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    Overclocking P3 B+ with ControlBlock

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved ControlBlock, PowerBlock & Co.
    controlblockoverclockoverheat
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    • N
      nh81
      last edited by

      Does anyone have experience in overclocking the Pi3 B+ with ControlBlock (rev2) installed on top? Is overheating and throttling a problem?

      If necessary to connect the ControlBlock away from the Pi what kind of wiring solution (connectors) would be the best?

      Old post asking the same without any resolution: Re: Overclock with Controlblock

      What did you end up doing @SuperPitendo and @m2306 ?

      Thanks!

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      • P
        petrockblog Global Moderator
        last edited by

        If you need to connect the ControlBlock away from the Pi I have recently released the ExtensionBlock, a GPIO extension add-on board that maybe might be of interest for you.

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        • N
          nh81 @petrockblog
          last edited by

          @petrockblog Thanks mate! But I've already bought the ControlBlock since it offers everything I need for a 2 player arcade button + joystick setup.

          Can you please confirm that I can connect it to the Pi with 2x13 jumper wires such as these?

          Thanks!

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          • P
            petrockblog Global Moderator
            last edited by

            No probs :-) Yes, that should also do it.

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            • N
              nh81 @petrockblog
              last edited by

              @petrockblog Perfect :) Thank you for the fast replies!

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              • m2306M
                m2306
                last edited by

                I can’t get to my Pi now and wont have time to test for some time. Here’s what I can tell you atm. I overclocked as much as I could but it was less than many others say they can get out of their Pi. I have small heatsinks inbetween the the Pi and the controlblock. I haven’t played the most demanding stuff for long periods of time and I’m not forcing overclock but I have never had issues with heat.

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                • N
                  nh81 @m2306
                  last edited by

                  @m2306 Thank you for the info!

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                  • S
                    SuperPitendo
                    last edited by

                    Hey @nh81 :)

                    I havent touched my pi since a year cause my setup is finished (for the moment) and now I am focused on my gamelists :)
                    But I give my best and try to recreate as much as I can.

                    Pi 3 B+ heat issues
                    Overclocking is useless, if the pi heats up to high and starts throttling. A known issue of the Pi3b+ is that it gets pretty fast a high temperature. You can set a higher value but beware of overheating damage.

                    Go to:
                    /boot/config.txt
                    Add code:
                    temp_soft_limit=73
                    (Default temp_soft_limit is 60)

                    Overclock settings
                    After some frustration and a lot of tries :D I think the following code was good.
                    (I have a text file with 2 overclock settings. I cant remember wich is the better... but I this code worked...)

                    arm_freq=1500
                    gpu_freq=500
                    core_freq=500
                    sdram_freq=500
                    sdram_schmoo=0x02000020
                    over_voltage=6
                    sdram_over_voltage=2

                    Actually anything should work fine but there is the biggest issue (in my case) and it depends on your build.

                    The heatsink system
                    I love the active/passive-dual fan cooling system but it doesnt fit between the pi and controlblock. I used the dual fan heatsink already before I used the controlblock, so I took away the fans and just used the passive heatsink. At least it is a lot bigger than the regular passive heatsinks you can buy.
                    Like @petrockblog said, check out his "ExtensionBlock". Looks like this allows you to have the controlblock attached and having space for a big cooling system.

                    Sadly it is not a solution for me... I have not the space for adding the ExtensionBlock. Take a look at my build. Maybe it will fit in the upper right corner, where my pidrive is. But due to the space/fan-issues I quit the overclock project.

                    Another issue I ran into was the power consuption. Anything that you plug in to your pi has an impact on your currency. As you can see on the picture. I have an extension cable between the power cable and the pi and also I use the pidrive (but for this I build in an I/O switch, cause I just use it if I wanna watch my fave movies).

                    I hope this was helpful for you.

                    83515607_2537617716475837_2766531225836322816_n.jpg

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                    • N
                      nh81 @SuperPitendo
                      last edited by

                      @SuperPitendo Thank you so much for all the info and effort. Much appreciated!

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