Step by step guide - Overclocking ATI and undervolting Core 2 Duo in Vista (+results

lol good one!
as far as i can see there are several power management profiles u can choose from and modify them, i have multipliers of 6,7,8,9,10 i believe.

 

alright im on it

 

DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED

PART 1​

Download and install RMCLOCK from here

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If you already have this version installed then do nothing, if you have an older version look inside the RMCLOCK folder and there will be a registry entry called "Wipeout" double click that and then download RMCLOCK from the link above.


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Download ORTHOS, a cpu stress utility from here. This will be used to stress test your cpu to see if its stable after undervolting.


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Now that you have both programs, go ahead and run RMCLOCK (without any modifications to the voltages) and go to its CPU info tab, keep this window open and now run ORTHOS and select the test "Blend - Stress CPU and RAM" and click start.

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Keep running the test for 10 minitues and notice the Core Temp displayed in RMCLOCK window...pretty high isnt it.



Mine hits 90C under full load !

Now click on stop and then exit to close ORTHOS, if you just click on the close button it will minimize to system tray.

PART 2​

Go to RMCLOCK and select the "Advanced CPU settings" in the left pane



Make sure "mobile" is selected and the box for "apply settings...startup" is also ticked. Hit apply and you might have to restart just RMCLOCK or your PC, do so.

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Go to RMCLOCK, expand the "profiles" menu and select "performance on demand"



Check "Use P-state transitions (PST)" for both AC power and Battery. Then check each of the multipliers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,......In my case I only have till 4 but you may have more or less depending on your CPU.


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Head over to the "Profiles" main menu...meaning click on Profiles only.



Here change the Current Profile to Performance on Demand for both AC and Battery, leave the Startup Profile to No Management (this is in case your undervolt is not stable and it might give you a BSOD when you start up your PC, only set this to Performance on Demand after being fully sure that your undervolt is completely stable.)

Make sure all the Indexes are ticked

Uncheck the "Auto-adjust....VIDs"

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Now the lowest multiplier (in my case 6.0x) and its corresponding voltage is what the system will use to power the CPU during lightweight stuff or when its idle. The highest multiplier (in my case 10.0x) and its corresponding voltage is what the sytem will use to power the CPU during intensive stuff. The multipliers and their corresponding voltages in between are for the intermediate steps.

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By default my lowest was at 0.937V and the highest was at 1.250V.

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What you want to do is to change your highest multiplier to a lower value than the original go down in steps, or if your impatient in steps of two.

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Hit Apply, go to the CPU info tab, run ORTHOS again and monitor the temps. Note, ORTHOS will say ERROR and STOP if the CPU is unstable (this means your voltage is too low and you will have to make it higher in RMCLOCK)

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Run ORTHOS for about 40 min per voltage test (I know most of you will just lower the voltage down by a **** load, run ORTHOS for a couple of min, see no errors, will be happy) Don't do that, fine you can lower the voltage by a **** load if you really want but dont run ORTHOS for a couple of min, errors take some time to show up if there are any.

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Once you have a stable voltage for the highest multiplier, you can lower the multipliers in between to a lower value (not higher than the maximum voltage)

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Now you can enable RMCLOCK to automaticaly start with WINDOWS through the Settings tab, also if you are sure your undervolt is stable you can change the Statup profile to be Performance on Demand as well. This way whenever your laptop starts up you will always be using the undervolt.

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The other profiles like maximum performance, power saver.... are there if you only want it to run your laptop in one profile...not recommended, the performance on demand is a dynamic profile which will adjust the cpu and voltage to your needs.

PART 3​

Be happy (my temps a bit higher, normally its 62C, its high since I just ran ORTHOS a min ago with the default voltage to get the pic for this thread)





Kewl ey drop from the 90's to the 60's

As far as I know RMCLOCK must remain running for the undervolt to be in effect, also if you dont like having two battery icons when your on battery power (rmclock's and windows), go to RMCLOCK battery info main menu and select Hide OS Icon

 

great, great guide! will rep u when i can again! lol

 

hmm...for some reason i do not have voltages lower than 1.00v but even at 1.25v my temps do not go over 80C

 

you sure the cpu type says mobile (under advanced cpu)...look at 2nd image

 

I couldn't get my rig stable under 1.0. And my temps peak around 60C, so I wouldn't worry as much about it. But blackbirdis right, once mobile was checked, I saw sub 1.0 readings.

