After the GPU Downclocking... Do we have a CPU one? A call to M15x owners.

Has anyone had this issue looked at by alienware yet?

 

tried the only thing they say is "We aware of the issue and we are working on it" Have you have downclocking?

 

Hello all, I’m brand new to this forum!

I recently placed an order for the m15x and like many others; we’re stuck in the phase game on some apparent delay. New chassis? Screen delay? Who knows!?

Anyway this thread really caught my attention, was hoping someone can help an anxious, soon to be owner out.

After reading this thread I see one consistent problem, when the CPU temperature reaches 93C the multiplier is dropped.

The biggest problem I see that has not been brought up yet is 93C is not hot for this processor…

All processors on the m15x from the T8100 2.1Ghz to the X9000 2.8Ghz have an operating temperature of 105C.
93C is way to low, it makes no sense. 100C “maybe” but that’s even pushing it.

I didn’t see anything about changing windows power settings. It does appear to be heat and hardware related so windows power settings should not be performing the downclock.
But in the past I’ve seen windows power settings override hardware setting, including on other Alienware notebook systems.

In Vista, from the Power Options (Start - powercfg.cpl) I’d click High performance then hit the link for Change plan settings. From here I’d hit the Change advance power settings link and scroll down to processor power management. I’d expand the Minimum processor state and make it 100% (if needed).

Also, did anyone check BIOS settings for any power / heat related CPU options? The online manual for the m15x does not have any BIOS setup information… you typically need to hit delete or f2 during boot up to access this.

Thanks all! I’ll definitely be taking a detailed look at this when mine ships, but that seems like “forever” lol.

 

Since you don't have the X9000 you shouldn't have to worry, but in case you have the problem our good friend tacomenace has already come up with a solution

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=256719

 

Thanks GRB, awesome link!
I see the X9000 is on the M0 manufacturing technology and the others are still using C0. I guess that could make sense why only X9000 customers are experiencing this problem.

I have to say, that really stinks... i talked myself out of the X9000 4 times, but due to cost. Looks like that was a good call for the wrong reasons...

Thanks again!

 

Bumping up this thread as this still seems to be a problem on new batches of M15xs being sent from AW.

Andrew received his laptop recently and also has CPU overheating. I'm adding him to the list on post number 1 of this thread (if you want to keep yourself informed, go and give it a look... It is really worrying!).

AW has to do something about this... NOW!

 

You can add me also on the list ... but under NO DC

 

so you've ran the tests markus? Just wondering cause that would be great if you didn't have any DC

 

Yes, weeks ago already ... and I opend also a thread in the alien-forum.net
http://www.alien-forum.net/wbb/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=103
... but we don´t have many user´s at the moment, the forum is pretty new ... I reat also this forum a long time ... but I signed in few days ago

I ordered the m15x with the T7100 CPU, and upgraded myself to an X7900 ... there I had somethimes also DC .. but I think I had to much thermal paste on, than I switched the cpu to the X9000 ... and I had no DC at all ...

 

o ok gotcha so you upgraded yourself. What type of thermal are you using?

 

Arctic Silver 5 ... I tried few different in my 1730 .. but this one was always the best ... at least 1 - 2 ° cooler as the second best!

 

So, I got another X9000 user without DC

 

I don't know if I should count you... You ripped it appart, instaled it yourself, put your own thermal paste... Thumbs up to you, but what about AW? Maybe AW should hire you as a technician to assemble the M15x!

 

yeah cause i'm not brave enough to void my warranty.

 

Or send AW a guide on how to properly install Extreme Processors on the M15x.

 

I´m looking anyway for a new job ...

I thougt already, mabye AW is using cheap thermal paste ... or they use it wrong?!?!

Put still, the other User (Popov) got the X9000 from AW ... and no DC ... so at least, count him

 

I think I've set a record. I can get my CPU to downclock (from idle) in 2 mintues and 30 seconds (roughly). Didn't screen shot it, but I'll try again and get some shots.

