficient processor card. Here is a chart showing power draw using a 1.8 GHz Dual CPU PowerForce G4 '47:

The chart shows that the card will draw as little as 7.5 watts at idle. Under minimal demand, such as web browsing or word processing, or playing iTunes, the power draw is approximately 15 watts, and under 100% load, it will peak at approximately 63 watts.

An equivalent speed card from a competitor (which offers no power management or DFS control) will continually draw between 62 watts (at idle) and 68 watts (during peak loading.) In other words, the competing product operates at a minimum of 91% throttle all the time, even when software demands do not require it.

The majority of the time during normal usage, the PowerLogix card will draw about 25% the power of the competition.

New Features for PowerForce G3 Models
CPU Director 2.1 now also supports 'Processor Performance' under Energy Saver when used with the PowerForce G3 ZIF or Pismo (which use IBM's 750fx or 750gx CPU.) When the user selects 'Automatic' in Energy Saver, the computer will run at full-speed when required, or at 500 MHz at idle. Or the user can select 'Highest' to choose the full CPU speed at all times, or 'Reduced' for 500 MHz operation at all times. This helps keep the operating temperature down, and is useful for extended battery life on upgraded PowerBook G3 'Pismo' models. (The user can choose the full-speed setting using CPU Director.)

Availability: CPU Director 2.1 is now available via download from the PowerLogix website. Existing owners of PowerForce G4 '47 also require a patch that will be emailed to all purchasers. New purchasers will receive CPU Director 2.1 on CD with the shipment.

Compatibility: CPU Director 2.1 is compatible with Mac OS X 10.2 and later (however some CPUs require specific versions of Mac OS X later than 10.2.) Power management and DFS functions are compatible on PowerLogix-branded CPU cards with appropriate CPUs, and Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.

About PowerLogix
First to market in every significant Macintosh CPU upgrade product during the past five years, PowerLogix designs and manufactures innovative products for maximum performance from second generation and newer Apple Power Mac computers and clones. For more information, contact PowerLogix at 8701 W. Parmer Lane #1120, Austin, Texas 78729; 512-401-9902; or visit its Web site at www.powerlogix.com.

About Other World Computing
Other World Computing (www.macsales.com) has been providing quality hardware products and support to the Macintosh universe since 1988. The Illinois-based company operates the popular Macsales.com Web site, which features one of the largest online catalogs of enhancement products, including OWC’s own Mercury acceleration and FireWire product lines. Along with its proprietary XPostFacto, which allows select pre-G3 computers to run Mac OS X, OWC is an Apple Certified Developer, and provides extensive technical support for Macintosh users around the world. OWC also owns and operates FasterMac.net, a national Internet Service Provider designed specifically for Macintosh users, as well as OWC.Net, an ISP that provides Internet access, design and hosting solutions in the greater Chicago area.
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