07-09-2003, 07:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Did a ROM Upgrade Make my 5450 go Faster? Yes.
About a month ago, I took my "virgin" iPAQ 5450 ROM 1.00.45 and upgraded it to the latest ROM, which was 1.11.19. I had read several reports from people who were claiming the new ROM made their device function faster. Being the curious person I am, I decided to use the then-unreleased Spb Benchmark to perform a series of controlled tests.
The results surprised me - the ROM update really did increase the performance of the device, even in CPU tests! Follow the link above to see the series of tests I did, along with the graphical benchmarks. If you're a stat-freak like me, you'll enjoy looking through the results. :mrgreen:
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07-09-2003, 07:10 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 717
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I am still chocked about not being able to restore from backup after this upgrade. That really bothers me. But I too have the latest and the greates ROM, until the next update comes up - PPC2003.
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07-09-2003, 07:28 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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I believe the reason this was the case on the 5450 in particular is because inefficiencies with the sleeve-management program ("dm_k.exe" IIRC?) were fixed.
--janak
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07-09-2003, 08:41 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
I believe the reason this was the case on the 5450 in particular is because inefficiencies with the sleeve-management program ("dm_k.exe" IIRC?) were fixed.
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Even if I never attached a sleeve to it for testing?
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07-09-2003, 08:50 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 516
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I'll be interested to see similar benchmarks comparing this updated ROM PPC 2002 5450 with a 5450 upgraded to PPC 2003. I'm still trying to determine definitively how much of the speed improvements people were seeing with the 2215 was really due to the updated kernal of PPC 2003.
Scott
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Tapland
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07-09-2003, 08:59 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 864
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
I believe the reason this was the case on the 5450 in particular is because inefficiencies with the sleeve-management program ("dm_k.exe" IIRC?) were fixed.
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Even if I never attached a sleeve to it for testing? |
Yes it would still hog CPU cycles.... dm_k actually is the software that detects the sleeve being attached....
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07-09-2003, 09:00 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 437
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
I believe the reason this was the case on the 5450 in particular is because inefficiencies with the sleeve-management program ("dm_k.exe" IIRC?) were fixed.
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Even if I never attached a sleeve to it for testing? |
Yeah, the sleeve management program runs in the background to detect the insertion of a sleeve and perform actions once the sleeve has been inserted. Even if no sleeve is in use, the program runs in the background to provide that instant plug&play effect.
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07-09-2003, 09:54 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 717
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Now we need a hand-dandy little utility to kill this little thief. I say be gone "dm_k.exe" for the 99.9% of the time that we actually don't use it. I would be quite happy to start the sleeve manually to get better performance 99.9% of the time.
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07-09-2003, 09:59 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,768
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Scott R
I'll be interested to see similar benchmarks comparing this updated ROM PPC 2002 5450 with a 5450 upgraded to PPC 2003. I'm still trying to determine definitively how much of the speed improvements people were seeing with the 2215 was really due to the updated kernal of PPC 2003.
Scott
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This test was already done on the 39xx iPaq where dramatic speed improvements were realized. Video performance in WMP and other areas were greatly enhanced as well. Of course, the average user does not care that 2003 makes such great improvements... at least not enough to write about them if you are a tech reporter... :twisted:
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Jonathan (JonnoB)
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke
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07-09-2003, 10:00 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 27
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szamot,
You don't need a utility. Just move the dm_k.lnk from the Windows/Startup folder into one where you can run it manually. Perform a soft-reset and you're good to go. Then when you need a sleeve run the file. I did this when the old one was giving issues, but I didn't see a need once it was fixed.
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