Overclocking the NVIDIA 310M under Optimus

No, I believe the i3 has been locked and is difficult to unlock & o'c.

Which nvidia driver are you using? I'm using the 260.63 Beta.

And is your i3 the 370M (2.4GHz)? Mine is the 350M (2.26GHz).

 

Nividia driver 260.63
i3 350m...
500gb hdd. That's the only difference as far as i know...

 

Has anyone tested the 3dMark Vantage?
Apparently, it's better as stability test (this means lower overclock )

I'm reading about the vantage around the globe. It's way much heavy than 06, and it's choosed for overclocking stability tests...
So try to test vantage... if you dare

 

This was my best result with 3dmark vantage
Vantage: 6887 (GPU:7010)
Core: 745
Shader: 1900
Memory: 1000

C'mon!! Where are those brave overclockers?

 

I did the 3DMk Vantage long ago, but have forgotten my scores.

But I tried NVIDIA Inspector. It let me open the max clocks so that I could push the memory up to 1000MHz, but 3DMark06 refused to run.

I tried the others speeds you listed and ended up with a much lower score than before (2100+ instead of 4400+). I have the same processor & GPU as you and the same U30Jc, so I can't see how you are doing it.

My score of 4430 & clocks remain the same as I shared at the start of this thread.

I can go higher on the clocks, but my score & stability only worsen.

Congrats on your U30Jc. It is unique. I can't even get close!

 

I've rechecked the results with this clocks in 3dmark 06, and they didn't change significant...

Just for the results, try to run the vantage, to know the score...

 

I believe you, but it just goes to show that models (like the U30Jc) are not all made the same. Maybe they put in a little better RAM or VRAM. I don't know. But I can't even come close to your clocks without my scores worsening.

UPDATE: And I can't run 3DMark Vantage on my U30Jc. It says:
"Required resolution 1280x1024 is not supported."

The U30Jc's resolution is 1366x768 so it doesn't even meet the minimum screen resolution requirements.

What did you do, run it on an external monitor? Because 3DMark Vantage won't run on the U30Jc's screen.

 

You must configure the presets as Entry (1024x768). Then, unselect ANY feature test...

The external monitor (at least for vga port), can't use the nvidia gpu... don't know why :S

 

Ah yes, I read this online after I had posted and have run the tests, but not clocked as high as I was. My original o'c only crashes 3DMark Vantage from the start.

To be frank, I can't even get close to your clocks. Really odd since we both have the U30Jc. Mine's the A1. I'm assuming yours is the B1.

When I did get 3DMark Vantage to run, the best score I've gotten has been:
650/804/1721
E 6129
GPU- 6064

On those settings, even, my CPU score kept dropping as I raised the clocks. I've no idea why.

Running 3dMark Vantage, I cannot get my core above 650 (nowhere near your 745) and complete the test.

Oh well, my present setup runs my games very well. My needs are small in this area.

 

Mine says U30JC-X3K ID:1B...
I'm sorry to that your clocks get that lower...
Next time, i'm just gone a test it with 3dmark06, with out sugestions...

Good luck!!

 

hey Quatro,

I tried overclocking my u30jc-b1 with the same values as your first post. I updated my drivers to the newest beta drivers Here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook-win7-winvista-64bit-260.63-beta-driver.htmlst beta drivers
I also installed what I think is the newest nVidia System tools 6.06 Here
NVIDIA DRIVERS 6.06

Everytime I try your values, even other values, it seems to freeze up my computer or crash the GPU. I would change the Shaders etc. and run a program that uses the GPU and it would freeze and force me to hard reset

Any help would be appreciated, oh knowledgeable one =))

 

Well, to be fair, you noted the guy before me whose scores on his U30Jc-X3K I cannot even begin to touch. It seems not all the same models are created equal. I've no idea why.

You'll have to try what I said at first and up one of the three areas and then run 3DMark06 and see if you can complete the test and what your score is. Then you raise it some more and run 3DMk again. Keep going until you can't or the score actually drops. Then you step that line back a bit and consider that your max.

Then you go to the next area and raise the bar a bit there, etc.

I'm assuming you are running the tests on full power (no power saving) and plugged in.

How high can you get?

What is your factory-set GPU speeds for your core, memory & shaders? (GPU-Z will tell you).

What is your 3DMark06 score with the GPU at factory settings?

 

How do you even get 3700 in the first place? I have a U43JC-A1 with an i5-450M which I assumed to be better than your i3-350M, the same 310M, and a 500Gb Momentus XT and I score only 3100.

