nVIDIA mobile Kepler 6xx MASTER overclocking guide. Workaround for max clocks/OC stability.

I've read that almost all people here have problems on overclocking the Kepler series mobile GPU's. So I'd thought why not make a thread for it where you can get ALL the info you need.

I can't say I have a Kepler though, I have a 630M that is basically a rebranded GT 540M.


So, enough with the non-related stuffs for now. Let's dive right it.


What this guide will have.

1. Drivers and basic tweaks
2. Overclocking your mobile Kepler with turbo disabled and maximum clocks allowed

ADVANCED

I know some people here like svl7 from Tech|Inferno and NBR and Prema from and NBR and BIOS-MODS forum likes to mod and change settings with the BIOS of videocards.

If you people happen to have a vBIOS dump (GTX 660m/680m), or a BIOS dump of your system (GT 640 D3/D5, 640LE, 650 D3/D5). Please post them here so both svl7 and Prema can mod it.


3. List of GPU with modded vBIOS/BIOS download (below)

DRIVERS AND OPTIMIZATION
​

DRIVERS


First would be updating your drivers, as usual go to the nVIDIA website and download your preference (latest BETA or STABLE).

Follow kingpinzero's guide for tweaking your system and doing a proper driver install

Link: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...ve-amd-nvidia-drivers-using-clean-method.html

Credits: Kingpinzero


Windows power management: Set both min CPU usage and max CPU usage to 100%. Change all cooling method to "active"




Please use throttlestop by unclewebb. Disable BD Prochot.

Throttlestop: http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...arket-upgrades/531329-throttlestop-guide.html

Credits: unclewebb

Master OC guide​

Software needed

GPU-Z (reading status and monitoring hardware)

NVIDIA Inspector (overclocking)


Credits: whybother @ OCN



OVERCLOCKING WITH A FIXED CLOCKSPEED

Why?

1. More stability, less frequency jumps
2. Higher stability, higher OC frequency

WoT with dynamic boost OFF and ON

Off on the left, On on the right



Dynamic boost= Biggest failure of 6xx series, not automated hardware can beat a human operator in overclocking a graphics card.



Nvidia inspector power states

Performance modes
P8 = idle clock speeds and lowest power consumption
P2 = the default mode used when your PC boots or no drivers are installed.
P0 = Gaming/Load. This mode only accepts boost/offset values

However, this is using GTX 6xx series kepler DESKTOP graphics. Differences in mobile systems are explained further down

NVidia's latest WHQL 320.18 accepts the +135MHz override
2 Members of NBR confirmed that 320.18 works with the OC tutorial. Tested on MSi 650M


How to force specific P-states

The command line is required to do this. Either run "cmd" and locate the directory containing nvidia inspector, or create a .bat file in its directory.

Force P8 (idle) nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,8
Force P2 (custom) nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,2
Return to Default nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,16



Using batch files for simple switching between power modes
Create the following batch files in your Nvidia Inspector directory.

overclock.bat
nvidiaInspector.exe -setBaseClockOffset:0,0,135 -setMemoryClockOffset:0,0,500 -setpowertarget:0,111 -setVoltageOffset:0,0,187500 -setGpuClock:0,2,1311 -setMemoryClock:0,2,3500 -forcepstate:0,2

force_idle.bat
nvidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,8

default
nvidiaInspector.exe -setVoltageOffset:0,0,0 -setGpuClock:0,2,705 -setMemoryClock:0,2,3000 -forcepstate:0,16

Hint: Mobile keplers does not have voltage offset, keep -setVoltageOffset:0,0,0 and do not modify it



Additional help if you still can't get the numbering method
This is also for SLi Setups on bigger laptops

The commands above are self explanatory. Simply adjust the offsets/values to suit. I use shortcuts to execute these batch files, making idle<->overclock an easy toggle. Even with forced idle clocks, blurays only use 20% gpu.





PLEASE CHECK BELOW FOR A vBIOS MOD BEFORE USING THIS OVERCLOCKING METHOD


This is where it gets to the point where you have to at least figure out something on your own.

The command line of the P-state, is not only 0,x as stated above for the desktop GPU, it might need a different value.





nVIDIA GT 650M

Experienced by asdad123 (NBR/McRMR) in his MacBook Pro Retina

15-mar/2013: UPDATE SMC FIRMWARE TO STOP THROTTLING
Apple support article MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update v1.1

McRMR thread: Retina MBP BootCamp Overclocking Results - MacRumors Forums

NBR thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/app...p-overclocking-results-gaming-benchmarks.html

As confirmed by neon10th of NBR, the pstate have to be 0,5 instead of 0,2 . Neon has a HP DvT series


This might be the solution to: DDR5 GT 650M users in the DvT6, Alienware M14x (R2), Sager NP616/75 (W15/70ER).

