Alienware M18xR2 New/Updated BIOS Mods - NOW WITH MAXWELL LEGACY SUPPORT - Testers Needed

Gosh, why do you guys even update ?! blows my mind,
And does any of you tested this with an LTSB Win10 ? On AW17 I heard that pre TH2 and RTM releases didn't work properly with Maxwell, 60Hz and nGreedia's gimped drivers. Still you've got the legacy support that beats windwos10 whatever version bootup or not..

 

Still have to update for security issues and stuff least with windows 7. Someone installed legacy windows 10 there and reported no throttling so thats gonna be my next step.

 

If that's the case better use nLite or some tool similar to that to Slipstream all updates into an ISO and Install it ?
http://lifehacker.com/5793427/how-to-create-a-custom-windows-installation-dvd-or-usb-install
http://lifehacker.com/5894838/customize-your-windows-installation-to-create-the-os-of-your-dreams

I'll have to do it, but later..

 

Which operating system are you seeing the throttle on? And which vbios etc are you using?

 

Windows Updates malware are not allowed on my systems any more. I'd rather take my chances with the obscure security risks than chance screwing up my Windows installation with crapware updates for Micro$loth. Once you've installed that cancer the best solution us to wipe it and start over from scratch.

 

I just started hitting throttles again... but I'm wondering if it has to do with utilities I installed from dell? I installed the alienware command center and the osd, dell system detect, teamviewer, and my printer... gonna tinker a bit and see if one of those is causing it.

 

Well all was fine and dandy till I tried it out today... I wonder if its a windows update that is screwing us over? I'm gonna do a bit of digging for a while, I want to know whats doing this to us.

 

From what I understand the M18xR2 with 980M always used to throttle randomly - maybe that's still happening & people are linking the random throttling to other changes being made on their system that may not be the cause.

 

I know mines not a random thing, it seems to be software related, I'm hunting for the culprit... I reinstalled again and did some benches, no throttle so its gotta be another piece of software or another driver causing problems, I imaged my system with a no throttle in case I need to go back, I will find it.

 

This may well be the case. After a reboot, everything is working again with the 780M SLI...no throttling and holding clocks no problem in the M18x R1

In the M18x R2 however, it is a different story

 

Well on the M18xR2 your constantly throttled during the same spots of the benchmarks no randomness to it, after fresh installs in legacy mode the benchmarks hold solid with no throttle whatsoever, but today after I loaded a few things on it started to happen again, I'm slowly reinstalling software etc to see if one of them is interfering with it.

My gut is wanting to say its the osd software, it seems to hang up during install.

 

After extensive testing I had no throttle in either benching or gaming. I opened the laptop last night and firestrike started thorttling AGAIN!

I haven't installed anything new software-wise so I cannot say that mine is software affected.

I noticed the wattage during no-throttling season didn't excedded 112watts. Now it easily climps to 117 and hwinfo also reports 123 as max.

I am starting to believe it is a mainboard limitation of power consumtion.

 

Seen similar behaviour in my own in the past. After the drivers are installed it works perfectly fine its only after a power down that the throttling begins. If I roll back to 350.12 I see power and sli spikes in the perfcap but in significantly lower durnations and the core clocks dont drop.

 

Gaming in fallout 4 and Watch dogs is flawless. Only benching is crippled!!!

 

I think the known "random throttle" after power drain or reboot has not fixed.
You guys are going through the path Ive been through a few years ago. I once also thought it was software or updates.

 

I'm gonna try a clean windows 10 legacy install later on and see what happens. Kinda wanna see if installing in legacy eliminates those random corruptions from my windows 10 install I always get too....

 

I am on legacy windows 10, but give it a try.

Well another gimmik for anyone to try.

After power down your laptop boot from iGPU from bios
- Power on and enter BIOS (press F2)
- Advanced menu
- Video Configuration
- Select iGPU
- Save and exit.

Let it boot to windows.

After all your applications finished loading, reboot and enter BIOS again

From the same menu select PEG
Save and exit.

Let it load windows
Run a benchmark and take notes.

I did it today and possible yesterday and both times I had no throrttling. Only last
night I booted without the procedure above and had throttling.

Here is another fire strike

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/11915423?

and 3dmark 11

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/11227081

NO THROTTLING!!!!!!!!

I shut down the pc for about an hour, boot up normally an tested

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/11227293

THROTTLING..... (though in the combined test, clocks stayed stable !?!)

so one more time, shutdown the pc, waited 5 minutes, power on, switched to iGPU, boot windows, restarted, entered BIOS, switched to PEG, boot windows and run 3dmark 11

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/11227335

BOOM.....no throttling!!!!!

Will duplicate the example every day I open the PC.

Also an extra note, I have installed every singe one update in windows 10 and all the above happened without changing drivers (364.72) or vbios (Prema Clevo V2)

 

Ok fresh install of windows 10 on legacy. Fully updated and installed with latest nvidia experience profiles and drivers.

