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    5850 High Benchers... Inap, Rev, etc...

    Discussion in 'Alienware M15x' started by stevenxowens792, Apr 4, 2011.

  1. stevenxowens792

    stevenxowens792 Notebook Virtuoso

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    All, I know each of you take the 5850 to 900/1100 or higher on benches. When getting these scores do you utilize the standard M15x psu or do you utilize the 240psu for the m17x?

    I am wondering if you could actually squeeze more out of the 5850 with the higher psu? I wonder if sometimes we are psu limited when our cards max out at lower scores 825 or 850?

    Thoughts? Comparisons?

    Thanks,

    StevenX
     
  2. Ldmoose

    Ldmoose Notebook Consultant

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    You need to up the voltage of your card to have enough power to support those higher clock speeds, the stock psu is fine for the 5850.
     
  3. stevenxowens792

    stevenxowens792 Notebook Virtuoso

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    Most have already increased voltage. I know I have... Again this goes back to comparing 125/150psu vs 240psu.

    StevenX
     
  4. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    StevenX, I used the standard 150W PSU to power the M15x during all of the benchmark runs reported here http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...enchmark-thread-part-2-a-72.html#post7299611; and here http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...benchmark-thread-part-2-a-72.html#post7302559. The conventional wisdom is that high end mobile PSU's such as the Dell 150W unit used by AW can deliver peak power about 20% above the rated capacity. Nevertheless, I suspect that I am colliding with hard power limits at the extremes when simultaneously o/c'ing both the 920xm and the 5850m, but don't know whether those limits are physical PSU limits on output or BIOS limits on power input. Will probably acquire a 240W brick for experimentation, particularly if I go for a 6970m.
     
  5. stevenxowens792

    stevenxowens792 Notebook Virtuoso

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    Does anyone have both the 150w and the 240w and see if the GPU OC limits are increased due to the avail power?

    I know each piece of hardware has it's own limits. Just trying to push the wall a bit.

    StevenX
     
  6. inap

    inap .........................

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    i had both for my M15x. most of my runs were done with the 240 psu. both max out @ 185-190 watts during intense benching. both gave me about the same scores when i tested it, but the 150 watts psu gets extremely hot during those benches while the 240 gets a little warm.
     
  7. stevenxowens792

    stevenxowens792 Notebook Virtuoso

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    And we are sure that all the m15x's came with the 150w psu? I am just trying to do some scooby work here to make sure. Inap, are you "sure" that both PSU's benched the same? Or are we slowly stumbling across the secret that is.... INAP? <evil grin>
     
  8. svl7

    svl7 T|I

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    I have never heard of a different PSU for the M15x. You can check yours, the specs are on the back of the PSU.
     
  9. inap

    inap .........................

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    sorry the secret dies with me, muhahhaha :D well i did the testing awhile back, but the revelator has been pulling some very impressive number with the 150 watt psu so i still think what i say is still true. another thing i always use is a surge protector too.
     
  10. Kojaku

    Kojaku Notebook Consultant

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    Yeah, today I bumped up my clocks from 725/1000 to 800/1000. I was playing crysis 2 on full settings 1080p and my card would just shut off after a bit, then turn back on. I volted up to 1.02 and it fixed it, though now I'm hitting max temps in the high 80s while playing Crysis 2 with the aforementioned settings...too hot?
     
  11. Kojaku

    Kojaku Notebook Consultant

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    Also, I was reading that thread, Rev...At those clocks didn't your lappy spontaneously ignite or something? How do you cool it???
     
  12. raven evo

    raven evo Notebook Consultant

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    @Kojaku with that OC i think your temps seem ok.
     
  13. Mexic00ls

    Mexic00ls Notebook Deity

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    i was playing crysis 2 on max aswell, set at 750/1050/1.05 and my max mem temps were 84, but now im back to stock clocks since im play around with my new 920xm..... lol
     
  14. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    Inap, has more than one o/c secret. but probably the most important one is auxiliary cooling in the form of portable air conditioning directed toward key elements. If you notice his temperatures with the various editions of the 920/940xm and 5870/5850m he's used, you'll see idle temps in the low 20's and max temps in the low 50's during some of his highest bench runs. Among other benefits, the low temps result in reduced resistance that facilitate higher clocks and allows more efficient use of the available power.
     
  15. inap

    inap .........................

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    dam it rev!!! now everyone knows :( hehehehe
     
  16. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    You have plenty more, and not many have access to custom portable a/c other than you and Mandrake. I used to love it when Moo and Scook9 would put the whole notebook in the freezer to force temps down while benching. Worked like a charm.
     
  17. inap

    inap .........................

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    i also take the bottom cover off too. after benching my laptop is always nice and cold, hehehe
     
  18. Kojaku

    Kojaku Notebook Consultant

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    That seems like too much extra voltage to me. I didn't even have to volt up when I ran at 750/1050. I had max temps of like 80. Totally viable temps. I just wanted the extra processing to smooth out character movement in Crysis 2.
     
