While using an AMD Barcelona server to create a portable benchmarking kit, InfoWorld's Tom Yager discovered something unexpected: "I could incur variances in some benchmark tests ranging from 10 to 60 percent through combined manipulation of the server's BIOS settings, BIOS version, compiler flags, and OS release." Yager put this matter to AMD's performance engineers and was told he was seeing an effect widely known among CPU engineers, but seldom communicated to IT - that the performance envelope of a CPU is cast in silicon, but is sculpted in software. "Long before you lay hands on a server," Yager writes, "BIOS and OS engineers have reshaped its finely tuned logic in code, sometimes with the real intent of making it faster [...] sometimes to homogenize the server to flatten its performance relative to Intel's."
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Member since:2007-12-04
Member since:2005-07-03
Off Topic, but yes. You can generally (on modern cars) tweak the computers that mix the fuel and manage all the engine parameters. Sometimes you've got small microchips that are "optimized" for a different mixture (therefore extracting more power from the same engine) and sometimes you have to change the entire "computer". You can also (and they do) get into the computer and tweak parameters.
Risk? Well, to put an analogy, it would be like overclocking a computer. Nothing happens... theoretically. But it could overheat, fail, break, blow, etc. You never now.
Difference is: a computer costs <2k. A car >10.000 
Member since:2005-07-21
Absolutely. I can up my car from 170 bhp to 220 bhp with a simple software update. It's mostly about optimizing it for higher octane fuels.
Member since:2006-01-19
Yes, this is called "chip tuning" of a car.
And believe me, it is a really bad idea. I am a calculation engineer for piston engines, I know what can go wrong.
Car manufacturers put the fuel injection parameters into their chips to find their way in between the following border lines:
- Try to have low fuel consumption (OK, that is not really true in the USA)
- Meet the emission legislation throughout the lifetime of the car
- Don't destroy the engine
- Don't destroy the gearbox
- Don't make the car undriveable
- Don't make the car noisy
With chip tunig you are likely overstepping several of these border lines.
Member since:2007-12-13
I have a friend that works as an engineer for GM and he used to work on the computers in the cars. In his own car, he modified the computer to have a cartridge slot where he could load different chips of his own design to alter the performance characteristics of the car. He had a sport module and an economy module that he kept in the glove compartment, along with a module that was the standard program that came with that model.
Member since:2005-07-06
That's known as "flashing the chip". You're basically playing with the air, fuel, and timing variables among other things. It's the modern day equivalent of changing your timing and setting up your carb(s) for a particular setup. The problem is, while you strive for perfomance gains, you can potentially sacrifice gas milage or hurt your engine(and void your warranty!)
Member since:
2005-07-06
ok, now i feel like its required to move on to coreboot or something as after getting to know stuff like that, one start to feel potentially cheated...
its like knowing that if you swap a chip or remove a part somewhere your vehicle gains maybe 60% more power.
as in, its cheaper to make the same parts and then sell it underclocked for those that cant or wont go for the premium products, then it is to make a specific part that cant perform any better...