 

nope the mobile thing is checked...when i tried setting it at 1.000v my laptop just restarted itself...too low i guess.

 

My rig is stable at minimum voltage all through.

 

Same thing happened to my G1s when i tested 1.000v. The lowest setting I can use is 1.125v. I tested it out for good 2.5 hours and everything seemed very stable. The temperature drop is quite noticeable (approx 10-12C).

 

what's ur max temp now?

 

Max temp at 1.125v is 76-77C.
Max temp at 1.250v was 88-90C.

I was running 3dmark2006 and noticed that my temps were still going up to 74C for CPUs. I was getting the same temps without undervolting. I'm going to see if everything is set correctly again and run some tests on some games.

 

is overclocking for ati 2600 disabled? When I go to ATT>Hardware it says Overclocking Disabled rather than overclocking Settings. I clearly did not set Disable Overclock during ATT installation.
I remember hearing success stories about 2600's OC so is there an alternative tool to OC it?

 

I think only the AMD GPU tool works, but some people haven't gotten it to work. Worth a shot though!

 

also, whats a good software to interpret my system information? (eg, type of graphics, cpu, ram, hdd, etc)?

 

Everest

 

I just want to thank blackbird for his RMClock guide. Thanks!

Cheers,

Ivan

 

I have 64bit vista and i cant use NHC, are there any other cpu undervolting software? i really want to undervolt my laptop again.

 

dude, go back a page or two. blackbord posted a thorough review on how to use rmclock to undervolt ur cpu

 

Blackbird's post won't help, it doesn't explain how to enable the use of those programs on Vista-64...as far as I know, you can't right now. But I could be wrong.

...not to discount Blackbird's post.

 

.

Try my rmclock guide, if it ceases to work or you get the same problem as not being able to use it then try this

I found this over at rmclock forums

"OK it's not an extensive tutorial, but to get RMClock running under Vista 64 you need to do 3 things:

1- Disable UAC (User Access Control) in the Control panel - User accounts.

2- Disable Driver Signature Enforcement. Go to the command promt (run "cmd.exe"), then type
"bcdedit /set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS" (without quotes, and the DD is not a typo)*

3- Reboot and be happy


* in Vista pre-Beta 2 this command used to be "bcdedit -set nointegritychecks OFF"" - Posted by rmclock member eph

Another possible way could be running it in compatabilty mode for xp.

Dont worry your not lol

 

I have tried that, but i have also tried reading in the RM forums and one of the vista updates fixes that disable integrity checks so that command does not work, i am stuck with no cpu undervolting now >__< this is just great, should i just uninstall that vista hotfix?

i have got RMclock working but only when i boot in TEST MODe, is that safe for normal everyday use or should i avoid booting in test mode?

 

err..2 questions
is there any long term effect of lowering CPU voltages?
whats the ideal test duration to assuring that my CPU is stable?

 

Hi devilcm3,

I think there is no long term effect. Atleast I don't know any.

I think running stress tests for couple of hours will be enough. I personally just undervolt and see what happens. Check forums and see if someone has undervolted the exact CPU as you have.

Cheers,

Ivan

 

Awsome thread, would like to give this a try, anyone want to give me a hand? If I have an Omega Driver, will it work?

Asus Z96JS,

-Core duo processor 1.83 Pentium M
-1ghz Ram ( DDR2 i persume, will orthos tell me?)
- ATI x1600 radeon 512mb

I would like to undervolt and overclock, anyone who has the specs want to let me know what is the optimal undervolt setting? and any other advice you have come across while Oc'ing? thanks a bunch


Im going to try doing this, Ill keep updates, 1st I ran the Orthos

Idle 51/35
After test 73/36
im running NHC because RMclock does not show me the core temp


Btw can I undervolt cpu first? then overclock gpu?

 

Hi dksupremacy,

I answered your PM before seeing this, so I guess you can forget about that PM reply

Thanks! I am glad you like it!

Yes undervolting CPU and overclocking GPU are separate things, but be sure one is stable before you try the other.

Omega is fine.

So do you have Core duo cpu right? Try undervolting 0,2V at max multiplier and see if it is stable. If it is, lower even more. Undervolting can cause BSOD.

Max multiplier is the most important since it is used when under 100% load (like games), so make sure it is stable.

I hope this helps,

Ivan

 

Yea read the PM, thanks, Yes i have core duo cpu, Thanks for the help ikovac, repping you up!

Going to start today, Ill post an update and see how it goes!