I shut the laptop down for about 5 or 10 seconds and rebooted. I also left the power config on balanced and just changed some minor settings.

Booted Ffxiv and set up in the pharos sirius sectiob where I throttle normally. Max settings and currently NOT throttling. Gpuz showing approx 80C on both cards and performance maxed at 99% gpu load and nothing.

Computers performing at full capability no issues so far.

Pulled the power cable for a test and ran it on battery for about 15 seconds. Plugged it back in and its back to full power again and no throttling.

 

What are you guys doing for a power drain? My laptop was off this morning when I came back in (but it was still plugged in), I've rebooted numerous times and still have yet to see the throttle come back. So ether a power drain or software is the cause. @Infinaris have you loaded any drivers from dells website yet? or just running stock windows 10 with latest driver?

 

I did a fresh legacy install of Windows 10 with 980M SLI and it throttles in 3DMark in randomly places and I have a problem with Forza 6 Apex in Windows store: When I try the game just about to load the first race, my notebook shuts off completely... anyone installed that game in Windows Store to test it?

 

Dont usually drain the power from it I usually switch it off and then unplug the power after it shuts down. If it throttles I might give that boot from igfx from the bios route a try and see if that kicks it back into shape. Gonna leave windows 10 installed but with the legacy installation instead for the time being afink UEFI is twitchy at times and I wanna see how it performs long term on legacy mode.

Edit: Ran firestrike and got an overall score of 12400. Was like 10000ish with the throttling and the graphics score was like 18000+.

 

Which vbios are you using? I've mainly been testing with the FFXIV benchmark and Catzilla, I keep gpu z up so I can watch for power throttles, they always used to hit in the same exact spots but so far no throttle, I'm using svl's vbios.

 

Personally speaking I think single 980M is the way to go to completely rule out power delivery limitations, either PSU or mainboard related.

On a separate note, quick question, I'm currently running mis-matched 1600MHz memory and am interested in upgrading to 16GB 2133MHz memory, preferably quad channel (4x4) unless there is no performance gain to be had (my desktop, 2011 Socket, Ivy E i7 4930 saw a 500 point increase in CPU Firestrike simply going from dual to quad channel) with Sandy Bridge.

 

I think it may be prudent to try an undervolted vBIOS to test to see if it is a power related issue.

 

I've rebooted a few times now and still no throttling. Bout the only thing I've noticed so far is win10 repeatedly trying to install the intel HD4000 driver for some reason even tho im on the nvidia cards atm. Dunno whats causing that bug....

 

Which vbios are you using? And have you installed any drivers etc from Dells website?

 

Using Premas V2 Clevo vbios. I downloaded the intel HD4000 drivers of their website and installed them and disabled them from being installed on windows update. Went back to nvidia graphics and the trottling was back. :C However....

I just tried a similar thing on my own laptop. Switched to intel graphics again when the throttling was there. Switched back and rebooted to nvidia. 1st boot stalled so shut it off and on again. Put on FFXIV....... no throttling! :O

Looks like booting to intel and back to nvidia does something because I'm throttle free again. I wonder if a bad setting is being saved somewhere....

Currently sitting here with the laptop on my lap and the temps are very high at max settings on FFXIV in the pharos sirius area. Primary Card was topping at 84~85'C but not throttling even though it was hitting 99% GPU load. Voltage on the primary is 1.0680 secondary is 1.0620 Kinda dont want em burning THAT hot over a prolonged period of time as thats rather hot hot HOT! I actually installed HWinfo after that and manually set the fans to max. Think the default tables dont kick in at max fanspeed even when the cards were hitting those tempretures! D:

Currently running at the max settings on FFXI again but with the fans manually set to max power tempretures are steady in the upper 70's on both cards.

 

Question, what's the difference between switching in bios and switching in windows with Fn+F7?

 

there is no difference. If you have 2 MXM slots occupied for CF/SLI, then the FN + F7 will alternate between IGFX and PEG graphics. If you have only 1 MXM slot occupied, FN + F7 will alternate between SG and PEG.

 

Sweet good to know, if I run into this I'll try this and see if it resolves it so far so good on mine, I have yet to unplug it and let it rest much yet.

 

@Swick1981 afink your bios mod broke one thing..... Command Centre button for some reason doesnt work anymore on windows 10 but works on windows 7. Hasnt worked since I flashed your mod! You didnt delete it did you? Can still access it via the shortcuts just that button isnt working on win10.

 

Thats probably the osd one isn't it?, I don't wanna do it lol it hung last time I tried to install it and I'm still iffy on some of those

 

Take the plug out and see what happens.

 

Its slow to install on mine as well at least with the current build of windows 10. It does install tho if ya leave it long enough. Button still doesnt work tho!

