Hacking AutoRCM CFW VS OFW Clean Switch; A Quick Battery Comparison

[mastermx]

So I wanted to compare the battery life of my hacked CFW AutoRCM switch. and my non hacked switch. I have Bayonetta 2 as a gamecart in the non hacked switch. And I have it installed through tinfoil on SD card on my hacked switch. I ran both machines at exactly the same time, with all settings exactly the same. Max brightness. First 30mins with aeroplane mode enabled, and 0 sound. second 30mins with aeroplane mode off, and full sound. Both switches had both screens in sync, displaying the bayonetta 2 intro several times.

Here are the results:

Beginning- Both Systems Undocked.
RCM - 100%
OFW - 100%

Aeroplane mode on, Full brightness. No volume.
-30mins
AutoRCM CFW SD Game: 88%
OFW Non hacked switch Cart Game: 90%

Aeroplane mode switched off-Full volume:
-60mins
AutoRCM CFW SD Game: 72%
OFW Non hacked switch Cart Game: 78%

Confounding Variables:
-The CFW switch, is one I have owned longer, and have used more often. For this reason, It might have a more diminished battery.
-There may be a difference in battery consumption when accounting for differences in how the switch uses the gamecart Vs using the sd card for access. I might test this hypothesis by inserting the bayonetta 2 gamecart into the autrcm cfw switch, and seeing if there indeed is any difference.
-The choice of game was chosen as it is the one I had readily available, and seemed to be taxing on the system, without me having to interact with it. But different games might affect different switch system battery lives to different amounts.

Conclusions:
It seems from these numbers, that indeed an autorcm switch does use up more battery life. If the switches had been left to run for an even longer time, I am pretty sure that the difference in battery life would be even more pronounced. But a higher sample size, with switches of equal age, and of similar gamecart form factor might yield more reliable results.

 

[Kubas_inko]

AtutoRCm itself can't do affect battery life btw.
Also to better test this, you can unhack your hacked switch and try the battery life then.

 

[Draxzelex]

I think its worth testing the same game format on both consoles to reduce the number of confounding variables as I believe inserting a cartridge into the console drains the battery slightly more than one without. Also when you say CFW, which one are you using?

 

[mastermx]

I think its worth testing the same game format on both consoles to reduce the number of confounding variables as I believe inserting a cartridge into the console drains the battery slightly more than one without. Also when you say CFW, which one are you using?

I should have noted this. I was using RajNX, newest version. Which is technically atmosphere with patches, I have heard.

I will try testing this out again with game in gamecart.

I welcome other user submissions.

 

[key1340]

I have two switch's both bought on the same day on the same firmware,screen brightness and volume. If i play the same game card on them for the same time they use 3-6% different battery. And they are both on stock firmware. Autorcm doesn't make any difference. It's just the difference in the two switch's.

 

[kumikochan]

I noticed my battery draining way faster 2 with autorcm on compared to normal RCM tho

 

[ganons]

I noticed my battery draining way faster 2 with autorcm on compared to normal RCM tho

Normal rcm as in using the jig when coming from full shut down?

 

[kumikochan]

Normal rcm as in using the jig when coming from full shut down?

when I use a jig to inject a payload compared to autorcm. When using autorcm my battery does drain a bit faster compared to when using just a jig. Could be my imagination tho but that's how I perceive it atleast.

 

[Kubas_inko]

when I use a jig to inject a payload compared to autorcm. When using autorcm my battery does drain a bit faster compared to when using just a jig. Could be my imagination tho but that's how I perceive it atleast.

AutoRCM itself can't affect battery life in any way.

 

[kumikochan]

AutoRCM itself can't affect battery life in any way.

it's just what I've noticed but like I said, it could be my imagination

 

[Kubas_inko]

it's just what I've noticed but like I said, it could be my imagination

Just saying, not arguing.

 

[kumikochan]

Just saying, not arguing.

I'm also just saying

 

[mastermx]

AtutoRCm itself can't do affect battery life btw.
Also to better test this, you can unhack your hacked switch and try the battery life then.

Yes undoing RCM and trying again truly might be the best the way to test this.