 

Hey Thanks! Merry Christmas! See how it goes and report back!

Ivan

 

Merry Christmas to you as well!

When i installed the ATT, i opened the software a pop up came up and said this

"The ATI Hotkey Poller" is currently running. If you want to make use of ATT low level overclocking this service needs to be deactivated, while it must be present in the backround to use ATI overdrive 3 Overclocking. Do you want to disable the "ATI hotkey poller" now?"

Do you click yes or no?

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Just to make sure what i have to do on undervolting, the pic shows default. I can't go at .95v, the lowest i can go is 1v, Do i just lower 7-11 by .2v? I have a T2400 Duo Core processor

So then just lower 11x by .2v till i find stability and then lower 7,8,9,10 in that order for stability? Btw i would use RMclock but there are a lot of options i cant choose so im going to use NHC


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For overclocking my GPU, here is default



After OC'ing



The highest it went before finding artifacts was 540/436.5 ( I tried lowering it to 539/435 but it kept going to 533/424), so i just took the highest stable w/o artifacts and lowered it by 10+ (just to be safe).

Btw i just clicked No when the pop up came up and i first moved the MEM slider by 10, checked for artifacts then if it was safe, moved the Core slider by 10, checked for artifacts , et cetera. So did i do the GPU OC'ing right?

Does the difference between the core and mem matter when OC'ing? (ex. for 540/436 the difference is 104, for my default it was around 80)

could i use the artificial test in ATT to find my max MEM and Core?


How do i check my GPU temp in ATT?

 

Well I have been following blackbirds guide for RM clock and things have been going good. My max multiplier is 10x. I undervolted from 1.250V to 1.000V. I am stable at 1.000V. Should I try going any lower? Also what should I change my other multipliers by? Should I lower them all by .250V?
Thanks for the great guides.
Tim

 

Well after testing 0.987V my laptop became unstable right away and shut down. I haven't had any problems with 1.000V. Should I just use that or should I go up to 1.025V to be safe. I ran the test for 1.025V for close to 2 hours without any errors. I also was able to play Call of Duty 4 at 1.000V without any errors. Finally should I just lower all my volts by .250V?
Thanks and sorry for the double post.
Tim

 

i found my lowest stable 11x at 1.087 (max is 1.26 and min is 1v) I set 10x to 1.087 as well, Iplan to lower 10x and test it, i just lowered all the others by 2v and tested it.

This is my undervolting setting

6x - 1v
7x - 1.025
8x - 1.075
9x - 1.075
10x -1.087
11x -1.087

This was the default

6x - 1v
7x - 1.050
8x - 1.100
9x - 1.1625
10x - 1.2125
11x - 1.2625

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I have no clue how to test the intermediate stages though

 

Yeah I would like to know if there is a way to check the intermediate stages too. Here are my current voltages.



My temperatures which were normally in the 70C range when I was at max performance now only reach the mid-60's at max performance. Normally usage my laptop runs at 50C. This is also with a notebook cooler. I love the temperature drop.

The lowest voltage that I have is 0.937V. There doesn't seem to be a way to lower it. That kinda sucks because my highest voltage is only 1.000V. Not a big difference. Do you guys have any recommendations? I have been stable running the test for 40 minutes. I have also played a few hours of CoD4 without any problems. I tried to get Notebook Hardware Control to work but it didn't detect my voltages. Maybe I need to have RMclock un-installed for it to work. Thanks for both of the great guides.

My next plan is to overclock my GPU. But I think I will wait on that for a little bit. I just want to make sure my CPU stays stable. Oh one more question about GPU overclocking. Should I update my drivers first and then overclock (kinda stupid question but I just want to make sure).
Thanks
Tim

 

I would get the latest drivers before Overclocking the gpu,

 

all my multipliers are set to 1.075v.
idles at around 45-ish to 50
load at around 60-ish

 

I was able to get 11x down to 1.075, but im mind boggled at why there wasn't a temp drop between 1.21v and 1.075, I still hit 70c

 

mine's are weird - they started at a very high voltage for some reason, and my drop in voltage was quite significant.

 

Huh I was away for a couple of days, and see what happens!

I don't use poller. Click Yes.

You did it right!

Actually it does. There was a big thread about overclocking x700 on this forum and many of us (Chaz, Tim etc...) were trying to see the logic behind it. The conclusion is that you shouldn't make a big difference between the two. Overclock MEM first and then raise GPU core clock, find the max and then lower a bit. That is the recipe.