Also, when I try to run the 258.96 driver, it says something like "couldn't find drivers compatible with your material" (trying to translate from french here).

I didn't do a clean install of Windows, would this have something to do with anything?

 

You may only be getting 3100 if you only have 2GB of RAM.

3DMark06 is mostly testing the 310M GPU and only the CPU a bit. The extra 150MHz of the 370M isn't going to show much difference.

ASUS, for reasons unknown but often guessed at, after the U30Jc, have downclocked their later U notebooks with the 310M. Some say they began to use slower DDR3 VRAM. Others think it is to keep down heat and some think it is to conserve on battery. Perhaps it's all three!

Your 310M is likely clocked lower than mine. You can use GPU-Z to see. Here are my default GPU clock speeds:



Here are my CPU-Z memory results:



My initial 3700+ score was with the stock 320GB 5400rpm HDD. When I upgraded to the Momentus XT 500GB hybrid, it didn't improve my 3dMark scores one bit. It DID affect my HD Tune (HDD benchmark) scores.

Six quick questions for you:
1) What are your GPU speeds shown in GPU-Z's "NVIDIA GeForce 310M"?
2) How much memory do you have installed?

• I have 4GB. Some non-US models are coming with 2GB which would affect your 3DMark06 scores.

3) On using higher nVidia driver versions, is your BIOS 214?
4) Do you have "Intel Management Engine" installed?
5) What version of the Intel IGP driver are you using?
6) What version of the nVidia GPU driver are you using?

• On your CPU-Z opening page, be sure the lower right shows "Cores: 2" and "Threads: 4". (not 1 & 2).
• Also, be sure you run 3DMark06 in "High Performance" and plugged in.
• Be sure the test is run in the default resolution of 1280x768.

BTW, the 310M's 512MB VRAM vs 1GB VRAM is mere marketing hype. The real bottleneck of the 310M is the GPU core itself, so more memory won't help that much.

... and your English translation from the French was very good.

 

1
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/6176/gpuzq.png
This is a screenshot of my gpu-z.

2
I have 4gb memory.

3
My BIOS version is 215

4
I didn't installed anything from Intel so unless my laptop had already it installed, I don't think I have it installed.

5
I think my Intel driver is version 8.15.10.2202.

6
My nVidia driver is version 260.99 and I still score 3100.


Thank you.

 

I have a few questions:

1.Have you ever tried to underclock your 310M?
2.Have you found anything on how to disable intel graphic processor in your U30Jc?

Thanks in advance

 

I've no idea why you're only getting 3100. On the U35Jc, everyone else seems to be getting 3400 or more. Something is off or different that we're not catching.

You can clock your 310M up to my stock level very safely, if you wish. Just follow the instructions at the start of this thread. Then let us know what your new score is.

Can you give us a screen shot of your CPU-Z memory tab as well?

Are you running 3DMark06 in 1280x768?

You should have Intel Management Engine installed. It won't hurt to be sure of that by even reinstalling it. You can get a copy by going over to ASUS's driver site for your model. Look under " Others" in the drivers list.

Can you give us some screen shots of your CPU-Z page and a screen shot of your WEI scores?

Here's mine on stock settings:


Oh, and it seems the Momentus XT change did help my WEI score a bit. Gaming went from 6.0 to 6.1 and hard disk went from 5.8 to 5.9

No, my battery life & cooling are fine. I see no need to underclock my 310M GPU.
I've no idea, nor do I see a purpose in disabling my Intel IGP. Unless you want to try it for a WEI score? It's just a score, not real life use ... and not a very important score either.

You can download the NVIDIA Optimus Test Tool ( HERE) and have it up and on while you run the WEI test. It will show you what parts of the test are using the GPU. HERE is the direct link for the Win 7 64-bit version.

I keep my NVIDIA Control Panel settings to Auto and it does well. I can also force some things to run in with the GPU.

But it is just a score. In real life, my video works great and it can do many games just fine (though I'm not a big gamer.)

 

Lol! You sure have a good memory regarding what concern me the most Well, I'm just trying to test all the potential of my notebook. Have nothing else to do (except my examination, lol!), so why not?

BTW, I tried to use the F9 key function to restore my windows, everything goes just fine, except that I can't use my nvidia tools, can't run 3DMark06, and can't use GPU-Z anymore! GPU-Z tend to crash each time I tried to use it. Hopefully I'm able to figure out the causes soon enought

 

F9 to restore your Windows?

I believe F9 at boot up is to launch ASUS AI Restore which will reinstall Windows 7 again from the image files on that hidden partition.

