Underclock RT-AC86U NVRAM Commands?

[Kohina]

Hello, I just bought a new router, the RT-AC86U and it has quickly come to my knowledge that wireless routers burn out due to heat which is why there are mixed reviews for all gaming routers on Amazon/Newegg and such that say "my router died after 8 months" or something similar. After installing Asuswrt-Merlin, I can clearly see the idle CPU temp is at 80C which wouldn't be something any computer geek wants to see on any of their processors. I don't understand how a router CPU should be any different.

This has led me to seek options of how to underclock and cool the CPU as I do not have any need for its full processing capabilities. I have already purchased a couple of fans which are blowing on the back of the router through the vent holes, cooling it to an average of 63C which is a lot better, but still hot by any standards of how geeks treat their processors. I have tried to research how to underclock the CPU on this device, but I cannot find anything whatsoever in concrete terms.

Using PuTTY, I understand that the 2 cores of the processor are referred to as the following:

cat /proc/cpuinfo

processor : 0
BogoMIPS : 100.00
Features : fp asimd evtstrm aes pmull sha1 sha2 crc32
CPU implementer : 0x42
CPU architecture: 8
CPU variant : 0x0
CPU part : 0x100
CPU revision : 0

processor : 1
BogoMIPS : 100.00
Features : fp asimd evtstrm aes pmull sha1 sha2 crc32
CPU implementer : 0x42
CPU architecture: 8
CPU variant : 0x0
CPU part : 0x100
CPU revision : 0

Now, what I don't understand is how this relates at all to 1.8 GHz, like if there is a CPU multiplier of 18x with base clock 100MHz or how to translate this "BogoMIPS" value into an actual CPU clock, if what I am reading from the Internet is what I should be taking as truth in any way whatsoever. I also have no clue how or what to set the memory clock to, since from my understanding, the format of the command is:

nvram set clkfreq=(CPU Clock),(RAM Clock)

Does anyone know what the RAM clock even is on the RT-AC86U? I sure don't. I also have no clue how to correctly set the CPU clock as it seems obscured by this "BogoMIPS" value which seems to not correlate at all with the actual MHz clock. Does anyone have any advice?

Thank you so much for your help

 

[Grisu]

Under- or overclocking wont change temps a lot, I have seen 5°C on my 68U from 800 to 1200MHz - sorry, dont know how to change it on 86U.
I think that heat sink is badly applied on your unit or some other defect, return it if possible!
On my 2 RT-AC86U CPU temps has only been at 66°C (way below 70°C). They dont need anything and got a good thermal design.
Other routers like 68U has been warmer in 70-80 range.

 

[AndreiV]

This subject has been done to death here at SNB, just use the SEARCH facility and you will find volumes of threads/posts on temperatures.

80C is stated by many as being normal on ASUS routers.

I had an AC87U that would have made good toast , it never ran less than 88C and often higher.

Personally I now place my router on a small laptop cooler and keep the temps @50/65 C.

"I've seen 5C " ..... only if the router was dead and sitting in fridge. Ambient room temperature is @ 18-20C so your router chip isn't going to be cooler than that.

63C is not hot for a processor .

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac68u-temperatures.17418/

https://www.google.co.uk/search?sou...j0j0i22i30j0i22i10i30j33i22i29i30.5Lgyc5htqgk

 

[Grisu]

80C is stated by many as being normal on ASUS routers.
I had an AC87U that would have made good toast , it never ran less than 88C and often higher.
"I've seen 5C " ..... only if the router was dead and sitting in fridge. Ambient room temperature is @ 18-20C so your router chip isn't going to be cooler than that.

Not for 86U, they are designed much better and run below 70°C!
5°C difference !!! not absolute temp when oc to 1200 MHz, please read carefully.

 

[Val D.]

Not for 86U, they are designed much better and run below 70°C!

Not really. RT-AC86U CPU running high-speed VPN and routing about 20 devices reaches easily 90C in a room with 26C ambient temperature. This is why I have a dual fan cooling installed at the back, 12V fans running off router's own USB port on 5V. CPU stays around 50-55C with active cooling. Mine is a DIY setup, but similar solution is available as a kit from Amazon.

 

[Val D.]

This has led me to seek options of how to underclock and cool the CPU...

No known way to modify the CPU clock on this router as of now.