Need help overclocking the 920XM

Hey guys, working with the 920XM here in this R2 and I've got the Cooler Master U3 cooling pad just for added measure. The specifications for the machine are in the signature of my posts.

I noticed a few things in the BIOS, namely a few voltage modifiers(one was for +75mv and the other was for +150mv), upping the blk speed by a percentage(up to +5%), but I've seen people using throttlestop the most to get the most out their laptops.

I had an idea of starting up the machine with the voltage boosted with the +150mv setting and working from there. Also, should I change where the laptop goes into passive cooling mode? Right now it's set to 95*C.

What's the best way to ensure the maximum boost in performance with this machine?


Here's the specifications of what I've done so far in Throttlestop:

Enabled Clock Modulation and Chipset Clock Modulation to run at 100%
Disabled EIST and C1E
Set the TPL (Turbo Power Limits) to 75W and 62A - Synchronized Profiles
Set the TRL (Turbo Ratio Limits) to:
1 Core - x25 (3.33GHz)
2 Cores - x23 (3.06GHz)
3 Cores - x20 (2.66GHz)
4 Cores - x19 (2.53GHz)
Haven't changed the C state settings

Intel Burn Test stated that the system was stable after 5 passing runs with all 8 threads. I managed between 29-30 Gflops. HWiNFO recorded the CPU never rose above 73W used, even when the TPL was raised to 80W. Temperatures ran at around 98*C for the hottest core but only 81*C for the coldest core? (Poor CPU heatsink mounting job perhaps?)



Anyone who can help me with achieving a higher overclock and recommending a potentially better cooler would be much appreciated... Did I say that right?

Thanks!
-Imglidinhere-

 

This may be helpful... Google: site:forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x 920XM overclocking

There really is no better cooler than the U3. Coolers are generally ineffective for CPU overclockers. They make such a minor difference that it's not going to be meaningful for you any more than propping up the back end of the laptop to improve airflow. The air velocity on coolers is poor and you need lower ambient temps or more effective internal heat dissipation more than anything else. If you want to run at really high clocks, you'll need to use unconventional cooling methods that are good only for achieving benchmark scores. (DICE, AC cooling, etc.) I'm not saying don't buy a cooler. I have a U3 and like it a lot. It's more effective than the SF-19 and less expensive. The movable fans are a plus because they allow optimal placement. It's just not a solution for bringing down overclocked temps enough to be meaningful.

From the disparity in core temps, it looks like you may need a re-paste and perhaps a heat sink replacement might help. The heat sink tubes may have lost their gas charge, could be warped, retention screw pressure may be unequal loaded, or it simply may need nothing more than a good old-fashioned re-paste.

If you want to hold your CPU at sustained Turboboost speeds, there is a registry tweak that works well in conjunction with ThrottleStop. You can use the attached reg files to switch on the fly, back on forth. (A reboot is required between changes.) This tweak may also improve your SSD performance. Running at sustained Turboboost speeds is going to exacerbate your issue with temps, so you need to fix that first.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Processor]
"Start"=dword:00000004

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\intelppm]
"Start"=dword:00000004

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Processor]
"Start"=dword:00000003

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\intelppm]
"Start"=dword:00000003

 

Hey, Mr. Fox, what exactly do those registry tweaks do - before I try them out. Does the full speed tweak force the multipliers to max no matter what - or something similar or what?

 

It's a registry tweak to disable c-states. It does effectively the same thing as turning off c-states in the BIOS. On some systems the CPU will run at max non-turbo clock speeds, but ThrottleStop let's the proc run at full turbo speed manually if it doesn't already do so with the registry tweak. It works on non-XM CPUs as well.

You can change the 3 to a 4, or vice versa, easy enough without the reg files. It just makes it a simpler task than registry editing or changing BIOS settings. The "3" is normal EIST operation, and "4" is c-states disabled (CPU always max speed).

In the context of SSD performance, the same tweak was discussed in this thread.

 

For some comparison from someone who also just got a 920 and tried some OCing...

I was able to get my 920 to run with a TDP of 80W and TRL of 24 with a temp of 85-90 when running the TS bench (the long one). I even managed to get a TRL of 25 to work with the temps hitting 95 and some throttling taking place.

>>> but I have no cooler and when I lifted the lappy of the textbook I'm using to prop it up, all those 95 temps fell almost immediately to 70! and the throttling was non-existent, even with TRLs of 25.

>>> needless to say I was amazed, and am now eyeing a cooler - the U3 was one of my top contenders too. I'm using ICD as the thermal compound.

This was without any tweaks in the BIOS. Sadly for me, when I tweaked the BIOS OC to 5%, I froze my windows during boot, and it looks likes managed to corrupt my windows boot files in the process, leaving me unable to boot up ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/664218-what-heck-have-i-done-my-r2.html ). I'm in the process of getting a new SSD to do a clean windows install on (seizing the opportunity to upgrade my old gen SSD! Gotta find those silver linings where we can! JUST DON'T TELL MY WIFE!)

>>> when all is up and running again, I will not be messing about with the BIOS OC again - TS does a great job, and I think I was just being "greedy" trying a BIOS OC also.

2 cents from a newbie for what it's worth! GL GLIDIN let us know how it goes!

Would you explain this please brother Fox? I r confused

 

The copper tubes have a gaseous content. I am not 100% certain, but I think it may be nitrogen. Over time it can escape and make the heat sink less effective at heat dissipation.

 

I had that happen. No matter how much I adjusted the heatsink, it would still overheat. Only a heatsink replacement fixed the issue. Actually it happened twice Not sure how it happend though.

 

DR, you and Foxy are starting to scare me, given how lousy I am with hardware and how much fannying around I've been doing with it lately, swapping CPUs in and out!

 

If you can swap the CPU, then the work to replace the heat sink is no more difficult. I don't know about price or availability for the M17x R2 XM heat sink, but the M18x heat sinks are only around $25USD new from Dell... so, it's possibly not an expensive proposition.

 

Yea, it's not too expensive. And it's really nothing to worry about. If you just can't keep the system from overheating no matter how ward you try, then the heatsink is probably the culprit. Thats how it worked for me. No amount of heatsink adjustment would keep the system from overheating and running too hot.

 

Doesn't help if you have an i7 Extreme.

Actually my 920XM doesn't idle under like 47C, though I did that registry tweak for CPU's..

 

very true. The XM's are definately hotter. Mine idles around the same. Thats one of the reasons I like winter, idle temps drop by 7°-10° C.

 

I've found the 6970M seems to be the primary culprit in games though.

If I've got Vsync disabled, which I prefer since framerate can jump around so damned often in games like Left 4 Dead 2, most games will run steady for a solid hour... maybe an hour and a half... and then the machine shuts off. Tested this with the machine at stock...