 

Here's the shots:

Start time:

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6945/startfz1.jpg

End time:

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9273/endhs8.jpg

The CPU fan doesn't go to max speed until it gets to 85C, and the Extreme processors need a different BIOS to get them to kick in at 75, because it's just heating up way too fast. And that's all I have to say about that.

 

yeah I would say you did set the record.

 

Maybe AW reps can tell us whether they also think you set a record!

 

They still have not taken care of this yet guys.

WOW that has to be a record for ditching paying customers. lol..

So how is everyone doing these days?

 

Hot? (10 characters)

 

lol still dealing with the same crap hows the MBP?

 

My m15x is doing great right now. No overheating. And I'm gaming the heck out of it. How's the MBP?? What are you playing?

 

My M15x has been almost one month away from me. Supposedly they are building a new one for me. I hope they will make it right... Or else!
Appart from that, all the same old problems are still there. Oh well... Why do something if you can just live of your image!?

 

I got this on mine, the temp was 86C max.

 

only the x9000 core 2 duo extreme processor downclocks at this time. Its not AW's fault as many laptops are having this problem. The core 2 extreme has the highest multiplier allowed on a laptop at this time and that is what causes mose of the problems. The system overheats at this high multiplier and is forced to downclock or risk frying itself. Its not AW ditching their customers, its just a problem with no possible solution without changing the whole system and putting in a bunch more fans or something.

 

I bought new thermal paste from Tigerdirect (the most expensive one, was well worth it), and it now takes me ~5 1/2 minutes to get a downclock, but this is JUST after an application. It usually takes a couple hundred heat cycles to be accurate.

 

Well, I just stress tested and here's the results. No downclocking on my T9300. I would have let it go longer but didn't really see the point as I couldn't get it to break 80C. That's in a room environment of about 74F.

It topped out at 80C

 

@Maguai and Groove- If you guys could use RMmonitor and HWmonitor (I think that's right) to monitor the temps (both graphically and lower, current and higher temps of each of your laptop's component), that would be very appreciated.
Core temp and CPUZ do not really show you much. For instance, Groove... you CPU temp was 80ºC (as indicated on Thermofan) and not 69ºC.
You have the temperatures of each individual core and then you have the temperature of the CPU (which is the one that is determining on the downclocking).
When the temperature indicated on thermofan reaches 92ºC, it will downclock.

 

according to one of the alien ware reps from a while ago wont changing the thermal paste void warranty.

 

You are right exiled. But what would you do if you were Lessaj7? Alienware reps are more than aware of Lessaj, Taco, etc etc etc... CPU problems. Has anything been done? Are all these guys supposed to sit and wait for a miracle to happen?

 

Yea, it was confusing because each program was reporting different temps. RMClock is actually running on my screenshot and is in the top left hand corner. I just slid part of the GUI off the screen so I could only display the histograms. RMClock showed 60.4C, whereas Coretemp showed 69C and Thermofan showed 80C. Surely, each core wouldn't be 69C with a central unit temp of 80C? That doesn't make much sense, but 80C does sound more accurate. Updating my post...

 

Well, I don't get these temp reports. Thermofan is reporting 59C and HWMonitor is reporting 34C.

 

Ok, so regarding CPU temperatures... Thermofan is the accurate one (as it's not giving you the CPU cores' temperatures but rather the CPU thermal read).
For monitoring the CPU heating profile, the best is the following:

- Run RMClock (which you will use only for following clocks and voltage)
- Run HWMonitor (which you will use to follow CPU temperatures (thermal zone 1 and both CPU cores). Thermal zone 1 (I think it's something like that... it's the first on the list of components) is what you should regard as the "CPU". temperature". This gives you the same reading as Thermofan CPU temperature.
- Run Thermofan for CPU temperature and fan speeds
- Run Prime95 with "CPU stress- Small FTTs" (or whatever that is) and run it for a couple of hours.

