*OFFICIAL* Alienware 17 and M17x Benchmark Thread - Part 4

it matches if not a tad bit better at default clock.

 

That's like saying a Yugo matches a Lamborghini. Just because they both do 65 miles an hour.

 

@Chaos92 Firstboffyou know you can edit your post to add new content instead of quadruple posting. It's just annoying.

Anyways what you you trying to achieve with iXTU? It is fairly useless for non-XM CPUs. Remember the app was made for desktop CPUs.

 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-2860QM Processor,Alienware M17xR3 score: P18642 3DMarks

I pushed it up to 23261! But my gpu score fell even though I used 842/1970 as compared to the 841/1970 that got me to 18737.

And now when I use either of these values, my system crashes!!

I wrote 4 posts because they were all addressed to different people and as replies to different posts themselves. Will consolidate in 1 post from next time.

I was trying to get the best RAM values. tCL , tRCD and all.

I know that non-xm cpu can only be overclocked through bus clock oc.

P.S.- Just figured out multi-quoting. Nice.

 

@Chaos

Did you use a program like Gameboost to close out unnecessary background tasks? I think you could get a higher CPU score if you did. My 2760 can get up to what you got with a 2860, but you should be up to 1000pts higher.

 

Yeah I closed all the programs as well as unnecessary processes. Used windows classic theme. Used gameboost too! By bus clock was 10405. Anything higher and it crashes!

What setting do you use??

@ The Revelator and other high benchmarkers- what gpu clock did you use to get your record vantage score?

 

I used 865/980(1960) for the last one. Certainly accessible.

 

Dayum! getting beat on GPU score. Need to up my game. I've used anything under 850/2000 for vantage. Check the first page or in my siggy.

 

Time to get busy then!!

 

Just pull back on those multipliers a little.

 

Yeah!
Mr "Fastest single GPU system in the world?"

 

No! Need to get that 30k CPU score!

I've said so many times. Yours doesn't count!

 

Don't be trying to throw me in there. I don't own a M17x.

 

Simply excellent, really impressive.
Wanna see you dice this CPU and GPU

 

What performance gains do you gain by using gamebooster? Have you ran a bench with and without gamebooster? Is there an improvement in scores?

 

I use GameBooster. I think it helps a tiny bit. I have never done a bench with it off so I don't know how much it helps.

 

yeah i used game booster in the past too. not sure if it helped either but i would like to think it did.

 

Inap. You need to get back in there. Brother Fox is knocking you out of the running's..

 

I've seen a slight increase in CPU scores, but nothing to drastic. I usually use it when playing online to lower my ping a bit by switching off all the unneeded crap that tries to run in the backround

 

Hey mister Snake, still havent' break the 20K score on vantage ?

 

Still haven't. My CPU won't cooperate. Someday I'll renew the effort and find a better way.

 

Is it OEM or QS/ES?

 

It's OEM, but it's running hot. Repasted several times with MX-4, and all looked good, but at 40x, it hits the high 90's. With the 580M at stock clocks, it will finish, but when the 580M is heavily o/c'ed it shuts down before finishing the Physics Test (last one). Acts like a power crash, but is probably heat driven. Could have a bad heat sink I guess.

 

Hm, I've yet to update my XM OC thread with part 3 for modded bios users. Perhaps its something to do with your current? What is your PriPlane set to?

 

It's at 105A now. Have tried 100A, 110A. Need at least 100A to support 42x, with 105-110 for 44x. Have TDP cut back to 80W. No change. Tried disabling HT, which as expected extracts a performance penalty, though don't really understand why since Vantage is mostly a two core app. I've tried a lot of different changes to the BIOS, maybe something or some combination is causing problems. I think I'll just reset everything to default and rebuild the BIOS. Can't hurt.

 

If the problem is heat related, did you ever try running test with the bottom cover opened ? Do you use a netbookcooler.
I use a CoolerMaster U3, gain around 5/7 °.

