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Windows 98SE - Pentium 3 Question


Monroe

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My two older Windows 98SE notebooks have a Pentium 3 processor ... a Dell and an NEC. I have never been able to find a program to read the CPU temperature for the NEC Pentium 3 ... I found a nice "unofficial" software program that reads the temperature (CPU and Hard Drive) for the Dell notebook. So far all the temperature programs that I have tried on the NEC notebook can only give a reading for the hard drive. I suspect it may be a motherboard thing but when I research if the Pentium 3 actually has any temperature sensors, some say no but some say yes ... but trying to find any actual software that can read a Pentium 3 processor will be the problem. As I said earlier, I found a program that was written for Dell notebooks (many models covered). I also use Rain 2 on both computers since they have Windows 98SE installed and it does work very well in keeping the CPU temperature lower. I can actually see a nice drop on the Dell with Rain 2 turned on and off since I can read the actual CPU temperature. With the NEC I think Rain 2 is also helping to control the CPU temperature.

So my question is basically this ... I have tried many temperature programs for the NEC Pentium 3 but have not found any that read both the CPU and Hard Drive temperature, just the hard drive only ... like SpeedFan and such. Just wondering if anyone has come across a software program that works with Windows 98SE and can also read the Pentium 3 temperature on your notebook?

....in case anyone has a Dell notebook and would like to try the Fan-Temperature Control program, here's the link. I have a Dell Latitude and it really works nice for fan-temperature control along with Rain 2.

http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/index.html

Dell Inspiron/Latitude/Precision fan control utility

I8kfanGUI is a graphical Windows application to show the internal temperatures and to control the fan operation on the Dell Inspiron/Latitude/Precision notebook series. It's running under Windows 2000 and above operating system versions (Windows 2000/XP/Server2003/Vista). For the original DOS command line utility look here.

This program is licensed under the terms and conditions of the GNU general public license.

FAQs ...

http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/faq.html

Edited by duffy98
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"Motherboard Monitor" monitors CPU, hard drive, and other temperature, as well as fan speeds, on older computers with specific motherboards listed in the software. The software sounds an alarm if monitored temperatures are exceeded. Download from http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Motherboard-Monitor-Download-6213.html .

Another software cooler, alternative to Rain, is Waterfall Pro. Download from http://www.majorgeeks.com/Waterfall_Pro_d437.html .

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triger9 ... yes there is a Rain 2 but from what I have read, there isn't much difference between your version and Rain 2 ... maybe a few "extra" processors are listed ... not real sure. Never used version 1. Here's one download link, I just tried it now and it still works. Rain 2 doesn't list a Pentium 3 but this site says to select Pentium 2.

Rain 2.0

http://www.eaglecomputing.com/portables/downloads.htm

This utility will help keep your system cool and extend battery life. It's smaller than both Waterfall and CPUIdle and generally provides better results. To install, simply download, unzip, run install.exe, and select your processor--if you have a Pentium III, select Pentium II. When running, Rain will appear in your system tray as a chip with three water droplets. This utility is only useful under Win9x--NT's idle loop accomplishes the same job in NT.

....

Edited by duffy98
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... yes there is a Rain 2 but from what I have read, there isn't much difference between your version and Rain 2 ... maybe a few "extra" processors are listed ... not real sure. Never used version 1. Here's one download link, I just tried it now and it still works. Rain 2 doesn't list a Pentium 3 but this site says to select Pentium 2.

Rain 2.0

http://www.eaglecomputing.com/portables/downloads.htm

This Rain '2.0' is just a fake - exactly the same code as 1.0 with only the version number patched to 2.0 at a few places!

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I just wanted to be clear about my using Rain 2 over Rain 1 (or other cooling software) ... it sounds from the earlier posts like either will work. In case someone is new to cooling software programs ... I will say that Rain 2 does a very good job on my notebooks. I have downloads of Waterfall Pro, CPUIdle and others. They all seem to do a good job but Rain 2 does as well or slightly better (my own observation) in dropping the CPU temperature. The one thing I like about Rain 2 is it has the lowest amount of memory usage. Years ago I checked them all out with Memload (a little memory usage program for Windows 98) and Rain 2 was the lowest on that score. On my Dell notebook, where I actually have a working CPU temperature reading, it runs 8 to 10 degrees cooler. If I turn Rain off the temperature starts climbing almost immediately and when I turn it back on you can watch the temperature readings start to drop very fast. I have no CPU temperature program yet for my NEC Pentium 3 notebook ... still looking, but since I put Rain 2 on that computer many years ago, I know it is also running cooler because the fan will not run as much as it did with no Rain 2 program.

