CoolBook Editor's Review

CoolBook is an application that can do some CPU power management on your Intel Mac.

This application was designed for MacBooks, but it supports any Mac that uses an Intel processor that features the SpeedStep™ technology. This means that CoolBook can run properly on an iMac for example.

CoolBook's power management is based on the CPU load. When the CPU is in idle state, or it has a lower load, it reduces it's multiplier, thus it's operating frequency. When CoolBook reduces the multiplier, it automatically reduces the core voltage of your CPU.

The application can run either in unregistered (free) mode when it provides a fixed list of voltages and multiplier steps, or it can run in registered (licensed) mode which enables the custom settings of the voltage steps.

By using the registered version, you can seek the minimum voltage that's supported by your processor. Because every CPU supports slightly different minimum voltages, even if the model is the same, the stability test of the undervolting activity is a requirement.

The application has a built in slider that can set a custom amount of load, so you can check the stability for certain parameters. If you would like to use a dedicated benchtest, then the producer of CoolBook provides you a free application that is dedicated for processor stability, CPUTest.

The Usage of this kind of application has various advantages. Using your CPU at lower frequencies when the processing power is not required, makes your machine cooler, quieter, and it increases the life of the CPU.

Pluses: it can reduce the temperature of your CPU, it can reduce the power consumption, so on a portable Mac it increases the battery life; it increases the life of your CPU.

Drawbacks / flaws: the manual undervolting can make your system unstable, so it's recommended to read the producer's documentation before use this functionality.

In conclusion: CoolBook is one of those applications that was designed to use your hardware at it's real capabilities. The application itself has a very simple interface that provides a strong power management which improves the behavior of your computer.

version reviewed: 2.1