m15x Updated 8800GTX Drivers With *NO DOWNCLOCKING*

So far I'm very happy with my m15x, the only disappointment is the lack of updated graphics drivers from Alienware. I tried using newer drivers from laptopvideo2go but I the graphics card would downclock after I installed them. I did a bit of reading on the laptopvideo2go forums and it appears many people with different brand laptops are having this problem. It would appear the "PowerMizer" feature of the latest Nvidia drivers is causing the cards to downclock.

However, you can disable this feature with simple text edit. I am now running the 175.80 drivers with my m15x. I have just played Crysis and monitored GPU temp and clocks with Riva Tuner. I played for approx 30 mins and the card reached a temp of 73 degrees Celcius and all the clocks remained the same as with the stock Alienware drivers (167.55 that came with my machine).

If anyone is interested in trying this for themselves here's how to do it...

Download the drivers and modified ini file from laptopvideo2go and edit the modified ini file as follows:

Look for the following section in the modified ini and note the PowerMizerEnable value is set to "1"

;Powermizer settings
HKR,, PowerMizerDefault, %REG_DWORD%, 3
HKR,, PowerMizerEnable, %REG_DWORD%, 1
HKR,, PowerMizerLevel, %REG_DWORD%, 3
HKR,, PowerMizerLevelAC, %REG_DWORD%, 1
HKR,, PowerSaverHsyncOn, %REG_DWORD%, 1
HKR,, EnableCoreSlowdown, %REG_DWORD%, 1
HKR,, EnableMClkSlowdown, %REG_DWORD%, 1
HKR,, EnableNVClkSlowdown, %REG_DWORD%, 1

Change it to "0". Your entry should look like this:

HKR,, PowerMizerEnable, %REG_DWORD%, 0

Now use the modified ini as you usually would with the drivers. After reboot you should find PowerMizer is disabled and you have updated drivers with no downclocking.

I haven't done any further testing yet, I have just checked the clocks remain at normal speed.

Obviously you do this at your own risk... only attempt it if you are comfortable with installing the modified ini and updated drivers!

 

I thought the powermizer was an active downclocking feature, where if the app did not need the full clock, it would downclock and that the whole m15x downclock issue was that it would downclock at thermal temps, not at program need. When I do 3dmark tests with my modded ini drivers, I can sync up where the test started and ended with the full clocks then see it downclock when switching from test to test; however, when I play CS, tis a different story - it is usually downclocked most of the time and I still squeeze like 300 fps...Not sure if any of that makes sense, but it was a try to clear my understanding.

 

What the problem is gengerald. People play high end games and the grapics card downclocks. Games Like Lord of the rings or Crysis. Then they see a slow down.

 

No, I understand the whole issue with downclocking = bad with gaming, but is the powermizer thermal or projected application 3d need?

 

Powermizer disabled will also kill battery life, but since the m15x has stealth + bynary gfx...that shouldn't be a problem.

 

Fantastic! I'm getting more and more hopeful that my M15x will be one of the "lucky" ones, now that this thread has appeared. My main concern was the issue of overheating. Thanks for brightening my day just a bit.

If there is any further information and recommendations, advice etc, that anyone can give me on the specs I have ordered, I would appreciate it. (Specs in sig)

 

finally some highly computer literate m15x owners.. thats the main reason sager have such a good rep.. all the users are extream hardware enthusiasts.


ordering:
Skullcap silver m15x
1920x1200 8800mGTX
T9300
after my final exam tomoz
3800+ AUD stupid australia

 

Well I managed to locate the registry key that enables/disables Powermizer and I turned it back on. Rebooted, checked Riva Tuner and sure enough the 8800GTX had downclocked. I fired up the Crysis benchmark and gave it a run, and would you know it the thing runs perfectly well! I just checked again with Flight Simulator X and everything was fine, very smooth framerates and no outwardly visible signs of downclocking.

It would seem as though the downclocking is "on the fly" and it will step back up to full speed should the application demand it.

So it would appear that the 175.80 drivers work fine with the m15x...

