How do you overclock the processor.

[Alchemist]

The only problem is that he wants to overclock the SNES, not the N64

[maddox]

damn crap . . . .

musst have missed something while reading the post . . .

[Sparkfist]

The prime thing in overclocking as I see it is to just increase the clock speed of which is sent to the CPU. As the SNES is older it likely uses a crystal osilator os I'd say use the same hardware that the Genesis mod used.

Good luck.

[nos_slived]

Stooge: They have 4 systems, not many.

Sparkfist: Every system is clocked differently. Some use an oscillator, some are internally clocked, some use comparators, and some use specially made chips. Just because it is from a certain time period, doesn't mean it uses a certain method of clocking.

[Sparkfist]

Well I doubt that Nintedo would have a chip in there to control clock speed esspecally if the system has a 68000 chip and was released in '91. If someone can get a pic of the SNES mobo then we can be sure of what it uses to regulate speed.

[Epicenter]

If someone would be so kind as to send Rob a SNES, we'd find out once and for all if the damn thing can be overclocked and post a HowTo on Epic Gaming. But so far we're havign trouble finding anyone who really wants to help, they'd rather just mooch off the site despite having stockpiles of them lying around. :rolleyes:

It seems people will keep asking this perpetually. Oh well.

Well I doubt that Nintedo would have a chip in there to control clock speed esspecally if the system has a 68000 chip and was released in '91. If someone can get a pic of the SNES mobo then we can be sure of what it uses to regulate speed.

It doesn't use a 68000, that's the MegaDrive/Genesis. The SNES had a horribly primitive 65c816, a 16-bit hack of the miserable 6502 CPU from the NES. It is fed a constant clock from a clock generator, there's no component that can be just tweaked on the board to change this.

.... on an unrelated, note the new N64 overclocking guide is located at:
http://www.epicgaming.us/n64_oc/

[Stooge]

nos_slived: Hey Im sorry if I was wrong but I was aware of only 4 systems that have mods to overclock them.

[SgtBowhack]

Overclocking a video game console is not the same as overclocking a PC. There's one fundamental difference. PC software (well, after the 8086) needed to realize that different CPUs at different speeds existed. Games for video game consoles do not, because there is only one speed that the console is supposed to run at. Changing that speed will affect games that take into account the clock speed of the console. While it won't affect every game, some developers like the idea of consoles simply because they don't need to worry about variation in speed from user to user and might use that fact to not have to deal with timers.
In short, some games on consoles MIGHT run faster than they're supposed to, just like old PC games.

[*o*]

also you are shorting it in a way neverintended and this will often cause damage

[SgtBowhack]

also you are shorting it in a way never intended and this will often cause damage

Yes... but that's true of almost any system mod.
Basically, if you think it's bound to screw something up, don't do it... or at least pray that it's reversible

[*o*]

well everything onthis sight is the same VERY risky

[makuraken]

If I am looking at my SFC boards right, they both seem to have crystals on them. There is nothing else that I can see that would utilize a crystal other than a CPU. But I could be wrong. Also, this does not take into account the mini-SFC. I dont have one to look at.
(If you are in America or Canada or England, kindly imagine that every SFC really says SNES)

[Epicenter]

If I am looking at my SFC boards right, they both seem to have crystals on them. There is nothing else that I can see that would utilize a crystal other than a CPU.

How about everything?

About every part on the board that is getting a clock is getting it from the crystal. Swap it and the machine won't operate.

[SgtBowhack]

Yes. For a concrete example, television sync circuits. If you change the clock, the sync will be off and you are left with... well, garbage (and this garbage may damage your TV depending on just how high the sync goes). It might be possible if you find a clock doubler and isolate the original clock from the CPU (though I don't know enough about the SNES' physical internals to make a truly informed statement about that).

[alaggan]

I'm not aware as to where the SNES CPU clock generator is located, but I do know the system can output a 21.477Mhz clock signal from one of its cartridge pins to the right of the main castridge connector (in other words, one of the additional connections which the Super FX games utilised(maybe the defunct SNES CD was dut to feed on this.)

Assuming the SNES CPU can be overclocked (and I doubt it, as Nintendo would no doubt have made revsions to the chip during their early experiments to make the system NES compatible) would this mean that in theory, games heavily burdened with slowdown such as Gradius 3 or Super R - Type would maintain their correct frame rates whilst reducing slowdown and flicker? If overclocking is indeed possible with the SNES then it would be certainly be worthwhile bearing in mind the amount of early titles half ruined with techinical flaws.

I also seem to recall that the CPU could have it's clock speed selected via software from the following speeds: 1.79Mhz (NES), 2.68Mhz (the standard speed of most early SNES games) and 3.58Mhz.

Apparently on early revision 1 Japanese Super Famicom's, there is also a pin from both CPU and PPU named 'HVC' (i.e. NES) mode which is permanently disabled. This could be a good starting point.

I'd also have my doubt as to whether the SNES would suffer from significant overheating if the clock speed could be doubled to 68000 / Megadrive territory. If anyone manages to pull this off, then give a shout at: ajlaggan@hotmail.com