ATI X1600 users - problem with PowerPlay

I own an HP nc8430 with ATI X1600 card, but I think my problem can occur on any machine with the X1600 (or any other ATI Xxxx card).

If I set the PowerPlay settings to "Battery Optimized" and run my notebook on AC adapter, everything looks to be working, i.e. clock of the X1600 is lowered and CPU+GPU temperature is low.

Now if I connect an external CRT to my notebook (and leave it idle), the PowerPlay settings automatically change to "Balanced", even if my preferred setting is "Battery Optimized". Unfortunatelly, this leads to higher X1600 speeds and thus higher temperature/fan noise. The temperature difference is about 15C (43C compared to 57C), and this is when my notebook is idle.

Could anybody who owns an external CRT try this test for me and tell me, if your PowerPlay automatically rises the setting from "Battery Optimized" to "Balanced" after you connect the CRT?

I don't know if this is a problem of HP or ATI, since I tried to install latest ATI Catalysts and it stays the same.

Thanks,
Petr

 

I get an opposite effect with my X300 on my IBM T43 and the latest Omega Catalysts. Hopefully getting my personal laptop soon so I won't have to worry about games on this work machine, but until then... I've tried to set it to set the power to "fast" on wall power, and "battery optimized" on battery, but it sets it to battery optimized under all conditions. Really quite annoying, had to resort to manually changing it with the ATI Tray Tools.

 

Whoops, my bad, I accidentally moved this thread to like 3 different forums LOL!

Continue....

 

I'll look into this when I get home (I have a DVI monitor connected to my dock). I'm guessing it needs to up the setting in order to handle the extra pixels from the second montior.

It might even need to up the power to drive the video out as well.

Like I said, I'll look into it.

 

okay...here's the info. This is a known BIOS bug that is keeping the card from downclocking while on a dock. it is very possible that it is really a bug, or you do need to extra power to drive the VGA, S-Video, DVI, and mini-VGA ports on the docking station.

regardless, i doubt it'll be fixed anytime soon. I hear that HP is working on it though.

if you are concerned about temperature, I posted the temps in a review of the notebook that will be online next week. they aren't really bad...you'll be fine.