 

Gunsmith, looks like you've got a great spec there. I see you went for the 1440x900 display which is the same as me. I think the 1920x1200 is too much for a 15" screen, and of course running at a slightly lower res will still look great but give you that little bit extra headroom for the graphics card.

The 7,200 RPM hard drives are excellent (especially are using the sluggish 4,200 RPM drives in the HP HDX9000). I wish the 320GB versions were available when I ordered my m15x

Remember a 32bit operating system won't use more than 3GB RAM (something that many retailers don't tell you when you buy from them).

As long as you treat your m15x with the care it deserves and you maintain your Windows installtion properly it shouldn't give you any problems. Bear in mind all those high performance components in a 15" chassis WILL generate a lot of heat, so remember to always make sure the airflow for the heatsinks is unobstructed... i.e. dont put the m15x on your legs, on a carpet or on a duvet or blanket... ALWAYS put it on a flat surface that will leave the vents unobstructed. It never ceases to amaze me how many people sit with their laptop on a carpet or blanket for a couple of hours and then complain when it starts to get hot and do strange things.

I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of your new m15x, it's a real beast of a gaming system in a little chassis

 

Some rumour that Vista with SP1 sees all 4gb(unconfirmed yet).

 

It sees it, but it doesn't use it.

 

Vista SP1 will in fact show 4GB but it's only showing you what's physically installed not what it can actually use.

 

Vista with SP1 now "SEES" all 4gb of RAM, and will report it on the system properties, but still can't fully utilize it. This has to do with the upper limit of 32bit OSs, and memory mapping. In other words, SP1 doesn't change the way Vista utilizes memory at all. It only changes what you see when you look at the system properties. Placate the customers, and they'll stop complaining, see.

No matter, it utilizes like 3.2-3.5gb, and that's still pretty good. Switching to 64bit Vista removes the limit, but you probably can't stuff more in a laptop anyway, and there are lots of driver issues w/64bit. 32bit is just fine, and 4gb is great.

 

Right, but had some people reporting it "uses it" too. That's why I left the "unconfirmed" part too.
I know 32 bit systems can't physically use 4 gb, but hey, people can hope

 

If you install SP1 for Vista, you can see all 4GB of RAM.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/32-bit-Windows-Vista-SP1-to-Handle-a-Full-4-GB-of-RAM-74239.shtml

 

lol, yea Chaz. Unfortunately 32-bit systems can't use all 4 gigs. That's why I only have 3 gigs installed on my m15x.

 

Actually, that's not quite accurate. 32bit OSs can address 4gb of RAM, just no more. It's mathematical...2^32 = 4,294,967,296. The problem with Vista isn't that it can't use 4gb, it's that it won't because it is memory-mapping some of your hardware (like the big fat video card we all have under the hood). That mapping accounts for up to 512mb of RAM that isn't available to the rest of your applications.

So - even if you only have 3gb installed, Vista is doing the same thing... mapping a portion of it off the top. So - technically speaking, 4gb installed is still better than 3...

 

If 4gb is installed on 32bit Vista, is the "unused" memory lopped off one card, or both equally?
What I really want to know is if it affects the dual-channel whatnot?

 

@Heath - Heh pretty good one but I'm not sure how many members are going to like that.

Yea disabling powermizer will kill battery life but as said before you guys have bianary and stealth so it shouldn't be a problem at all. I've gone in the NV_DISP inf file before and turned powermizer off but on the M9750 that was bad .

Also, there are 3 levels for the powermizer. If you are turning off powermizer, make the level 0 as well. I have mine looking like this.

Powermizer settings
HKR,, PowerMizerDefault, %REG_DWORD%, 3
HKR,, PowerMizerEnable, %REG_DWORD%, 0
HKR,, PowerMizerLevel, %REG_DWORD%, 0
HKR,, PowerMizerLevelAC, %REG_DWORD%, 0
HKR,, PowerSaverHsyncOn, %REG_DWORD%, 1
HKR,, EnableCoreSlowdown, %REG_DWORD%, 0 (if you're not worried about your temps)
HKR,, EnableMClkSlowdown, %REG_DWORD%, 1
HKR,, EnableNVClkSlowdown, %REG_DWORD%, 1

 

Thanks for the info guys, that was really quite useful. And I learned something!