I'm amazed anything works now if you did that!

Why are you needing to restore? Usually, if I have a problem, I go to System Restore (not F9) and go back to a previous Registry set up. It doesn't always help but helps at times.

Now what will you do?

We have a saying in the US: "If it isn't broken, don't fix it!"

You may be fiddling with your Windows set up more than necessary and causing yourself problems.

It sounds like something related to the video. I think I'd reinstall the nVidia 310M driver, the Intel HD Graphics driver and your Intel Management Engine.

It may not help, but it won't hurt to try this.

 

Well, to be honest, I'm just fiddling around with my notebook I'm testing whether the F9 magic key can really works, and now, yeah, it does work. Lol! I found that the partition that is used for the image (20Gb) isn't fully used, there still around 8Gb leave unused. I wonder if there is any method that we can do in order to replace that restore image provided by
ASUS with our own (a fresh win7 copy with all our favorite software and crucial drivers, no bloatware, lol!).

In Malaysia, there is something like this: "Seperti Tikus Membaiki Labu", which means someone that is trying to fix something that he doesn't know will just make thing worst (its me!)

Thanks man, I'll give it a shot!

 

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/2818/cpuzwei.png
Here is my CPU-Z on memory tab and my WEI score.

I run 3dmark at 1280x768.

Also, when I try to install nVidia Performance Utility from systam tools, I get this message I don't understand:
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1200/nvperfo.png
which even in french I can't tell what it means, but it could be something like "Transformations' application error"

And what does Intel Management Engine do?

Thank you.

 

Hey Quatro or any, the GTA IV with OC, is playable?

this cpu 520um is oc possibly? up to 2ghz

thanks for all

 

I'm not sure but it assists your Intel HD Graphics driver to work properly. It MUST be installed for your graphics to work properly.

If I were you, to be safe, I'd reinstall it. You can find it on the ASUS driver page for your model under "Others".

ALL of your WEI scores are great except for your oddly low 2D Aero score (3.7 instead of everyone else's 4.3). The Intel driver has a lot to do with this. And if the other U35Jc users clocked their 310M up to my speed, their WEI Aero score would also be 4.6 like mine. So should yours.

Please try to reinstall your:
1) Intel Management Engine driver
2) The latest Intel HD Graphics driver (which for the U35Jc is the 2119 driver. The U30Jc lists the 2202 driver. No idea why the U35Jc lists a lower driver. I'd go with what they list.)

Then reboot & rerun your WEI test again. Let us know the results.

BTW, "transformation" can also mean "change" or "update" in English. That must refer to the driver update you're trying to install.

 

I can't speak from personal experienc, but Grand Theft Auto IV is a game from 2007. Why wouldn't it work well? At that date of release, it should play it well without the overclock.

My 310M on my U30Jc plays HL2:E2 on highest settings for everything with no stutter or problems anywhere.

Look HERE.

Oops, GTA IV hasn't been tested in that list with the 310M.

HERE is a video clip on YouTube playing GTA IV on their 310M. Is that what you're looking for?

 

Hi

Note that this video is working with a i7m and also 4-core, for the 310 is not a problem, but GTA4 is the titles that require more CPU processing power

for that reason I would like to know how it works with i5um low voltage processor that is much lower than the models m, and also be 2 cores and 4 threads

may need some cpu oc, but I personally do not know if it will be enough to be playable, to see if someone can make your exp

thanks for your reply

 

Oops. Sorry, I didn't notice you were talking about the i5-520UM.

Yea, 1.06GHz is pretty slow, but it can be turboed up to 1.8GHz.

Will it be enough? I've no idea.

 

I just bought u30jc-b1 with i3-370M and 310m 512MB

I just installed 3D mark vantage and came up with

E5833
GPU 5567
CPU 6810

and these are with stock clocks.....with latest Nvidia 260.99 drivers

Should I try overclocking with the Nvidia system utility? I have never overclocked before.

@Quattro After overclocking is there any difference in Bad Comp 2,NFS or Mafia 2?

Thanks

 

I can't say as I don't play those games. Yes, enough overclocking of the GPU shouild improve the gameplay of any demanding game. How much can you overclock? Each machine is a bit different (even within the same models.)

Try a bit of overclocking yourself and report back what you find out.

I used 3DMark06 so the 3DMark Vantage numbers don't mean a lot to me comparatively. 3DMark06 seemed the fastest & easiest to monitor what an overclock did (or didn't do) and it seemed to crash less than 3DMk Vantage.

And when I found a stable overclock on 3DMark06, that overclock worked everytime in the games I tried out.