I have two switch's both bought on the same day on the same firmware,screen brightness and volume. If i play the same game card on them for the same time they use 3-6% different battery. And they are both on stock firmware. Autorcm doesn't make any difference. It's just the difference in the two switch's.

Thanks for the heads up. So both of your switches have variance in battery life, even though they were both purchased at the same time and use the same set up.

You guys are probably right. Probably no evidence for autoRCM increasing battery drainage. Not unless there's more evidence to prove it. I just done this quick test thing, because me and a friend noticed a quicker drainage. But it might be just our own minds.

 

[key1340]

Thanks for the heads up. So both of your switches have variance in battery life, even though they were both purchased at the same time and use the same set up.

Yes i run multiple test and one switch always drained more battery.

 

[captchronik17]

I have two switches both purchased last week at the same time. One has AutoRCM with cdn nsp, and the other unhacked system is using a legit eshop nsp. Zelda, looking over the normal testing cliff, for 60 min, 100% brightness. Both were at 71% when my timer when off. I haven't noticed one draining faster than the other in sleep either. I've been switching between reinx and launchpadnx builds. I used the latter during the testing, although I don't notice a difference between any CFW.

 

[ichibaka]

when I use a jig to inject a payload compared to autorcm. When using autorcm my battery does drain a bit faster compared to when using just a jig. Could be my imagination tho but that's how I perceive it atleast.

I noticed the same thing, with autorcm on and not doing anything even in sleep mode it drains battery really fast.

 

[designgears]

That's within margin of error, imo.

If you have update servers blocked while hacked vs not hacked, the switch could be checking more times for the update server due to failures. You should also change places, hack one vs not hacking the other one. I have my hacked switch which I got a year after release and my stock switch that I got on launch, the launch console has worse battery performance compared to my autorcm newer switch.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

So I wanted to compare the battery life of my hacked CFW AutoRCM switch. and my non hacked switch. I have Bayonetta 2 as a gamecart in the non hacked switch. And I have it installed through tinfoil on SD card on my hacked switch. I ran both machines at exactly the same time, with all settings exactly the same. Max brightness. First 30mins with aeroplane mode enabled, and 0 sound. second 30mins with aeroplane mode off, and full sound. Both switches had both screens in sync, displaying the bayonetta 2 intro several times.

Here are the results:

Beginning- Both Systems Undocked.
RCM - 100%
OFW - 100%

Aeroplane mode on, Full brightness. No volume.
-30mins
AutoRCM CFW SD Game: 88%
OFW Non hacked switch Cart Game: 90%

Aeroplane mode switched off-Full volume:
-60mins
AutoRCM CFW SD Game: 72%
OFW Non hacked switch Cart Game: 78%

Confounding Variables:
-The CFW switch, is one I have owned longer, and have used more often. For this reason, It might have a more diminished battery.
-There may be a difference in battery consumption when accounting for differences in how the switch uses the gamecart Vs using the sd card for access. I might test this hypothesis by inserting the bayonetta 2 gamecart into the autrcm cfw switch, and seeing if there indeed is any difference.
-The choice of game was chosen as it is the one I had readily available, and seemed to be taxing on the system, without me having to interact with it. But different games might affect different switch system battery lives to different amounts.

Conclusions:
It seems from these numbers, that indeed an autorcm switch does use up more battery life. If the switches had been left to run for an even longer time, I am pretty sure that the difference in battery life would be even more pronounced. But a higher sample size, with switches of equal age, and of similar gamecart form factor might yield more reliable results.

You have to test with and without CFW on the same console, otherwise the results aren't useful.

 

[Deleted User]

Just saying, not arguing.

13 modded switches here and it seems auto rcm is acting up with battery.

 

[-----a]

13 modded switches here and it seems auto rcm is acting up with battery.

AutoRCM isnt doing anything to the battery.

Unless you're actually shutting down your console and not realizing you need Hekate for that. (Shutting down from the power menu sends your device back into RCM mode, still drawing power)

AutoRCM is simply changing a couple bytes in your boot table and boot is only called on power up.