 

I have tried removing the bottom cover in times past, but saw little or no benefit. I do not have a cooler. The R3 sits mostly on a coffee table or desk, with a DVD case under the back. I can always use air conditioning to lower temps, but that's the end play to max out a benchmark and has no real relation to normal use. I'm not there yet. I'm still focused on configuration and passive cooling performance and feel like I'm running hotter than should be expected. Just adjusting to 2960XM settings (37-36-34-34) results in temps of 89-90C. Seems wrong, and I'd like to figure out why.

 

Exactly just how are you running this chip when benching?

1: Leave all c1e settings to on.
2: Do not run max fans if you are.
3: Run 40x with 0 flex and only run the cpu tests (For people who bought the program)


Let me know what you get. I'll let you know what you should get.

 

Thanks for taking a look, John.

This CPU-only run was made at 40x flat under A08, with all settings returned to default except as otherwise noted:

All C-States enabled (C1e, C3, C6, but C7 left disabled (default))
Pwr Limit/TPD - 80W (max CPU package pull - 76.4W)
Turbo Time Limit - 56 (up from 28)
Short Term Pwr Limit - Enabled
Short Term Pwr Limit - 80W
0 Flex
Primary Plane Current - 105A
Fans set to Manual at ~5000RPM; actual max 4200-4300, no apparent change during benchmark run
Power setting - High Performance
No CPU throttling, although throttling temp set to 85C in BIOS (default)
Vantage and HWINFO64 - only active apps

Red Hot!

 

Now start lowering the watts till it wont hold the multipliers.

In the end, you may need to re tighten the screws down. Not the paste.

edit:
ok, i just got 26617 at your settings.

Also, use custom fans and not manual fans.

I just did a nother test at 70 watts and pretty much got the same score you did.

Spoiler

 

Sorry for the delay. Life keeps intervening.

Yep, this 2920xm is not right. Dropped TDP to 75W, which reduced temps to the low 90's, but also reduced performance to 23,350. ThrottleStop log indicates the CPU is actually running mostly at about 35x-37x.



View attachment TS_Log_40x_75W.txt

Raising TDP to 78W returns performance to 24.5K, but brings temps up to 95-96C +/-. However, T-Stop log shows CPU operating under load at 37x-38x, dropping to 36x as temps increase at the end. Given the score, I suspect that this is where it operates at 80W.



View attachment TS_Log_40x_78W.txt

Your scores and temps pretty much prove to me that something is amiss with this 2920XM. Even at 78W, the CPU doesn't operate at 40x under load even early on when temps are low. That suggests to me that the high temps may at least partially result from some internal defect, as rare as that might be with Intel CPU's. Will try changing the fan regulation process and later will play around with (or replace) the heatsink and maybe the CPU fan, but I'm afraid there's no easy fix. Thanks for your counsel. Any further thoughts, analysis or conclusions are welcome.

 

A lot of times it has to do with how the cpu screws are tighten down. With the m18x, it's easier to run test and adjust screws for maximum performance. Not so sure with yours.

 

oh man... im been back from hospital... hav a bad car accident

 

Hope you are alright brother worldedit!

 

oh dang dude, glad to see you are alright.

 

Thanks bro everything was fine now

thanks bro

and so sorry for bro widezu69, he was waiting my PM/reply i think more den 1-2week

 

Good, glad to hear it.

 

Hey welcome back I hope you are ok. Thanks for getting back to me. I fully understand. Take care and I hope in your recovery you will come back to the benching scene!

@Rev I really have no idea why my CPU runs better than yours. I am able to keep 44x for the whole Vantage run. With temps peaking under 90C sometimes

 

I'm so annoyed. Lastnight I realized my USB 3.0 card wasn't working so I took the keyboard, inside frame, and palmrest off to adjust the cables. Put everything back together, and bam CPU overheating. I hadn't touched the CPU heatsink at all. As in didn't go near it. Folding and wPrime1024 would max out around 83°C before this fiasco. Now I can't control the temps. It's almost like the heatsink isn't transfering heat It just happend out of the blue. Not sure what happened, but I'm sure had I not messed with it, it wouldn't be doing this. Repasted, heatsink is clean, ect. Didn't matter how much or how little I adjusted the heatsink screws, temps were still out of control.