Following these steps will show you what is the max temperature your CPU can be pushed to. I had to use mine for over two hours to get it to go up to 92ºC (read by thermofan and HWmonitor). Past this temperature, it will downclock.

As I need to run programs that require 100% CPU usage for long periods of time, this can become a problem. The same goes for video editing, conversion, music conversion, etc etc...

 

Well, wouldn't the cores generate the most heat? How can 2 cores at 69C produce a centralized source of heat that is 80C? That's like slapping a copper bar across 2 stoves, each generating X amount of heat. The bar will only heat up to X, not 2X. Am I missing something? How is the CPU temp reading different from the 2 cores? They are all part of the same chip.

Or is this an issue of differing thermal diodes being read on the motherboard?

 

normally the core temperature is the important value and it's usually some degrees higher than the temperature on top of the CPU. Therefore you normally get the most accurate information with a tool like "CoreTemp"


saint

 

I asked that question myself... I didn't get and answer and I don't have the slightest clue what is the difference.

Look here:



As you can see it's the ACPI thermal zone that is read by the Thermofan program. Above 92ºC, the CPU downclocks. What temperature is this? I don't know...
Anyway... the point is that above 92ºC (on the ACPI THRM or Thermofan's CPU temperature reading) the CPU will downclock.

 

Interesting...

 

Well really I changed the thermal paste because I had to properly clean out the fins, which of course requires me to take the entire heatsink off because this laptop has the most retarded cooling design I've ever seen. I had some paste lying around, but it was pure crap and came with my motherboard for my desktop, which is also pretty crappy and I'm glad I'm replacing it.

If I voided my warranty, so be it. All I wanted to do was clean the damn thing.

 

another to the list: under 1 min 30 secs before it underclocked.

 

Thank you very much ayeizajedi.

Do you guys realize that:

Close to 90% (88.9%, to be more precise) of the M15x owners that have the Extreme CPU have CPU downclocking!

 

Hey milcs, add me to the no downclocking section buddy, I'm starting to feel left out.

 

Milcs, I made a thread about this CPU downclocking at the official AW support forums. Hopefully they will make note of this.

 

Done! I also very hardly got downclocking (only got it twice or so and this was after 4 hours, if my memory does not fails me). I think it is obvious that this is a generalized problem of extreme CPUs on the M15x and that will only very sporadically affect users with other CPUs. (I actually don't know what happens in 2.6GHz CPUs).

It would be nice if you could post pictures of the CPU stress testing with HWmonitor and RMclock for, at least, a couple of hours. I would be really interested in knowing what temperatures your CPU goes up to.
If you could monitor during 2-3 hours and take screens every 30 minutes, that would be really helpful.

 

Cool deal, thanks! Tell ya what, I"ll run a long stress test later tonight when the apt cools down a bit and take a few pics during the course of it to see what happens.

 

Thank you very much Groove. As I said, most of the owners with the 2.5GHz will not experience any downclock. With me, the CPU's temp would just increase gradually (and slowly) over two-four hours until it peaked at 92ºC. Obviously this is a very thin line between 100% performance and downclocking.
That's why I'm interested on knowing what is your CPU's temperature profile.

Cheers again Groove.

 

Did they accept it? Did they post it? Or they censured it? I've read it's quite controlled there.

I am sure AW is completely well aware of this. They just simply haven't done anything.
I think the least they should have done was to remove the extreme processors as an option. But that would just be admiting that their all conception and cooling solutions are just bad and inneficient.

 

Your CPU peaked at 92!?!?! Damn that is toasty.

 

Actually I think you really misunderstand AW about this censorship. It's not that bad Milcs.

Good news. The new thread that I made regarding this CPU downclocking has been posted and Alienware-Warner says that he will pass the info to the senior techs.

Here's the link for anyone who wants to follow along.

http://support.alienware.com/Forum_Pages/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=569070

You will need an account to get log in though...