AthlonXP Underclocking for a Low-Power Fix

Applications For Quiet Computers

The file server in the corner only needs a couple of hundred megahertz, toos - print and simple network services rarely require more to accommodate a reasonable number of clients.

While we're on the subject of network services, we should also mention routers. As a rule, stand-alone devices are used that may match up to DNS and DHCP servers, but only rarely have the muscle to make a large number of connections. The large peer-to-peer networks such as Emule and Bittorrent rely on a large number of connections in order to allow many users to exchange data as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the bottom line goal is for the PC to run as economically as possibly at all times. It should also be possible to control clock speeds and hence performance and power loss if necessary. This is precisely the option you have with a modified AthlonXP.

Patrick Schmid
Editor-in-Chief (2005-2006)

Patrick Schmid was the editor-in-chief for Tom's Hardware from 2005 to 2006. He wrote numerous articles on a wide range of hardware topics, including storage, CPUs, and system builds.