I looked at the heatsink and it actually looked a bit scoured from the heat. My next move I guess is to buy a new CPU heatsink.

I looked closely and it looks like the two bottom corners of the CPU die had cracked off. It looks like the tiniest part of the corner, where it would be more fragile. But I'm 90% sure this was there before hand, especially since I hadn't messed with the heatsink.

Just so frustrating when I was looking to rack up a bunch of points folding while I was out of town.

My only hope at this point is to hope that I can get the same heat issues with the 520M, as thats what is covered under the warranty.

I've swapped this cpu more times than I can count, and repasted even more. I'm all out of ideas. It was 1am so I didn't get to test it with any other CPU.

Anyone have any suggestions? Maybe a spare heatsink for an R2?

 

You overheating even at stock clocks?

 

Yea, I'm currenly in the hunt for another heatsink. No TDP increase, and it's only at +75mV in the bios, and bios 5% OC. This was the same setting i've been using for months with no issues. I just don't understand what could have happened. Adjusting the heatsink screws does nothing. At idle it will go down to 40's sometimes, but even at a 6% load its shooting up to the 80s or higher. Drove me crazy as I was trying to get it together so I could leave the laptop folding while I went out of town till Monday night. I finally quit at 2am. No folding on that laptop till at least Tuesday.

Just doesn't make sense to me that adjusting the tension does nothing. My only conclusion is that it got warped somehow.

 

it very well could be warped or maybe the heatpipe got damaged. Did you keep your old CPU? maybe swap it out for now and make sure its the heatsink and not the CPU

On a brighter note, i like your new avi pic +

 

Your thermal paste may have dryed after changing shape and position after manipulating the mobo. You mentioned scouring, maybe the paste just boiled and hardened and ceased to work. A new heatsink could be a good idea. Chance to also get some Prolimatech.

 

Thanks slick +1 Was hoping I could hit 200 Workunits by Monday. Now only my Inspiron 1720 with an 8600M GT and M11x are folding.

Yea, I tried repasting but that didn't seem to help. It previously had IC Diamond on it, but I only repasted a few months ago. Looks like I can grab a heatsink for about $25-$30 so I'm going that route for now. I should have just put in my Q720M or 540 or 520M before leaving to see if that worked but was too frustrated. I have two other 920XMs I could have tried, but that will wait till monday. I like having the 940XM in it though. Hopefully a new heatsink will help.

 

bro, swap in the 920 to make sure its the heatsink and not the CPU first before you blow $30. I didn't like what you stated about the corner of the 940xm cpu die being cracked

 

Good luck. Also make sure that your fan is plugged in properly and blowing when it should. I forgot once. CPU hit 120C watching YouTube and shut down.

 

True, I'll try it Monday. I just have to think that the corners like that before hand. It's like the corner was rounded off. I didn't find any solid pieces in the paste, as I looked to see if it was a new thing or not. Thought I remember it being like that a while back. I'm really, really hoping its the heatsink and not the CPU. Wish I didn't have to work today or I'd be testing it

Yea, I thought that too, but I verified thats working.

 

oh DR650...another thing...avoid using ICD-7. It has diamond particles in it that have a severe polishing effect on the soft copper shim on the heatsink and could scratch the soft CPU die. ICD-7 is made for desktop CPu's that have metal lids on the CPU dies, not the lidless mobile chips. It could have bearing on your current temps

 

Thats very true, I may have to lap the CPU as I've use IC Diamond on it a lot and the finish is less than perfect. Especially since it's ben swapped out and repasted a number of times. I tried a differant paste to no avail lastnight. Hopefully I can get it right next week.

I may lap the CPU. smooth piece of glass, with some 2000+ grit sand paper on it, wet the paper a tiny bit. Few strokes with the CPU flat on the die and it should look like new again. I''m going to try all options. before I throw more money in the system. I hate wanting to do something right now, and not being able to waiting sucks.

 

what you do is take the laptop with you while you go away for the weekend.

"Oh, how the heck did this thing get in the suitcase?"