DDR3 650M users (sheesh, really DDR3 in 2012?) in the W110ER and N5/76VZ might work, but no confirmation yet.

However it needs proving by somebody using 0,1 in the above stated laptops.

UPDATE: use method in this post for DDR3 650M: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...d-max-clocks-oc-stability-26.html#post9002309




GTX 660M


GTX 660M in the Y580, INSTALL THIS BEFORE OVERCLOCKING


As experienced by Nahrai (NBR), he needs to use 0,5 instead of 0,1

This however, is done on a LENOVO Y580 card.

NBR Thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ideapad-essential/675756-660m-overclocking-boosting.html


These laptops use a similar 660M core, but you might have to use a different value than 0,5

Alienware M17x R4/R3 (assuming you got the 660M to work), Clevo P15/70EM, LENOVO Y580, ASUS G5/75 series.




A word of warning.

Using -resetAllPStates command does not work correctly.

Reverting to default P mode can sometimes, depending on what you did, lock your card at a specific clock speed. Simply reinstall drivers to fix (clean install not required).

There is a 1-2% performance loss using this method. I have no idea why. Stick to normal overclock methods if you want high benchmark figures.






Known BIOS Mods and advanced tweaking

NP6110 (W110ER), NP615/70 (W15/70ER) unlocked BIOS: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...818-clevo-w-series-prema-bios-mod-review.html

Credits: Prema + svl7 for vBIOS



Gigabyte U2442 C/N/V models

Here

Credits to: Prema


MSi GE6/70 OEM EDITION ONLY not intended for whitebooks/barebones

Prema Mod BIOS GPU OC Edition for MSI GE-Series


Other

-N/A-

Please go to this thread at Tech|Inferno

If you want to mod your vBIOS, please post a BIOS dump (GT 650M and lower)

Or a vBIOS dump (read by using GPU-Z or NIBITOR) for GTX 660M and GTX 680M





Cheers

 

Reserved for future posts

 

Great Thread!

Will keep visiting for more update.

 

I hope my guide comes handy. Been using the clean method since a lot of time now and never had a driver installation issue.

 

Just wondering, did the guide work out for you 640M LE?

 

You, sir, are a godsend. I have an HP dv6t-7000 with an 3610qm and a 2GB 650m DDR5 and I was successfully able to overclock the core past 970 mhz! I've been looking for a way to do this for several weeks.

You might want to add this to the OP: I can confirm that using a shortcut to force the pstate worked perfectly. However, similar to the other user, I had to put NVidiaInspector.exe -forcepstate:0,5 instead of 0,2 because the middle state for my laptop is P5.

Here are some 3DMark11 Results:

970mhz core/3000mhz mem (no throttlestop): P2644

Spoiler

1150mhz core/2800mhz mem (with throttlestop): P3030!
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3610QM Processor,Hewlett-Packard 181E score: P3030 3DMarks
OR

Spoiler

Thank you so much! +REP

 

Hai gaiyz, leetz scorez .
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3610QM Processor,CLEVO CO. W150ER score: P3288 3DMarks
It worked for the np6165/w150erq. Using 1202.3 mhz core. The memory wont go over stock though @ 2000mhz, wont even go 1 point above 2000, in p5 or p8. p0 (normally heavy load) you can't unlock max, so i just used p5, unlocked max set clock, and forced state. Thx for sharing this wonderful info. Can you help me fix the memory being not overclockable? (Its normally overclockable using MSI afterburner).
Just wanted to add that the memory isn't locked in the hardware, but nvidiaInspector wont let me increase it above 2000mhz

 

LOL wait what. You can overclock GT650M almost up to GTX 580M?

 

Na, 580m 3dmark11 stock gpu is about 3191, mine is only 3066 .

 

Yeah thats almost in my eyes. Holy cow

 

Woah, wait. How does an extra 55mhz core result in about 250 extra points in 3DMark11 than my card? What drivers are you using?

 

Currently it doesn't seems to be affected by the application overclocking tools.
Probably got locked somewhere inside the BIOS.

But, with the help of svl7 from Techinferno, I'm currently running at 950MHz core VS the 500MHz stock.

 

I'm using 304.79 nvidia beta drivers. Which drivers are you using btw?

