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

looking real good dr650se!

and it is very well possible for the chip to run into the positive if your not below something like -50C also, run a temp probe to the pot at the base where the cpu is. this will tell you the temp of pot.

run wprime 1.55@ 8 threads with real temp open. it will eventually show you the right temp, once it's in the correct range while benching.

then you can tell how much more dice you will need to keep it in range. dice is max -78C

 

As I suspected, we got very similar scores

I should probably make a good effort at overclocking this desktop...so far I have barely tried haha. I need try dropping my ram latencies, think they are why you got me. I should also try bumping bclk an dropping multi some. As John showed me though, those sub zero temps do give you an awesome advantage in performance

 

Ok forgive my laziness in reading the previous posts, but how on earth did we get sub zero temps? I'd say dry ice.. but I'm just shooting darts here.

 

It is Dry Ice indeed

 

Yea, been using dry ice. Started out here, and then progressed to here where I posted my top scores. Highlights are running Vantage and 3DMark11 at 1GHz+ on the GPU core. Now I picked up a dice cup and it's how I was able to pull of these wPrime numbers and given enough time, may bench a few desktop chips, if I can find time and an Asus P5q series mobo.

Now DaneRClose I believe is using dice on his 17x R3.

 

oh yeah....benching....is that serious now...

 

Oh lol.. yea.. that's too extreme for me.. I never remove the battery from my laptop when I bench, I barely remove the back cover.. and I use an aircon.. so lol @ dry ice.. that taking it to the next level for sure!

 

Finally got my replacement r3!
Was able to pull this on my 2nd Vantage


P15373
GPU: 14112
CPU: 21004

Going to see how hard I can push my CPU, then try again!
Hopefully I don't cook anything -- still using stock paste

 

Wow, nice! 2nd try too, impressive. Knocked this score out of the top 5.
[*]pmassey31545 - i7 2820 / ATI 6970 - P 13582

Can you push even further?

Leaderboards updated to reflect your impressive score

 

Was able to inch up to 106.00 bclk in BIOS and bring core up to 884 for my 3rd run


P15500
GPU: 14284
CPU: 20818

CPU score is lower this time, but I forgot to set my memory to XMP 2 (1600mhz). Let's see what happens in run 4 I guess, lol.

 

Run 4 was a bust, so here's #5 - my last of the evening.


P15545
GPU: 14372
CPU: 20581


I need to figure out why CPU keeps going down

 

Leaderboard updated

As far as the CPU, I've heard similar reports if you look in the last few pages you'll see DaneRClose was seeing the same thing ( If I remember correctly). Whatever your CPU settings were at, and producing the highest CPU score, take that and run the other benches (3DMark06, 3DMark11) and you should be in the tops scores! Nice job btw. +1 I definately like to see people posting in this thread as it's definately my fav thread since I love benching, ...obviously lol

 

When you increase the base clock speed, you are likely triggering turbo throttling so at full load your total CPU speed stays about the same or decreases a little. If an increase in BCLK causes Sandy to automatically increase the VID voltage at the same time, that will increase power consumption and decrease the amount of turbo boost.

If these limits can't be changed there isn't much you can do besides learn to work within them.

If you run a ThrottleStop log file while benching, you might see the average multiplier decrease at full load when you increase the BCLK to 106 MHz compared to the multiplier you get when you're only running at 100 MHz.

 

This is exactly the case.
Luckily, increasing bclk also (sseems to) OC the pci-e controller.

I've been able to push my bclk to 107 so far.
It's really a shame that the tdp is locked - these CPU would be super beastly. Same goes for the 6970 voltages.




Anyway, I decided to install 3dmark 11 this morning. I looked at Dane and inap scores before jumping in at OVER 9000 clocks. It seems their clocks on high scores were lower, so I also lowered mine in anticipation.

First run

P3977
Graphics: 3658
Physics: 7691
Combined: 3722

11 seems to be the most comprehensive in its scoring methodology, so I'm going to spend a few hours playing with all the settings - especially bclk - in search of the sweet spot. Still on stock cooling (lazy).

 

Nice run Kune, have you noticed any difference in bench scores from the standard ram to HyperX when it's native with the 2720? I know I didn't when I tested it but it was running the XMP profiles as it's not natively supported. I've got some new runs to throw out but I'm gonna wait to see if I can beat them with my replacement rig as it lands tomorrow.

 

I've actually not been able to get 1600mhz going on my hyperx without using xmp2. Let me know how your memory settings end up on the new system.
Need to clean up a bit before I continue. 2nd run with same settings as above landed me at P3983. Weird.

 

Nice score kunekaden... try to push it a bit more, 4k is waiting.

My best with my M15x is P4061 so far...

 

Looks like this is as far as I can go for now. I'll try again after repasting.



P4029
Graphics: 3711
Physics: 7663
Combined: 3773

Pumping CPU past 105.93 started producing lower stability and results.
In fact, idle GPU temps went up 4 degrees just going from 105.93 to 106.07

 

What is your CPU speed at 106.07?

 

over 2.3GHz normal, up to 3.2GHz turbo
Did 3 more runs of vantage and ended up with some nice surprises!
This is pretty fun, lol. I'll post more later.

 

Hmm I see. How does the turbo mode work when overclocking? And is 3.2GHz only for single threaded apps?