  19. darth voldemort

    darth voldemort Notebook Evangelist

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    I had the same problem where although my OC works fine in ANY game or benchmark SO FAR, Crysis 2 causes driver crashes and actually crashed my whole computer a couple times. I know, I know: lower the OC. Well guess what, no OC programs I can find work any more they all crash for me :(. Can somebody please confirm that increasing the voltage will make crysis 2 stop hurting my GPU?

    GPU-z reports 100% gpu usage most of the time while in crysis 2, then a dip in usage while the driver crash happens.
    thanks
     
  20. Mexic00ls

    Mexic00ls Notebook Deity

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    I agree the volts was abit high but i was.still ocing but my gpu wouldnt work passed 800 cores at stock volts so i tought i up it abit, but it didnt work either
     
  21. Kojaku

    Kojaku Notebook Consultant

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    I reflashed my bios using atiflash...no problems here. Also, the clock on your memory is a tad high. perhaps that's the issue...
     
  22. darth voldemort

    darth voldemort Notebook Evangelist

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    nope, the clock on my memory is fine in any game I play. I have my gpu flashed bios to 1.1v and 800/1100, but I cant get any OC programs to work so I can try underclocking it to make sure the OC is why crysis is crashing. I don't remember what I used to flash my bios actually... but I may need to do it again if crysis 2 keeps fussing.
     
  23. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    Try Trixx to adjust your 5850/5870's clocks.

    UpShare.me - The easy file hosting

    As Kojako said, use Atiflash from within a DOS session to permanently reset your GPU clocks.
     
  24. JohnnyFlash

    JohnnyFlash Notebook Virtuoso

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    Run OCCT with error checking and see if it passes; I'm guessing that it's not going to. The memory on these cards is very temperamental.

    Also, watch your temps closely while running the test.
     
  25. stevenxowens792

    stevenxowens792 Notebook Virtuoso

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    I would keep the mem at 1000 as the 100 mhz really makes very little difference.. in games or benchmarks.. the 800mhz cpu makes a huge difference! So kick that up if you need. Lower mem, raise gpu.

    Good Luck, StevenX
     
  26. darth voldemort

    darth voldemort Notebook Evangelist

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    THANKS. now I can adjust my OC again! +1
     
  27. darth voldemort

    darth voldemort Notebook Evangelist

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    Hey I underclocked to 825/1000 and ran OCCT and it was fine and then played crysis 2 and it crashed the driver! then I underclocked again to 800/1000 and it was fine. I think the crysis 2 game for some reason is more inclined to cause driver crashes than anything else.
     
  28. Laxxi

    Laxxi Notebook Evangelist

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    LOL! That really works?

    Gazes towards freezer...
     
  29. drkfire07

    drkfire07 Notebook Consultant

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    Wouldn't advise it for condensation issues. I have seen several desktops being ruined for doing it.
     
  30. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    The newest methods include dry ice applied directly to the heatsinks. This is DR650SE's R2 during a 21K+ record run in 3dMarkVantage yesterday or the day before. His idle temps were at or below 0C with peak temps under (very) full load of about 40C, including a 6.235 run in wPrime 32M using a 940xm o/c'ed to about 4000MHz. Not something you'll see everyday. In Vantage, his 5870's were o/c'ed to 1000/1300.

    [​IMG]

    The freezer approach does require some special handling to avoid condensation issues, but those are apparently easily managed. Scook9 on the M17x forum is the local expert. Perhaps he'll drop in and share his experience; otherwise, get in touch with him there or via PM. He is friendly and approachable.
     
  31. darth voldemort

    darth voldemort Notebook Evangelist

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    I have seen vids of people overclocking a 980X(desktop) to over 6 GHz using a square metal tube filled with liquid nitrogen attached to the GPU using thermal paste. Has anybody ever heard of using liquid nitrogen for a laptop? probably could not get quite as high clocks, though.
     
  32. svl7

    svl7 T|I

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    The temps are not necessarily the limiting factor... it seems I can't run a CPU bench at 27x multi across all cores... even when the temps are fine. But would be interesting to see whether it works when I freeze my CPU :D
     
  33. darth voldemort

    darth voldemort Notebook Evangelist

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    isn't it already frozen because it's in solid form?
     
  34. DaneGRClose

    DaneGRClose Notebook Virtuoso

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    I just used the standard PSU on mine, I did bump the voltage though. Can't remember what the exact was but I seem to remember either 1.10 or 1.15 on my top run. As others have said cooling is the most important aspect here, I have no doubt that had I not had A/C under mine with the voltages and clocks I ran the card very well may have exploded lol.
     
  35. darth voldemort

    darth voldemort Notebook Evangelist

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    I have mine at 1.1v and it doesnt get very hot at all with stock heatpipe and thermal pads and $7 thermal paste, so you were probably at 1.15v. What kind of AC did you use? some kind of heavy duty air pump with cooled air just blowing at the heatsink?