So if Rain 2 is a fake or not much different from Rain 1 or other programs, I can say that Rain 2 does work very well and at the same time uses less memory than all the other cooling programs that I tested years ago. The memory thing is probably not such a big deal today, since I have added more memory to my Dell and NEC Pentium notebooks (512 MB) but I am just reporting what I observed with Memload when I tested all the cooling programs that I could find sometime back. It's just my decision that Rain 2 was the program for me in the end. .... I will add this, I never tested Rain 1 but I would assume that like Rain 2, it also has a low memory usage reading.

I am using a Pentium M notebook now and I have no need for Rain 2 on this notebook since the CPU runs cooler and throttles down even more when idle (just like Rain 2 would do) so I don't have a Memload reading for now. If I get on the Dell or Nec later I will get a Memload reading on Rain 2.

... OK, I just got a Memload reading for Rain 2 off the Dell and NEC notebooks ... it is exactly the same reading on both notebooks ... 214.1 k ... if I remember, some of the other programs were close and one was 300 something, but this was so long ago and the memory usage figure is probably not a big deal in today's world anyway. Just use whatever program has the most appeal to you and really works. I am still on the hunt for a program that will give me a CPU temperature reading on the NEC. Just would like to have one ... if there is one that will work.

...

Edited by duffy98
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@Duffy98 ....

Thanks, I found both versions over at MajorGeeks. There is a definite difference.

Rain v1.0 would falter on heavy system loads after 15 minutes or so. Rain v2.0

seems to have overcome this. it allows a slight increase of maybe 8 degrees or

so and then levels off. One variation, I let it auto detect and both versions seem

content with using the settings for a Pentium Pro. I have this Pentium III 933mhz

overclocked to 980......and heat seems to be it's sole weakness.!

Jake

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Jake ... good to hear there actually might be some differences between the two Rain versions ... as I said earlier, I have never used Rain 1 but you have worked with both versions. That may be of some importance to anyone trying Rain for the first time ... maybe just go with Rain 2. I don't overclock or do any exotic things with my notebooks ... just lots of downloads, a few games but those Pentium 3s seem to run very hot so anything that might help a notebook run a little cooler has my interest. I put plastic bottle caps (soda) under my notebooks for better air circulation but after a few hours the table top will still be warm from the heat of the computer. I have read to just let Rain install as a Pentium 2 or a Pentium Pro. I have tried both selections through the years and didn't seem to notice much difference. I will have to check that out and maybe reinstall Rain 2 again with the Pentium Pro setting ... I may have used the Pentium Pro setting anyway. I'm going to search around for more information from other Rain users about that. Do you (or anyone) have the Memload program installed ... just wondering what usage readings you get for Rain? I posted my readings for Rain 2 in the last post.

... I posted a download link for Rain 2 in Post #6.

...

Edited by duffy98
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@Duffy98 ....

Thanks, I found both versions over at MajorGeeks. There is a definite difference.

It seems you guys aren't even able to use a filecompare utility!? :(

But ok - be happy with your 'different' Rain 2.0 ... ;)

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@Duffy98 ....

Thanks, I found both versions over at MajorGeeks. There is a definite difference.

It seems you guys aren't even able to use a filecompare utility!? :(

But ok - be happy with your 'different' Rain 2.0 ... ;)

LOL, gotta love it....

A: Yes I did, with an ancient utility I had for Windows 95 ....showed 5 lines of code different

B: Did I bother to reverse engineer it ...No

C: Quote from MajorGeeks Page on Ver 2.0 "Version 1.0 is also available online as some have found 2.0 to be unstable."

D: This stuff is over 12 yrs old....did it really go that long and nobody else noticed till now? Possible...???

E: Did I dream the numbers I was seeing with Via harware monitor...no!

One other plausible explanation ....the install of ver1.0 is corrupted....

but I ain't gonna worry about fix'n something that ain't broke....

Peace!

Jake

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A: Yes I did, with an ancient utility I had for Windows 95 ....showed 5 lines of code different

B: Did I bother to reverse engineer it ...No

Well, I've just downloaded both versions again from MajorGeek to be sure we're talking about the same executables.

Now when I do a binary file compare, there's NO DIFFERENCE at all in the code (not a single byte) - the only differences are in the (UniCode) text sections, and these differences are:

1) changing every occurence of "1.0" to "2.0" (6 times)

2) changing "Rain for Windows 95/98" to "Ony for Windows 98"

So do you really believe these text changes could have any influence on how the program runs/works???

