Overclocking With The Gp2x


Azure

Trust the recursion...
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Since none of this info is in any of the stickies/FAQs, I figure I might as well ask here and maybe it'll benefit others.

1. Which emulators have overclocking implemented and do not require scripts or anything else?

2. For emulators that do not have overclocking implemented, what do you have to do to run them in an overclocked state?

3. The CPU/LCD Tweaker program lets you OC the CPU to see how high you can OC your GP2X, right? But the problem is that the clock speed is reset after exiting the program, right? And because of this, "scripts" must be used (To do what? Have the program constantly run in the background or make the clock change permanent?)?

4. How does one write scripts with the GP2X and use them (Program to write them? Program to read them? Placement?)

Instead of just saying to search the internet for scripts and Linux and read a bunch of unnecessary info, I'd appreciate it if people could provide answers relative solely to the GP2X (And then maybe add this to one of the FAQs above).
 
The clock is only reset to 200mhz when the menu is called again at the end of the game / app your playing. The script sets the clock to what ever you select. If you use dthe app as soon as you saved, the menu would be recalled and it all would be reset again :p

As far as I know they are just Linux bash scripts or what ever.

cd blah/blah/blah
appname parametres 1 2 3 4
cd blah/blah/blah

etc
 
1. MAME, GNGeo with frontend, the PC-Engine-Emu from Hermes .... oohm ... uae4all ... i forgot about the rest...

2. select the clockspeed in the menu

3. The Tweaker sets the cpu-speed ... right ...
The script runs the tweaker in command-line mode. that means it sets the speed and lcd-timing, but doesn't run the menu. It doesn't run constantly in the background ... it runs once, sets the speed and that's it. After that, you run your program and it runs at the speed the tweaker has set. When you quit the program, the gp2x-menu will be loaded an it resets the cpu-speed.

4.
I'll just paste what i wrote per PM to another user:

The first thing you have to do is ... get a propper text-editor. The windows-editor uses a false format (the lineending is different), so you have to download a new one with unix formation. I use EditPlus: http://www.editplus.com/
In EditPlus go to the menu and look into [Document] -> [FileFormat] ... it has to be UNIX ... not PC or Mac. The most other advanced editors have similar menupoints.

Now to the scripting:
The GP2X runs files with the ending .gpe or .gpu. GPUs only run from the utility-menu and GPEs only from the Game-Menu, but the content can be the same. A proper script looks like this:
Code:
#!/bin/sh

/mnt/sd/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 250 0.6
cd /mnt/sd/mamegp2x/
./mame_gp2x.gpe
sync

cd /usr/gp2x/
exec /usr/gp2x/gp2xmenu
Download the file here

You can alter the lines for your need. Keep #!/bin/sh and the last part from "cd /usr/gp2x/" to the end. The rest can be alternated.
The address /mnt/sd/ is the root-directory of your SD-Card, so if you copy anything directly to the sd-card and don't use directorys, the files are here. I have my cpu_speed.gpe here, but you can alter the path. If you don't want the cpu_speed program to appere in the game-menu, trim the .gpe ending from the filname and out of the script ... it runs too.
To overclock with the tweaker you have to use parameters ... now follows a part from the readme:
The first parameter sets the clock-generator. Choose 0 for FPLL and 1 for UPLL.
The second parameter sets the prescaler for the LCD-timing. Get your prefered values with the graphical-menue. Choose values between
-20 and 36 for FPLL-mode and -5 and 10 for UPLL-mode.
The third parameter sets the CPU-frequency in MHz. Choose a value between 33MHz and 320MHz.
If you use values which are too high or too low, the program exits without changing anything.
The forth parameter sets the gamma-value. You can use values from 0.02 up to 10 where 0.02 is dark and 10 is bright.

If you run a firmware higher than 1.0.0 (the most people do) set the first parameter to 1. For the second -1 to 2 are good values, but you have to find YOUR value yourself smile.gif.
For the Mhz-value ... don't choose a value to high .. try this program to get your maximal cpu-frequency (it writes txt-files ... the last entry in the speed.txt like "xxxMhz checked" is the maximal clock you can get ... for practical use choose a value which is 5-10mhz smaller).
You can set the last parameter ... but you don't have to. Find a propper gamma-value for yourself.

Now to the last step ... the program you want to run with a overclocked cpu.
Change to the directory where your program is. In the example there's a directory calles "mamegp2x" on the sd-card and in it is the program. Since the sd-card-root equals the unix-address /mnt/sd/, you have to add it to you directorychange (if you are in /mnt/sd/ you don't HAVE to do it ... but it makes things easier for starters). cd is the command for a directorychange, so "cd /mnt/sd/mamegp2x" changes to the equivalent directory on the sd-card. To run the program in it (in the example mame_gp2x.gpe), you have to add a ./ befor the filename or the gp2x won't find the program.
The sync command tells the gp2x to write any outstanding files, so you dont loose any savegames/-states or configurations.

The rest in the script reruns the gp2x-menu.

Now you can save the script as a GPE or GPU and place it in a directory of your SD-card. Since you use absolute paths, you can place the file anywhere you want.
If you have script and the program you want to overclock in the same directory, you can delete the line "cd /mnt/sd/...blablabla...".

I hope i could help you with this ... if you have any further questions don't be afraid to ask.
 