 

Ah, I'm using 304.48. Are you on Windows 7 64bit? Also, does your system use Optimus? Because it seems like in the beginning of every test I have a really low fps then it slowly creeps up. I see that between every test my GPU usage plummets to 0%. It's also quite peculiar how our combined tests yield just about the same score of around 2500. I'm going to install those drivers and see what happens.

 

I'm on windows 7 64 bit, and my system also uses optimus and i think its normal that between tests the gpu usage plummets to 0% which is what it should do.

 

Crap, idk what's going on. Now I can't even break P3000 anymore and I'm using the 304.79 drivers. I wonder what's wrong. I'm using the most recent version of 3DMark11 basic (the free version), if that makes a difference.

But to solve your problem, though, I found out you have to go to the P0 state and boost the mem to +1000. Then you'll notice that you can't go past 3000mhz on the mem. I guess the boost acts as a limiter to the P5 mem state. Let me know what you're 3DMark11 score is after OC'ing the mem.

But yeah can anyone help explain the massive disparity between our scores?

 

Repz, to Nahrai:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ide...660m-overclocking-boosting-3.html#post8700344
The post above allows me to oc the memory as well.
1203.2 core/2860(1430) mem result
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3610QM Processor,CLEVO CO. W150ER score: P3378 3DMarks

 

You got that score without Ocing the memory ?
Seems that its pretty useless to oc the memory, at least on GDDR5 version.
Also 1200mhz from 835mhz on core without overvolting, this gpu is a crazy overclocker !!!!

 

Its not useless to oc memory, see my last post, heheh

 

Wow impressive results with 650m\660m cards.

 

I need to clarify certain things here.

First of all, this thread got created before I got PMd.
That's simply not how this works - just creating a thread with a call to users to post their vbios mod requests, without even having contacting the guy who's supposed to do all the work.
I think a lot of you guys really underestimate the time it takes to figure out and create such mods. I'm doing this all on a voluntary basis and 99% of the time I don't see a single cent for this. It's mainly for fun and all in my spare time.

Second, I'm not going to take any vbios requests here. My home is at Tech|Inferno, feel free to contact me there.

 

Hmm interesting, you got really high Graphic score compared to me, even though I have higher core clocks on my OC Could it be that CPU making difference, even though it's graphic score ?
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i5-3210M Processor,LENOVO Product Name score: P3041 3DMarks

 

Hmm, I have no idea though, I reproduced a 3385 score and a 3365 score, so its not a fluke though

 

Just to show everyone here that the 650M is a crazy card with unlimited OC potential o_0

I'm glad the tutorial worked for you, but just a question. Did you have to use a different p-state ( 0,x ) compared to the tutorial?

 

I used; 0,5 with memory increased in p0 as well.

 

nice guide, but i might add that at the moment this procedure does (at least for me) not work on dell´s gtx 680M.

you can change the memory-clock but changes in core-clock won´t get accepted (although the oc´ed value is displayed)...

 

does the temp gets a lot higher at 1200 with a 660m? cause its a very nice overclock... im currently at +138 on core and +500 on memory with afterburner.

I get P2951 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3610QM Processor,Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. MS-16GA score: P2951 3DMarks

Should I upgrade my driver? (im using the one coming with the MSI laptop)

 

My temp went up by maybe 2-3 C thats all. I think you should upgrade your drivers though. I was ocing to 1k ghz before so yours might go higher. Temps also depend on your laptops cooling.

 

The 650M GT is really a weird gpu. Ocing it like hell doesn't really push the temps. Giving the fact that the Clevos we use don't have beast cooling systems. I mean two pipes with a shared fan...It is really a cold gpu. Never saw that before in my overclocker career

 

on 1220 MHz Core and 2800 MHz memory i have 71 degree max after 1h of Prime95+Furmark. I have cooling pad(zalman NC-2000) though, but still there is place for improvement, when we take into account overvolting.

 

2800 mhz for the memory seems to be a sweet spot. At 3k it's a little instable. Anyway, Ocing the memory doesn't seem to have a big perf impact compared to core. Maybe some games will like it though.

 

I could attest to this. A measly 9300M GT I had before increased an average of 2C per 100mhz above the stocks, and yet this card I have clocked at 1150 right now and it didn't even go 1C beyond its normal temps!

BTW, I just used pstate:0,2 and it works. idk what's up with that. I have a dv6t.