I installed the nVidia System Tools and it included a performance tab in my nVidia Control Panel where I could overclock. You can read about it at the start of this thread.

 

Does overclocking void warranty? As I will create a new profile in Nvidia settings I guess I can always restore to factory default?

I ran the test and before it was 3719 and after applying the same frequencies as yours I came up to 4272.

Also in settings I set the resolution as 1366x768. Did you change any settings other than that?

 

No other changes except that I left the resolution at the default 1280x768. In fact, because my edition is the free Basic, I don't think I can set the res higher. But most run it in the default res 1280x768. You'll get higher points running the test in the default 1280x768 rather than your laptop's native 1366x768. Also, I didn't (couldn't) run the last two "Feature Tests" and "Batch Size Tests" as these are not available on the free basic edition.

But setting my oc to the numbers at the start, I obtained 4330-4400 or so. But I haven't tried it in a while on my newer GPU drivers.

UPDATE: ... okay, I just ran 3DMk06 on oc under my 260.99 drivers and got 4359.

Until I find a stable oc, I don't save the settings to stay on reboot so that if there's a problem (freeze/crash), I only need to reboot.

Once I found settings I liked and worked well, you can save that "profile" on NVIDIA CP.

A hint: notice the frame rates at each scene of that first landing space battle test. Then when you alter the clock some more and run the test, you can see fairly quickly if it is worse or not without having to sit through the entire 10 minutes of tests.

And you won't void your warranty as you can't really burn out your GPU. Windows will just crash or you'll get graphic artifacts. And at some point in the oc, NVIDIA will let you go higher in an area, but the score will DROP as the GPU begins to struggle and make mistakes. Not dangerous. It just doesn't work as well. And if the GPU is very unhappy, it will begin to not accept the oc and just freeze the system.

I'm using the U30Jc-A1 model with 2.26GHz processor, so you could get higher than me.

Have you tried to push each GPU clock are one-by[one a little higher (step-by-step) and see if you can get a better score? Some w/ the U30 have gotten a lot higher than me.

Build isn't equal even among the same model. I've no idea why. Just the way it is.

Give it a try!

BTW, just for comparison, here's the breakdown of my latest 3DMk06 scores:
Overall: 4359
SM2.0 score: 1669
HDR/SM3.0 score: 1667
CPU score: 2342

 

Can anybody who has system tools working send me his 1036.mst file shown in this picture?

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1200/nvperfo.png

Thank you.

 

I have a 1036.mst file in seven different locations, most of them different sizes, none of them in the location your error box lists, so I'm not sure which one I could even send you.

I don't think you need it. I suspect it is an install error.

Sorry, I wish I could help more!

 

Hello,
I just got out of my exam period so I have a little more time on my computer for overclocking now.

It seems like I can't install system tools on my computer so I installed EVGA Precision instead.

I overclocked my stock clocks (core 606, memory 667, shaders 1468) to yours (core 625, memory 780, shaders 1530) and my 3dmark06 score jumped from 3100 to 3930!

But now I would like to see if I could do more but I don't really know how to "choose" clocks (do I do it randomly little by little?).
Also, for some reason, EVGA puts a limit of 800 mhz for the memory clock so I don't know what I'm going to do about it..

Thank you, Simon.

 

Hi Simon. Well done! Just setting your clocks to the U30Jc's default has given you a big increase; more than I get on my defaults! (Your faster processor perhaps?)

On getting more, just follow what I wrote at the start. You begin with you core clock. Up it only a little (10-20) and leave the other two clocks alone.

Run 3DMk06 each time. Write your total and individual scores each time. Note if there is an actual increase. Then go in and up that same clock a little more. You do this until:
1) your score DROPS or
2) your laptop freezes.

In either case, you then back down the clock a bit and record that as the safe max for that clock, then REBOOT the laptop and move on to the next clock (memory). You set the core clock at its highest SAFE clck and then begin to slowly up the memory clock.

Even if the 3DMk06 score only drops, you'll need to reboot to reset things. Be sure your clock changes are NOT set up to stay after reboot.

This is a slow and tedious process for sure. 3DMark06 (not Vantage) should be set on the default of 1024x768. You get sick of seeing the same tests over and over ... but it's the only way.

I don't know why System Tools isn't installing for you. You're in France? Perhaps the international install makes some differences? I don't know. WHich version of System Tools are you trying to install and what version of your nVidia GPU driver are you using?

I have noticed that installing 260.99 has looked good, but made my overclocks less stable. I've no idea why. It may be good to try this using the default nVidia driver from ASUS' site.