Overclock your TI-83 - Speed Up Your Calculator

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the concept of overclocking a TI-83 calculator, specifically focusing on modifying its capacitor to enhance performance. Participants share their experiences and thoughts on the implications of such modifications, as well as comparisons to computer overclocking.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests replacing the C7 capacitor on the TI-83 with a 15 pF capacitor to increase speed, noting that connecting capacitors in series can yield better results than in parallel.
  • Another participant comments on the profitability of electronic products, implying that manufacturers may exploit consumers with minimal changes for significant price increases.
  • A participant shares a personal anecdote about their experience with overclocking a computer, highlighting the risks involved, particularly with drastic changes in speed settings.
  • One user expresses reluctance to overclock their computer, citing its age and condition as reasons for not attempting modifications.
  • Several participants engage in a light-hearted exchange about the age of their computers, with one questioning if anyone has a computer less than three years old.
  • A later post reports a successful overclocking of the TI-83, claiming a performance increase of about 40% compared to the TI-83 Plus, despite using a capacitor that may not have been the intended specification.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the feasibility and desirability of overclocking both calculators and computers. While some share successful experiences, others are cautious or skeptical about the risks involved. No consensus is reached regarding the best approach to overclocking.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not provide detailed specifications or methodologies for the capacitor modifications, and there is uncertainty regarding the exact values and types of capacitors used in the overclocking process.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in electronics modification, particularly those with a focus on calculators and computer hardware enthusiasts exploring overclocking techniques.

relativitydude
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*Note: C7 refers to the TI-83 (Not Plus) but the procedure would be the same if we knew which cap on the Plus was to be replaced.

Well, I was just about to and KABLOOEY! My solder iron broke. If it didn't brake, all you need to do is replace the C7 capacitor to 15 pF to make it many times faster. Being bored, I taped my 15 pF cap in parallel to the 30 pF soldered cap on the board, which ofcourse yields 45 pFs. As predicted, it made the calculator much slower, but connect them in series and watch a world of improvement.

To think, what a racket Texas Instruments has. I find it amusing how they market the 83 Silver and now the 84+ and 84-Silver as 2.5 times faster! And all they did was change a 25 cent part from 30 pF to 15....
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
You'd be suprised how cheap it is to make common electronic products. You could easily look at a 75% profit.
 
Once upon a time I got interested in overclocking. Actually I was just interested in seeing how big of a difference there was in speed in my computer. I set the speed as high as I could, then I set it at the lowest speed. It was okay to step down a few MHz at a time, but the big jump from fastest to slowest totally screwed it up and it took me a couple of hours to get it working again, so I'm one of the few people who has fried his computer underclocking.
 
I wouldn't do it to my computer. This 83 I have is nine years old and dilapidated.
 
Am I the only one on this website with a computer less than 3 years old?
 
My computer is four years old and doing great. G4/400 704 MB RAM, Radeon 8500...
 
Smurf said:
Am I the only one on this website with a computer less than 3 years old?
Get cocky and we'll make sure you aren't.
 
Overclock

Success! I actually overclocked my 83 and it still works. I lost my 10 pF capacitor and used one marked 15, supposedly 15 pF and my 83 is now about 40% faster than my 83+
 

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