What hardware am i using?

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:50 pm

I have newer really needed to know any indepth details about my hardware, but today i started planing a project and realised that i really need to know. I allso realised that neither toshibas website, google nor the 800 pages manual that came with my laptop, contained any information other than the most obious such as cpu and graphic card.

So, how do i determine which hardware i am infact using?
Im not even sure it is possible.

Anyway, if is should be of any interest my laptop is a:
Toshiba Satellite Pro A100-PSAAC
Core2 Duo T7200
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
(other than that im not really sure)

Thanks

Brynet-Inc · Post by **Brynet-Inc** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:55 pm

Boot a OpenBSD or Linux livecd and record the dmesg output.. you will get a pretty good idea what you have..

~ · Post by ~ » Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:20 pm

http://members.datafast.net.au/dft0802/downloads.htm

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:59 pm

so, using the pci32 software gave me this sumary and its seem to have most, but it being a laptop and all concerns be a bit. The toshiba subsystem is the worst part no doubt.

Anyway, thank you for your help.

frank · Post by **frank** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:56 pm

I use PC Wizard(Windows) for stuff like that.

01000101 · Post by **01000101** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 2:04 am

PCI-Sniffer is an excellent tool for finding out what devices you have on your PCI buses, but as far as bridges and such, just crack open the case and google the words on the chip.

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:03 am

I have tryed just about everything, and i think i got all the info possible, but not what i needed.

It of course has to do with toshibas laptop fan control, which suck, as its only toshibas own software that is able to adjust the fanspeed, but it does so very poorly and it doesnt allow for manual adjustments via the software.

Brynet-Inc · Post by **Brynet-Inc** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 10:43 am

Perhaps the laptop implements "SpeedStep" or if it's an AMD, Cool'n'Quiet/PowerNow!

Those technologies are supported under OpenBSD (And most likely Linux..), They allow you to "slow down" your processor, thus the speed of the fan as well..

I don't know of any other standardized way of controlling fan speeds...

Zacariaz · Post by **Zacariaz** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:55 pm

Im not interested in slowing down my fan.
The problem is i get too much heat, this is due to a design fault.
I can down clock the cpu and gpu, but this allso results in the fan being slower, which in not interested in, it is suposed to actually cool the computer.

Anyway, im kinda tired of this problem, think im gonna break opem my laptop and do it the "not so safe", but efficient way.