Q: m17xR3 580m - Update criteria requirements

I have read from the conference thread that Dell will replace the heatsink/GPU on m17xR3s with 580m that suffer from the 78c throttle.

This raises three questions:

1: Exact procedure to carry out the test for check for 78c, does this for example require that the LT be placed on a flat surface (i.e. back NOT raised), or raised 1" (2.5cm), what ambient temp is acceptable etc etc.

2: Software and versions to be used to test for limit (Furmark 1.9.1?) and length of time to execute test. (2 Mins).

3: What Bios to use? - This is becuase of the known 63c power throttle, are Dell ok with using the Modded BIOS to get around this issue?


Thanks to the efforts of Bill (of Dell) we now have a solution, however we need to formally define the test that would prove you need the fix becuase I assume Dell dont want to replace everyones 580m, or do they?

Thanks.

 

I'm pretty sure the replacements will not help. As far as I know, ALL 580M's in m17x R3's have this "feature". A replacement may alleviate the issue by running cooler, especially with the help of a good paste job and pads, but will not change the fact that it has a thermal throttle.

The alternative is to try the workarounds that have been posted here and in that thread.

If I had one, I'd first try to get the thing to run as cool as possible by repasting and applying thremal pads. Then I'd try the workaround if that wasn't enough. Finally I'd call Dell.

 

In the call, the engineer said that in there tests, at 28 degrees Celsius ambient temperature, and properly ventilated (which means flat on the desk with nothing obstructing the exhaust fans) you should NEVER hit the 78 degree throttle. You'll come close, but you shouldn't hit it. The engineer stated he could run furmark for a week and it won't throttle.

As far as the software versions and such, I don't think it's a big deal. If you are part of the community here, and you contact the right people as listed in the conference call thread, I believe you will get a replacement no problem.

If you remove the 63 degree throttle, the engineer said you will without question hit the 78 degree throttle eventually.

As for what the guy above me said, I would suggest calling Dell first, because it seems that a lot of the r3's being hit with this issue have poor installation jobs in the first place (ie: pads missing, loose screws, etc). In the call, the engineer explained that you can't get a better paste than what they are using anyway, plus they will be installing things to spec (correct torque and such, this is very important for the thermal paste to work properly).

Hope this helps.

 

Do you guys really believe this?? This is the second or third time i've read this quoted from the call. 100% of people that repaste show radically better temps...regardless of how he must have impressed you guys on the call with his techno speak, you can't seriously believe this ??

The stock paste is built for longevity and NOT best temps. Its made to last the lifetime of the machine without a need to repaste. The tradeoff is that you won't get better temps than a good aftermarket paste. Aftermarket pastes do conduct temps better, but generally require a repaste every year

 

Yeah, this is total BS from Dell. When I repasted mine it was clear that there was not even good contact on their stock paste job (heatsink probably wasn't level). I took the time to do it right, and with thermal compound miles better than what Dell uses, and dropped my temps dramatically.

As for longevity, I'm not expecting to have to repaste regularly. I monitor my temps closely so we'll see, but I would expect my MX-4 to last years without the need to repaste.

Also, thermal pads. The ones Dell uses are not very good, and they don't use nearly as many as they could/should.

 

So they are saying leave in the 63 degree throttle, so drop to what 50% of full performance after reaching 63c, you can bet your A$$ you'll never hit 76c.

This does not seem right to me, you may as well have had a 460m rather than the really fast 580m, which you can only drive at 50% speed.... Arghhhh

 

There's a bit of confusion here. i was on the call as well and what is being described as the '63c throttle' is a power throttle. that is, it is triggered by a high power drew on the card. It often happens around 63c but can occur at any temp. My testing bears this out, I've seen it at 62c and run up to 68 without seeing it. The throttle is also referred to as the P1 state. For a stock BIOS P1 is 475hz when P0, the default clock is 620hz, so the drop is around 24%.

You're right about leaving it means you'll never hit the 78C throttle though, and the main cause of beating Dell up over it, not acceptable for a 'gaming laptop'.

One part of the explanation from Dell was that the R3 with a 580 is already at the top edge of it's design specs. Any poor manufacturing/build issue and you'll get problems. OC it and you'll often get heat problems. That is not to say you shouldn't 'play' with it, just don't expect it to perform well in all situations without non-dell approved fixes as posted by the experts here (BIOS Mods, Nvidia Inspector, HWINFO)

Drivers have an impact on this as well, the more efficient the driver the less chance of a P1.

FYI, I,ve just had my card and heatsink replaced and it pretty much fixed all my throttle problems at stock clocks - I also had a bad paste (missing pad) factory job.

The only game that triggers P1 at stock clocks on the latest 301 beta is Assassins Creed Revelations. I've been testing the 301.x with Deus Ex HR, Batman AC, Mass Effect 3, Far Cry 2 as well, and none except AC P1 up to clock speeds of 720hz. . It's all so dependent on the thermal solution (and maybe the actual card quality) that from what I see YMMV is a rule for this setup...

 

I believe a lot of the issues are being caused by a bad paste/pad job, not the paste/pads themselves...

 

Hi thar folks, I am a Dell technician and I am here to say that we use the best thermal paste ever!

/complete bs

PK-1 is amazing. Best thermal paste I used, keeps my 580M cool at 65C Max.