Skyrim frame drop - different then others

Brand new (as in less then 24 hours old) m17x 3D

2.2 processor
4g ram
580m
120 hrz 1080p display

Tried older drivers, stock drivers, new drivers etc etc etc. Settings, doesn't matter. Runs smooth as heck for a little bit then screen flickers and frame rate drops from 60+ to around 20, about 10-20 seconds later the frame rate jumps back up to normal (60+). I've tried everything I can think of, since mine is the 3D model, the optimus isn't an issue. Tried the > 2gig ram fix, tried only allowing 2 processor, then 4 processor...nothing. Forced off VSync, nothing...anyone else have a clue of anything else I can try?

 

sounds like throttling buddy what are your GPU temps do you know?

 

No clue. I'm new to Nvidia (stuck with AMD until now...), not sure how to check. Laptop isn't hot at all though. I haven't even gotten to the first dragon attack (at the start of the game) because of this problem.

NOTE: I went ahead and tried testing out 3DMark 11, well it does it on there too. I get about 5-6 seconds of good FPS then 10-15 of low, and then back up to good, and so on.

 

defiantly sounds like throttling to me. Do you have the back of the laptop propped up? this helps drop temps quite a bit

 

Max is 78C...doesn't seem all that high.

 

thats the throttle speed atm

 

Then what was the point behind upgrading my card if I can't even play skyrim on the lowest settings without it doing this? Lifting up the back does nothing lol.

 

hmm I'm looking through this thread now because this seems to be the issue.

 

Yeah, found a handful of videos on youtube and tons of posts. After you mentioned "throttle" lol. Seems like a lot of people are having issues with this.

 

yea my 460m runs really cool so i don't have that problem. I think you should wait for someone with a 580m to help you cause I don't wanna tell you the wrong thing and jack up your system

 

As much as I'd like the 580m. This throttling issue is a major turn off for this card. To throttle at 79 is scandalous. How did Dell in their infinite wisdom come to decide on this? I have seen so many posts relating to the 580m causing this problem. People really shouldn't have to go resorting to workarounds / BIOS mods to make the card usable.

Thankfully my 6970m has never been throttled. The highest I have seen it reach under heavy load is about 81c. Under idle it's about 55.

 

my 460m throttles if it hits 78C, But that only happened once when i blocked the fan port to see if it throttled. Not everyone has the throttling issues with the 580m either. I have heard ambient temps can make a large difference in internal temps as well. Up here in Alaska, the indoor temps in my house are pretty cool especially on a day like today when its -40F outside anyways, that's just the thermal throttle, there have been fixes for the power throttling as well

 

Yeah I've noticed a couple, "outside of the box", fixes. Like how to turn off the throttle, but that scares me...

Also, dell setup the throttling? Thought NVidia controlled what the cards did.

 

-40F!!!!! crazy bigtony, now I understand why your 6990m died, couldn't stand the cold (btw did you check ebay, there is a seller for 6990m with a fair price) I am at new jersey and I don't see anything higher than 70C at my 580m.. (skyrim max 66C)

 

well im still waiting to either get my money back or another card from my current seller so i gotta wait and those aren't bad temps at all

 

Ok, so I downloaded GPU-Z and used it to turn off the throttle crap. Now the games perfect and the card actually runs 1-3 degrees cooler...don't ask me, but that is what GPUZ and GPUShark tells me.