README.TXT for
MyCPU V1.13g                                   September 23, 2002
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Features
--------
MyCPU is a small utility to find out which cpu is installed. It shows vendor, type, model, stepping and speed information.  Additionally it scans for features like MMX, 3dnow and SIMD (ISSE). Finally, it is able to read cache information such as the size of the L1-data & -instruction cache and the unified L2 cache.
NOTE: Some chips - especially older ones - do not support reading their cache-settings. Therefore, MyCPU is able to read cache-settings of newer AMD- and INTEL-cpus and some Cyrix-chips, only.

command line arguments:

argument         meaning
--------         -------
/h               save results in html format (IF THIS ARGUMENT IS NOT GIVEN, PLAIN
                 TEXT WILL BE USED!)

/f               save results to a text or html-file file called 'mycpu_results.*'.
                 If this file already exists, MyCPU creates 'mycpu_results1.txt',
                 'mycpu_results2.txt' and so on...

/f:[name]        save results to a text or html-file with a user-defined name (The file
                 extension will automatically be appended depending on the file type).
                 If this file already exists, MyCPU creates '[name]1.*', '[name]2.*'
                 and so on...

/c               save results to a text or html-file called '[computer-name].*'.
                 Again, if this file already exists, MyCPU creates
                 '[computer-name]1.*', '[computer-name]2.*' and so on...

/p:[path]        if /f or /c is given, save the result file into the folder given
                 by [path]. If no path argument is given, the result files are
                 saved in the same folder as MyCPU.exe is located.
                 NOTE: If you have a pathname with spaces, quote it!

examples:

1) D:\temp\MyCPU.exe /c
   Saves the result file in plain text format in MyCPU's folder with the name of
   the computer and the extension '.txt'

2) D:\temp\MyCPU.exe /h /f:cpu_results /p:"C:\Program Files"
   Saves the result file in html format in the folder "C:\Program Files" (since
   this folder contains a space, you must use quotes!!!). The name of the file
   will be 'cpu_results.html'

3) D:\temp\MyCPU.exe /h /f /p:"C:\Program Files"
   Saves the result file in html format in the folder "C:\Program Files" (since
   this folder contains a space, you must use quotes!!!). The name of the file
   will be the default ('mycpu_results.html').


About overclocked CPUs
----------------------
A lot of people ask me if MyCPU is able to reliably detect overclocked CPUs. The answer is: NO (with some exceptions). The reason why it is not possible to do this lies in the manufacturers' way of choosing different speed grades. Usually, processor models with minor differences in their clock rates ARE EXACTLY THE SAME. The (sold as) faster ones simply get less hot during the test process. Therefore, there is no way of detecting overclocked CPUs in the same production range (e.g. 500MHz to 600MHz). But what MyCPU CAN do  (by detecting the family/model/stepping identifiers) is to help you identifying overclocked CPUs which are running above their original speed range (e.g. if you have a PIII with family/model/stepping values of 6/7/2 and it is running at 600MHz then it IS running overclocked, since the PIII 6/7/2 never was sold with more than 500MHz). For more information about available speed grades, check the manufacturers' websites.
NOTE: Intel calls those documents '... processor specification update' where ... stands for the processor family (e.g. Pentium III).


Files
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Included in this ZIP file are 2 files:
README.TXT - This File
myCPU.exe - The Program


How to install
--------------
Unzip MyCPU.EXE to any folder on your machine or start it directly out of your unzipper. (MyCPU is a simple stand-alone EXE-file.)


How to remove
-------------
Simply delete this file, MyCPU.exe and all of your result-files (if you created some). MyCPU does not store anything in the Windows-registry!


How to run
----------
Double-click on the MyCPU icon.


Updates
-------
I ask everybody to submit short messages describing all occuring problems. This way, I'll be able to release updates in the future...


How much does it cost?
----------------------
myCPU.exe comes as Freeware and may therefore be freely distributed.


Contact Info
------------
Author's web site: http://www.seelhofer.ch/mad
Author's company: http://www.goldfish-software.com/
E-mail: martin.seelhofer@bluewin.ch


Thank-you for using myCPU.exe!

The author.



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Fixes & Additions
-----------------

V1.13g:
- added some not properly recognized Athlon XPs to the database

V1.13f:
- fixed some bugs (L1-cache and name of P IV-cpus)

V1.13e:
- fixed P IV-bug which caused MyCPU to crash on P IV-Systems

V1.13d:
- fixed some bugs
- added a 'path' argument (command line):
  -> Use 'MyCPU.exe /p:[pathname]' (e.g. 'MyCPU.exe /p:C:\temp' or
     /p:"D:\Program Files") to save the result file into the specified
     folder. If this file already exists, MyCPU creates '[name]1.txt',
     '[name]2.txt' and so on... (see /f-switch)

V1.13b:
- fixed some bugs
- added versioning info in output files
- Duron 6/3/0 do wrongly report a L2-cache value of 1 kb, but they
  have 64kb --> this version includes a hot fix for that circumstance

V1.13a:
- finally fixed the still buggy L2-cache detection of 6/8/1 and above
  INTEL cpus

V1.13:
- added HTML-output (use the file-extension *.html if started with command line parameters)
- did some layout changes
- fixed L2-cache detection bug (some recent Intel PIII-cpus)

V1.11b:
- Added support for INTELs new cache-descriptors

V1.11:
- Added a save-to-file feature
- Added scripting support (useful for admins of networks
  who want to identify the processors of their hosts):
  -> Use 'MyCPU.exe /f' to save results to a text file
     called 'mycpu_results.txt' in the same folder. If this
     file already exists, MyCPU creates 'mycpu_results1.txt',
     'mycpu_results2.txt' and so on...
  -> Use 'MyCPU.exe /f:[name].txt' (e.g. 'MyCPU.exe /f:myresults.txt')
     to save results to a text file with a user-defined name in
     the same folder. If this file already exists, MyCPU creates
     '[name]1.txt', '[name]2.txt' and so on...
  -> Use 'MyCPU.exe /c' to save results to a text file
     '[computer-name].txt' in the same folder. If this file already
     exists, MyCPU creates '[computer-name]1.txt', '[computer-name]2.txt'
     and so on...

  The third command line parameter (/c) can be used to identify cpus of a LAN:
  1. Install MyCPU on a path accessible by all computers (& users)
  2. Create a link to MyCPU, change the command line (add the parameter)
  3. send an email with that link to all your users and ask them to run MyCPU
     (or do that yourself by visiting every computer)
  4. you should get a textfile for each computer in the folder you specified
  5. you can open these files in Excel or write a small macro to import all
     the information into a small database...

  NOTE: This feature (LAN-identification) is still of experimental nature!!!
  Please test with a small number before launching large scale...


V1.09:
- Added a text dump feature (Copy to clipboard)
- Added better error checking (cpuid-levels)
- Added an almost complete list of cpu-features
- Changed the way the background picture is displayed

V1.05:
- Fixed wrong L1-cache detection (Intel cpus had always 16 KB)
- Added L2-cache detection

V1.03:
- Added detection of SIMD instructions
- Fixed problems with different display color widths
- Fixed wrong detection of 'type'-field
- Switched off animated logo in About-box


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