Yes and no. Games are the ultimate test.

No way if your system doesn't support it. 99% of notebooks don't. I actually could read my GPU temp with Everest home edition! Not on HP though.

I hope this helps,

Ivan

 

I would go for 1.000V. Others can be lowered by 0,2-0,25V. The lowest cannot be lowered. So leave it alone.

This is OK. Other multipliers can be tested only if you lock them and test. NHC has this ability.

Tim - everything is fine. the lowest multiplier is locked - leave it. It also doesn't make any difference to the temp. The highest is the most important - that is used when you play games. If you have 10 degrees drop that is very good!

NHC sometimes doesn't show voltages. Use RM clock if it works.

Always update drivers.

So in games it is still the same temp? I had that issue with RM clock before 2.30 version. RM clock says everything is ok, but there is no actual undervolting. Also don't use RM clock and NHC at the same time. Uninstall NHC before RM clock.

I cannot help you with this. On maximum multiplier if you lower by 0,2 V you should see at least 5 degrees drop at 100% load. I would expect even more in fact.

Ivan

 

hmm yea i have both NHC and RMClock installed, Im on XP which do you believe is more stable? Im using RMClock the most i temp difference i got was 5c lower, and that was from 11x - 1.26 to 1.21. After lowering it from their, i wasn't able to get lower then 5c. Ill try uninstalling RMClock 1st and just use NHC (For NHC everything shows up while RMClock sometimes shows my cpu temp). Ill redo the undervolting and see the results. (I use Benchmark 06 for undervolting stability) Thanks for the help Ikovac!!

btw CPU 0 isn't showing up when I go to CPU temp thermal zone, and when you say lock, you mean by unchecking right? Finally, when looking at the voltage settings, i have 6x-11x,11x,11. It shows 11x three times, do i check all three 11x? or only one is good enough??
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Ok, I uninstalled RMClock, and just kept NHC, the lowest i was able to get on 11x was 1.075 from 1.26v. Just ran orthos, now im going to use 3d benchmark06 to see what the temp will be. Posted a screenshot



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Ran 3dBenchmark 06, It did go to 70c once or twice, but it hovered around 67-69c, 11x @ 1.075v is stable, time to find the other multipliers

 

Hi dksupremacy,

1.075 is ok for 11x multiplier and after 100% load for hours it is ok to get 70 degrees C. You can also use NHC to test other multipliers. Remember there is no point to undervolt the lowest (6x).

Do you have the same heatsink for GPU and CPU? If you do, then undervolting CPU will help GPU temp too, and your fan will be less noisy.

Good work!

Ivan

 

yeah, on 1.075v the highest temp i got was 68 degrees. i can probably lower the volts by 0.025, but don't think it's worth it.

 

Thanks, Yea, GPU and CPU share the same heatsink

Thanks for the help!

 

I guess for T7200 users who run on battery saving mode the undervolting does not do much since it uses the lowest multiplyer and the default voltage anyways which leaves my laptop at 58-60.. but running dynamic switching It makes a difference =).
O out of curiosity who else has OC an X1400 before?

 

hmm this is strange, i was concerned why my idle was 60c, before it was 55c, so i uninstalled omega drivers and installed the original ATi that came with the laptop, the temp dropped to 59c, so now the idle is 57-59c. does anyone know why

 

True. Undervolting is for gaming purposes mainly! I think there is a thread on this forum about x1400 oc.

Cheers,

Ivan

 

Hm. Does Ati original driver turn on Powerplay? Or perhaps your comp got hot from all that testing? Wild guess actually.

Ivan

 

yea powerplay is on, but ATT also had powerplay. yea i thought about that as well, so i checked again after having the laptop off for about 8hrs and checking, idle temp is around 57-58c, i didn't know drivers affected temp!

 

Well I believe they can do! Good point, that would be an interesting thing to check, but difficult too. If we could find the people with the same machines, but different drivers to run some tests and be able to read their GPU temp - that would be amazing, but I guess it is impossible.

The other way is to install different driver versions on the same machine and check what happens every time you do that. The difference could be noticed at least indirectly, like you did through the CPU temp since you have the common heatsink. It must be time consuming though.

Good idea! If you would like to do it, I might help you somehow! At least by advice!

Cheers,

Ivan

 

Ok, I re-did the tests to see if the 1st time was a fluke, and the results have shown me that it did not make a difference in temp , so i just reinstalled the updated omega drivers