 

You sir are a genius, this fixes it.
So from whats been found after the laptop has been shutdown and unplugged for a period of time the throttle returns after booting back up, however this can be remedied by switching back to the integrated graphics chipset and booting into windows with it, then switching it back to PEG, so maybe make it a habit to switch it to integrated when we shutdown? I can confirm this. So something with power drain or something odd?

 

Just started the laptop again after being powered down overnight. Throttling. Restarted flipped to igfx then back again to nvidia. Throttling gone. Restarted again cos firefox wouldnt load. Same test. A slight very brief throttle then nothing worked fine. Has to be a default setting somewhere or an initial boot setting that causes the throttling that gets reset when igfx is triggered and then back to nvidia.

 

So it is confirmed. Tried couple of times my self. Throttling is gone this way?

Something in the initial boot causes the gpus to throttle. Someone with more insight can help.

Also, my FN+F7 does switch frin iGPU to PEG but when I am on PEG
Nothing happens.

My Alienware command center button works fine. OSD install takes way too long, but installs just fine.

 

Dunno why the button on mine doesnt work in windows 10 but does on windows 7....

Regardless switching to igfx and back does seem to be resetting the throttling issue. Might try a bios switch and then back to peg after but without booting windows next time and see if that removes it too. Would definately narrow the issue to the bios if that works.

There has to be a setting somewhere thats the cause of the throttle the fact that I got my computer working without the throttle and pushing into the 80C range at full power and gpu load shows there IS a way of running the system at full performance.

 

I stand corrected, volume up, volume down, volume mute and Alienware command center doesn't work on mine too. I though it did, but not. Airplane switch works for sure. I will try the latest 365 drivers and see what it can be done.

On A12 bios, multimedia switches are working great. I suppose swick can incorporate this function to his next release

So started my laptop today again after been off the whole night and it throttles.....

365 don't want to instal.
Rever to 364,72 and tested again. It was throttling. Reboot and changed to iGPU (not with FN+F7) and then again to Nvidia (using FN+F7) and had throttle.

Reboot, entered bios, switched to iGPU and load windows.
Reboot, entered bios, switched to PEG and load windows and 3d mark.

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/11229609

throttling gone

Seems to me that switching with FN+F7 doesn't remove throttling.
I HAVE to enter bios and select PEG. That immidiate shutdown that it makes, removes the throttle somehow, whereas switching from iGPU to Nvidia using FN+F7 doesn't remove it.

Regarding temps, leaving the system to control fans, during benching I get 76 max with 1.062 voltage.
Using HWinfo and pushing fans to maximum after 60 degress, keeps the card to 65 at max.

 

Only the command centre button doesnt work on windows 10 only it seems. Everything else works and all the buttons work in windows 7. Maybe swick deleted something that controls it on windows 8.1/10 but I dunno....

 

hey guys, does this remove throttling with 980m?

edit: oh, i read now it still does

 

The throttle for whatever reason only seems to be occuring from a cold boot.

I just turned my laptop on again and checked and it was throttling.

Restarted the computer accessed the bios switched to igfx and rebooted and accessed the bios again immediately and reset to peg....

No throttling on reboot.

From where I'm sitting it looks like toggling the gfx fixes the issue at least until you switch the machine off and then it throttles again so it looks like whatever causes the throttling is a bad setting somewhere. Might be worth seeing if someone were to shut their machine down and switch to igfx before switching off their machine.

Could be possible that the toggle sets the system up to work properly but its a bug from cold boot. Regardless I've rebooted the machine several times and everytime I toggle the gfx to igfx and back to peg it gets rid of the throttling for that session. If I restart the machine there doesnt seem to be any throttling either it seems to be an issue with a cold boot off of peg at least so far as from what i can see.

The question here tho is why does it throttle if booted directly on peg on cold boot but a simple gfx toggle seems to fix the issue?

 

What happens if you put the laptop to sleep instead of shutdown? does it throttle after you wake it up again?

 

Dont use sleep so cant tell you. XD

 

well if the sleep wouldnt reintroduce throttle, it would be a decent reason to start using it till proper fix is found

 

I did use sleep back in UEFI windows 8.1 and when I was throttle-free for almost 5 days I didn't have any problem. I left it one night on battery only and after shutdown, throttle was back.

 

I've been doing a similar thing with my m17x r4 works most of the time -boot it up on SG then wait for everything to load put it to sleep then wake it up again, but then sometimes i just boot it up normally & have no throttling at all,

 

The only way to remove the damn throttle is to use win 10 with 352.84 driver.

 

The way we discribe earlier, seems to work. Throttling is gone until you shutdown the system.

With the 352.84 sometimes I got 'hard' lock and clocks stayd all the way down to 135mhz until I rebooted the system.

 

Are you using HWINFO64 for fan control? It will cause random hard locks unless you disable the battery monitoring in the sensor list.