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    Help: Graphics Card.

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by tanjid29, Jan 19, 2012.

  1. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    I have an M14x with 3GB Nvidia 555m. Gaming on this laptop isn't good enough for some reason. I have an MSI too with 2GB Nvidia 555m & worse ram+processor than M14x. All the games still run much faster & without any lag on MSI more than M14x. Hoping that you guys will be able to help me out.
    I was trying out Fifa 12. It was working smoothly on 1920x1080 at the highest graphics settings on MSI. It was a bit stuttered & laggy on 1600x900 at the highest graphics settings on M14x. Surprising to me.

    I tried a few things.

    Overclocking GPU
    I tried overclocking as many people adviced me to do so. I used both MSI After Burner & EVGA Precise. It didn't work. Everytime I clicked on apply after changing the settings, it went back to default. Here's the video: Can't Overclock On m14x with MSI AfterBurn, HELP! - YouTube

    Whitelisting
    Nothing Changed.

    Driver Updated
    Nothing Changed.

    Beta Driver
    Nothing Changed.

    :confused: :mad: :(
     
    tanjid29, Jan 19, 2012
    #1
  2. niko2021

    niko2021 Notebook Evangelist

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    Both gt555m's aren't the same. I don't know the specifics, but one but m14x, like mine, is ddr3 not ddr5 like the other one. Also the bit's are different. They're almost different cards.
     
    niko2021, Jan 20, 2012
    #2
  3. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    Hey thanks for the reply.

    the gt555m on MSI is DDR3 as well.
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
    #3
  4. niko2021

    niko2021 Notebook Evangelist

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    I could be wrong, but the ddr3 gt555m 192 bit only comes in 1.5 and 3gb versions.
    EDIT: found a chart

    144 cores 709MHz (GF106), 128Bit GDDR5, e.g. MSI GX780
    144 cores 590MHz (GF106), 192Bit DDR3, e.g. Dell XPS 17, Alienware M14x
    144 cores 590MHz (GF106), 128Bit DDR3, e.g. Schenker XMG A501 / A701 (Clevo W150HRM / W170HN)
    96 cores 753MHz (GF108), 128Bit GDDR5, e.g. Lenovo Y570p / Y560p
    144 cores 525 MHz (GF116), 128 Bit DDR3, e.g. Medion Akoya P6812
    http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-555M.41933.0.html

    So the MSI version is gddr5 and the core clock speed is 709 vs 590 on the alienware m14x.
    Makes a difference between the cards. I'm okay with the gaming power on the m14x, but thats for right now. Anything above bf3 is going to be hard to play on high.
     
    niko2021, Jan 20, 2012
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  5. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    Thanks for the info man.
    You may be right, but I can take a picture of the TAG on the MSI laptop which says 555m DDR3. :\

    & I tried playing FIFA 12, but it's laggier than MSI. In fact MSI is smooth with NO lags at all. :(
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
    #5
  6. niko2021

    niko2021 Notebook Evangelist

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    Kind of a silly noobish question, but is FIFA selected to run on the gt555m on your alienware in the nvidia white list? and are your drivers up to date? To put the game in the white list, right click the desktop, go to nvidia control panel. I only ask because FIFA isn't demanding at all, and you should be getting good frame rates.
     
    niko2021, Jan 20, 2012
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  7. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    Exactly, Fifa isn't demanding at all & that's why I should get perfect result!

    Yes it's whitelisted. I don't know what's up.

    Here's a picture of the GPU stats, although you already know it:
    [​IMG]
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
    #7
  8. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    Just checked the FPS with Fraps on both.

    MSI @MainMenu - 60
    M14x @MainMenu - 15

    ^WHAT THE FLYING FRY?
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
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  9. R3d

    R3d Notebook Virtuoso

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    Is your GPU switching correctly? Seems like it's running off the Intel iGPU.
     
    R3d, Jan 20, 2012
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  10. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    Okay Let me run it off both Intel & NVIDIA then post the FPS @main menu.
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
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  11. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    Integrated
    @Start - 60
    @Menu - 14
    @Before Game - 27
    @During Game - 35-41

    Nvidia:
    @Start - 60
    @Menu - 14-15
    @Before Game - 27-32
    @During Game - 40-45
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
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  12. Patrick

    Patrick Formerly beat spamers with stiks

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    Those are close enough that I would say you are not using the nvidia card at all, only integrated.
     
    Patrick, Jan 20, 2012
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  13. niko2021

    niko2021 Notebook Evangelist

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    maybe your gt555m isn't running at full capacity, download msi afterburner for over clock settings, but don't over clock. Use its on screen display to see in game if you're getting 590 mhz on the core. You have to set it to show core mhz in the settings in OSD. Im thinking you're getting 203 mhz, which is the gt555m down clock mhz.
     
    niko2021, Jan 20, 2012
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  14. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    I'm on phone with Alienware Technical Support for last 3 hours.
    They are going to send a technician to my home to replace the system. -.-

    & Does anyone know how to unlock Overclocking the Nvidia GPU?
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
    #14
  15. Mechanized Menace

    Mechanized Menace Lost in the MYST

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    Nvidia System Tools
     
    Mechanized Menace, Jan 20, 2012
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  16. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    Can you give me step by step instructions?
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
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  17. SlickDude80

    SlickDude80 Notebook Prophet

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    Seems like you are having a pretty common problem with optimus and M14x. You're probably better suited to post this in the Alienware m14x forums or ask a mod to move it there
     
    SlickDude80, Jan 20, 2012
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  18. tanjid29

    tanjid29 Notebook Geek

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    I did, it's 590 Mhz.
     
    tanjid29, Jan 20, 2012
    #18