 

remember..it's not just about paste. you can use crappy paste, and above par cooling and do far better than the guy who has repasted his cpu 20 times. best way to check what your cpu is doing is to run wprim 1.55(8 threads)/real temp & tmmonitor. then sit and watch how high the temps get and if your turbo is staying locked at it's max speed. if it dips, then this is where you start making adjustments.

 

Here's a bit of a preview of some quick benches with my replacement rig, things are looking promising to say the least, everything is on stock paste/cooling and no major tweaking of any kind





More to come later this week after some tweaking and dialing in.

 

Nice bclk!
Looks like you finally got a cooperative CPU. Your benches are going to decimate
almost 2 full seconds ahead of my 32wprime. 2820 is beastly!

 

Your score is slightly higher than what I got. I also wonder if I am doing something wrong.

 

I have basically the same specs as you yet your score is 3,000 points higher. How is that possible?

Edit: Ok, I see you are overclocking. How did you overclock the processor?

 

Spent a few hours playing with 3d06. Looks like the sweet spot is at 105.93 bclk - at least for this bench. Ran fine at 106.00, 106.07, and 106.15, but had to bump ram voltage up to 1.55...
Scores were up, down, and all over the place at various bclk+core combinations.


Overall: 21489
SM2.0: 8690
HDR/SM3.0: 9831
CPU: 6110


XMP 1 - 1333 c7 - doesn't seem to want to work on my r3 past like 103bclk which ruined the tests I wanted to do tonight.


Edit: Dane, what kind of "tweaking" can be done? I'm new to this whole benching thing so I don't really know what's up lol. Also, please let me know how your hyperx is jiving with your system and which combination of settings you use.

 

This is my highest Vantage so far;


P15769
GPU: 14517
CPU: 21271

Just ran another that came within a few points of this score, but at lower bclk, so I think I have yet to find the sweet spot for vantage.

 

What are you using to overclock the CPU?

 

The bios
see my thread here (which I plan to update soon to include recent experience)

 

wow great runs kunekaden.

 

your vantage makes me consider dice!
maybe i'll throw my r3 in the freezer when wife goes to bed haha

 

hahah a dice pot would be sweet, but the laptop will have to be upside down the hole time. if i have some time tomorrow i'll try to bench some more, since there has been a few driver update since the last time i ran.

 

was just thinking that freezing my r3 would probably be a bad idea (condensation). Freezer isn't big enough to facilitate benching.

 

It is fine, is what I did to my R1

There is no condensation until you open the freezer after benching. The air in there is dehumidified due to the cold. Just have to leave the laptop alone and off for like 6 hours to defrost completely when you are DONE with the freezer. Also, do not leave the laptop off in the freezer, it will get too cold to boot, always have it on in there.

 

yeah, but what I'm saying is that it's too small of a freezer to run benches in.
Was originally thinking that I could freeze it, pull it out, then bench...but yeah - probably not a good idea.

 

In and out will build up a frost on the inside and outside of the laptop, this is how I killed my first ssd

I have a chest freezer I used to get my high scores, plenty of room in there haha. You will need an external monitor and external mouse and keyboard to pull it all off. WiFi can make it through the freezer walls just fine

 

There's a lot of stuff that can be messed with. You've got BCLK, Ram settings, CCC, GPU clocks, Registry settings, background processes, etc. The first thing I would dial in outside of your bios is your CCC as it can net some pretty substantial gains by itself. And on the HyperX mine is still on it's way I've just got some standard 1333 in there which I think is holding back my BCLK overclock limit a bit. I'll let you know once I get it and find a sweet spot for it.


Here's a few more runs I made tonight with just some light tweaking and OCing the GPU/CPU.

3DMark06
22,317 Marks
SM2.0: 9,126
SM3.0: 10,108
CPU: 6,345


3DMark11
P4,249
Graphics: 3,949
Physics: 7,946
Combined: 3,771


Wprime32
8.37 sec

 

your scores just spanked mine lol
especially wprime!

 

I want to know the prime runs fir a 2920xm. The 2820 looks good!

 

i'll throw this up here just as a baseline I guess. I really feel that 11 is cheaping out on me and am convinced this system can do way better.


P4034

I haven't hit the power draw max for 11 according to logs, but the damn card keeps crapping out past 874

edit:
jesus, Dane! How far up is your bclk going? Do I spot 106.35?

 

Two things kune, the reason youre getting lower scores is your CCC settjngs. I gained about 200 pts in 11 just on the settkngs. And yes you see 106.3 its 100% stable and I still have headroom.

 

Give ATI Tray Tools a look as well, has some more options that are not there in CCC

Johnksss loves it, and he knows benching haha

 

@Dane I want to see 106.6! With a 30x multi, that will get you 3.2GHz!

 

how the heck did my wprime beat yours dane????

 

I have no idea, the only think I can notice is your BCLK is higher than my last test, you using any additional cooling or changing anything other than just the BCLK? Looks like you got one heck of a cpu there too, you tried to run 06 at that setting?

 

Your benches are going to dominate with 107.2 bclk combined with your extra-tolerant GPU!

here's an at-work wprime32

8.658s

 

yeah only adjusted the blk, haven't had time to bench lately, kinda lost the drive to bench.

 

You and me both, I'm pushing it but not too hard as it's just not the same as our 15x's were with no adjustable voltages and pretty well locked down cpu's. I'm pushing mine but mainly just out of boredom and to tune it in for games and apps.

 

yup me too, was just seeing how far i can push this cpu, thats prolly it for me for awhile. maybe start it up again if i can find a cheap 2920xm.