I always thought this would be a experts forum, but it seems to be rather a newbie forum ... ;-)

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A: Yes I did, with an ancient utility I had for Windows 95 ....showed 5 lines of code different

B: Did I bother to reverse engineer it ...No

Well, I've just downloaded both versions again from MajorGeek to be sure we're talking about the same executables

Now when I do a binary file compare, there's NO DIFFERENCE at all in the code (not a single byte) - the only differences are in the (UniCode) text sections, and these differences are:

1) changing every occurence of "1.0" to "2.0" (6 times)

2) changing "Rain for Windows 95/98" to "Ony for Windows 98"

So do you really believe these text changes could have any influence on how the program runs/works???

I always thought this would be a experts forum, but it seems to be rather a newbie forum ... ;-)

Let's see if we can disambiguate. :unsure:

A link from Majorgeeks for Rain 2.0 is this:

ftp://majorgeeks.mirror.internode.on.net/processor/rain20.zip 123907 bytes

The one for rain 1.0 is:

ftp://majorgeeks.mirror.internode.on.net/processor/rain10.zip 123288 bytes

each of the two archives contain a "rain.exe" sized exactly 183,296 bytes, the 1.0 version is dated 1998-05-15 the 2.0 version is dated 1998-08-24

Differences between the two are.

Difference block 1: 0x00021731 - 0x00021731 (1 Byte) 31:32 (1:2)

Difference block 2: 0x00025C94 - 0x00025C94 (1 Byte) 31:32 (1:2)

Difference block 3: 0x00025CD2 - 0x00025CD2 (1 Byte) 31:32 (1:2)

Difference block 4: 0x00025F88 - 0x00025F88 (1 Byte) 31:32 (1:2)

Difference block 5: 0x000261F4 - 0x000261F4 (1 Byte) 52:4F (R:O)

Difference block 6: 0x000261F6 - 0x000261F6 (1 Byte) 61:6E (a:n)

Difference block 7: 0x000261F8 - 0x000261F8 (1 Byte) 69:6C (i:l)

Difference block 8: 0x000261FA - 0x000261FA (1 Byte) 6E:79 (n:y)

Difference block 9: 0x00026218 - 0x00026218 (1 Byte) 35:38 (5:8)

Difference block 10: 0x0002621A - 0x0002621A (1 Byte) 2F:00 (/:binary null)

Difference block 11: 0x0002621C - 0x0002621C (1 Byte) 39:00 (9:binary null)

Difference block 12: 0x0002621E - 0x0002621E (1 Byte) 38:00 (8:binary null)

Difference block 13: 0x0002624E - 0x0002624E (1 Byte) 31:32 (1:2)

Difference block 14: 0x0002636C - 0x0002636C (1 Byte) 31:32 (1:2)

All the above reference are related to TEXT STRINGS, there is NO change whatsoever between the two executables in CODE..

Unless there is "another" Rain 2.0, fhub is perfectly correct (though he could keep his thoughts on this forum being populated by newbies for himself, everyone has been a newbie once and most still are at something that it is not their specific field of experience/knowledge)

The site (long dead) was:

http://cpu.simplenet.com/leading_wintech/

Here is a cache:

http://web.archive.org/web/19990508184504/http://cpu.simplenet.com/leading_wintech/

This is the oldest I could find:

http://web.archive.org/web/19981206223009/http://cpu.simplenet.com/leading_wintech/

and FAQ's:

http://web.archive.org/web/19990128002524/http://cpu.simplenet.com/leading_wintech/faq.htm

It seems like Rain is/was a simplified version of a far more sophisticated product, Waterfall.

With just a little of digging around, you can get here:

http://benchtest.com/cooler.html

where the "coolers" options are tested (this may be useful to duffy98.

This is the Rain page:

http://benchtest.com/rain.html

All in all:

  1. if someone has a "different" Rain 2.0 please post a link to it
  2. unless the above happens any claim that Rain 2.0 works "better" (or "worse" or "different") than Rain 1.0 pertain to Urban Legends or Myths :ph34r: .

The ONLY exception to hypothesis #2 above would be that the programmer hardcoded in his 1.0 version a check for the 2.0 string , which would trigger disabling or changing some of the internal functions of the executable.

Quite frankly, I think I could feed the numbers of this latter possibility in the Star of Gold Infinite improbability drive and use it as fuel for several zillion years :whistle::

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_in_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Infinite_Improbability_Drive

jaclaz

P.S.: I also checked the install .exe, and even in that the ONLY differences are related to version number, in "old" one there were version 1.0 and 1.2 both occurrences became 1.5 in "newer"

Edited by jaclaz
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