EDIT: In other news, there is no way to undervolt the GPU, is there? And also, is there no way to somehow still enable dynamic switching and use the non-boost state for gaming/stress instead? Lols I can get absentminded sometimes and forget to switch it back to default

 

Yeah, same here. Since you have the same exact laptop as me and almost the same configuration, do you think you can run 3DMark11 with those clocks and see what you get so we can compare?

 

I envy you guys

 

Hmm...I ran 3DMark11 again with 1175mhz core and 2800mhz mem and got P3103. Kind of weird how an extra 25 mhz yields another 73 points compared to my last test of 1150/2800.

Edit: Disabling triple buffering in the NVidia control panel and forcing VSync off caused my score to increase even further. I even lowered my core to 1170 for stability and left mem at 2800 and got a score of P3144.

http://3dmark.com/3dm11/3892797

 

Question is, why you had vsync and triple buffering enabled in NVCP in first place? That's nonsense.
Either use game own vsync or do it externally with d3doverrider.

 

Well, VSync was actually set to "Use the 3D Application Settings" so it may or may not have made a difference. I just didn't know if 3DMark11 inherently used VSync. But yeah, having triple buffering enabled was pretty stupid. I meant to have it enabled for a specific game using NVidia Inspector but it turns out I had it on for the global profile. Explains why BF3 was giving me such horrible input lag.

 

I've done extensive testing using crysis 2, the witcher 2, skyrim and alan wake. The gpu is stable but temps go high after continuous playing for an hour or so.
80C after 40 min, 82 after an hour and 83-84 about 1.5 hours into gaming @1200/2700 clocks which makes the pc unstable. So now I've gotta get my temps lower somehow. Btw, these temps are without throttle stop. With throttlestop turbo fixed, the temps reach 87 C on the gpu after about 35 min of gaming as the cooling pipes in my laptop share the same fan. Gotta devise a good cooling mod. I would really appreciate if you could add in some info here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...ager-np6165-owners-lounge-28.html#post8712199

 

Same problem here, all I can do is oc the memory so far. Increased clock speed (as well as an alleged boost clock) do get reported in nvidia inspector and gpu-z
though, but they don't work. I'm quite a bit fed up about this, seeing that we pay a premium for this card only to be denied its full potential.

 

I couldn't overclock the core of my 650m with 295.xx drivers but 296 and later works. What driver version do you have?

 

Running on 304.79 here. Do not think it's a driver issue, it seems more like one of Dell's "special gifts" like the useless power throttle they introduced with the GTX 580m. I really hope someone finds a workaround.

 

Try dumping the vbios using nvflash and contact svl7, maybe something can be done.

 

Here's my vbios (dumped with NVFlash 5.118) for the community to peruse

 

Try posting at Tech|Inferno instead, svl7 might response faster there

 

I can't go past 1150mhz. It BSOD's. I think it's a driver limit, though. Or, I hope. I got P3005 on my 1150mhz/2900mhz core/mem OC.

 

Same thing here. I got as far as 1170mhz but it BSOD's after a few minutes of intensive gaming. I also have a dv6t-7000. It may not be a driver limit, unfortunately. I think we've reached the full potential of our cards and we're being limited by voltage. Still, we shouldn't really complain since we pretty much OC'd 315mhz on the core and 900mhz on the mem, which is insane!

 

@neon10th, scratch that. I managed to get to 1160mhz without BSOD's (Incrementing by +/- 1mhz isn't worth it imo) and i have the memory still at 2900. I'm getting inconsistent 3DMarks though. Perhaps with a more stable driver I can get better marks.

Also, I can't imagine overvolting this thing anymore. Lols. When I play in a well-ventilated room in the evening I get about 75C tops, but when I game during noontime (which is scorching hot where I stay) GPU gets as high as 85C. Lols. So I'm happy with the ~39% OC on the core. Lols.

 

I am running my m14x r2 @ 1100/2300 with great temps and fps thanks a lot mobius! My gpu maxes out at 61c in BF3 (probably lower as I have an i5 3210m)

I see people are using massive memory clocks! Has anyone actually seen a benefit in any games? I am not seeing any extra frames when I overclock the memory, even when gaming at 1080p

 

In games that may not matter, but in benchmarks they do

 

I'm seeing a solid improvement in fps at every clock increase, though of course there are diminishing returns. Memory clocks do increase the fps slightly but its much more apparent when you are using more of the memory and textures, also higher resolution. I've seen that oc'ing the memory makes fps changes much more responsive, so improves gameplay smoothness. If you go from a clear urban area to a high foliage area in a game fps is likely to drop 10-15 frames and that sudden drop is very apparent but oc'ing the memory helps with that transition