1. MAME, GNGeo with frontend, the PC-Engine-Emu from Hermes .... oohm ... uae4all ... i forgot about the rest...

2. select the clockspeed in the menu
Err...maybe I worded the questions incorrectly, but I was under the impression that there were some emulators that had no support for overclocking (No options in the menu or anything). By the first question, I was asking about those emulators that have the option to select the clockspeed in the menu (Which I guess is what you thought question 2 was). What exactly were you referring to in question 1? For example, I read that SquidgeSNES does not support overclocking and would require scripts to OC (SquidgeSNES is an example of an emulator in question 2).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
hm ... i think i have a braindamage or something like that ... i overread some words :D

I answered the 1st question right .... the emus i wrote down have a overclock option (gngeo from the rage-frontend)

The second was somewhat false answered :)

2nd try:
"2. For emulators that do not have overclocking implemented, what do you have to do to run them in an overclocked state?"

You have to write a script ... see section 4 for more explanations on this thematic :)
 
Figure I might as well ask here: Is there not supposed to be any sound in HU6280? I'm not getting any.

Is it just me, or is gngeo really choppy with sound (279mhz, Pulstar, Blazing Star, Zed Blade, and the few other games that actually work are totally unplayable because it is incredibly choppy; I thought that the emu was full speed, but even the Neo-Geo boot up jingle is skippy and doesn't play at full speed. Am I missing something here?)?
 
Are you using the Rage frontend to set the overclock speed? (And saving your settings in the menu?)
 
Yeah, I'm using the Rage2x frontend and after setting the clock speed to 279mhz I hit save settings. Every time I boot up the program the settings for 279mhz are saved and still there. I'm quite puzzled as to the performance of gngeo as everybody was saying that many games run full speed or close to full speed with sound, but most games for me are incredibly choppy (Though they may be running at full speed, it's like the frame skip is incredibly high).

I have a similar experience with SquidgeSNES, though that's only with a few games (DKC, Megaman X1 and X2, etc.).

BTW, the screen on this thing is simply orgasmic. Night and day difference compared to the GP32 FLU and DS. Everything looks so vivid and colorful! Really looks much more authentic and makes it seem more like I'm playing the original consoles just like I did years ago. Fantastic handheld (except for the incredibly tight stick).
 
Have you set the sound at 11025Hz? I didn't want to for a while as 22050 is so crisp, but it really makes a difference.

I've found this version of Squidgesnes to work best:
http://www.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfiles.cgi?0,0,0,0,5,1402

It runs DonkeyKong Country great, whereas the other Squidgesnes' are very jerky.

HU6280 has a Sound option in the menu, but it's not implemented yet.

It really makes you realise how finely-tuned those GP32 emulators were. The GP2x is going to get better and better and, as you know, the screen is nothing like the BLU+!
 
Yeah, I'm using 11025Hz and it's still pretty choppy. Hang on, let me make a video or something to try to show you what it looks like.
 
ok, I don't have my neogeo games with me here, but I'll try out the same games and settings.

Oddly, I remember DoubleDragon being the same for me, but it runs smooth now at 260Mhz. I'm not sure why!
 
Here's a quick video of Pulstar:
Pulstar

Though it's with my digital camera, it's still essentially exactly what it's like for me :(
 
Hmmm....

I'm using the rage frontend with Gngeo2x6.11dumpfix version overclocked to 266 and some of the newer games do chop out a bit when using sound. (SVC Chaos, Strikers 1945 Plus). Although the following games are very playable with sound set at 11025:

Blazing Star
Metal Slug 1,4,5
Real bout Fatal Fury 2

They are no where near as choppy as the video.

I believe you need a "fast" SD card. Mine is 133X and fat32 formatted.

Basically, Gngeo2x is 90-100% Fast with no sound and 75-85% speed with sound. King of Fighters 2003 for example is absolutely perfect with no sound. But chops up a lot when it's turned on.

Hopefully they can refine the emulator a bit more. It's sooo close. Playing metal slug at work just kicks major ass.
 
My guess about the choppyness in GnGeo is caused by the auto frameskip. I could be wrong, but I feel that's the reason it gets choppy. Another reason could be the type of SD card. Some read faster and with the games as big as they are that could also possibly be a problem. I'm glad this has been brought up because I was wondering if I was the only one having this problem as well.
 
I'm using this SD card. Maybe I should have gotten a better one (Sucks since I can't afford another one right now and I REALLY want to be play Neo-Geo)?
 
Actually that card is pretty good. I have the Sandisk 2gb sd card. It works great but I do feel there are way faster sd cards out. I'm gonna try to get a transcend 150x card since I need more space. I'll let you know how it works with GnGeo. I'm sure someone else on here has one already and can say how fast it is.
 
Hi,

I am trying to get the script to work for squidgenes(a) and simply get a
black screen, the script I am using is (run in the same directory as
squidgenes):

#!/bin/sh

/mnt/sd/tools/cpu/cpu_speed.gpe 1 2 275 0.6
./squidgesnesa.gpe
sync

cd /usr/gp2x/
exec /usr/gp2x/gp2xmenu

Even just trying to run the script without the cpu_speed.gpe command
results in a black screen...

Regards,

T.
 
#!/bin/sh

/mnt/sd/thedirectory/cpu_speed 1 2 200 0.6
sync

exec /mnt/sd/thedirectory/squidgesnesa.gpe


Would the above work? Remove the gpe extension from cpu_speed
 
Unless your squidgesnes.gpe is in /mnt/sd/tools/cpu (Which I doubt), you are forgetting to change directories to where the emulator is located.
 
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