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    Can downclocking GPU extend battery life?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by chunkie, Jul 14, 2008.

  1. chunkie

    chunkie Notebook Guru

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    Can downclocking GPU extend battery life? Any consequences of doing so?
    Can videos play as normal?

    What's a safe level to downclock it to?
     
    chunkie, Jul 14, 2008
    #1
  2. royk50

    royk50 times being what they are

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    yes
    3d application will turn into a slide show
    no issues with video playing

    but it all depends on the specific gpu (yours?)
    the new nvidia drivers down clock by them self when 3d is not used,
    this is how my gpu behaves :
    3d gaming 500/799 if the 3d is not demanding it clocks down to 383 /310 then 275/300 and finally to 200/100.

    saving power and reducing heat.
    you can use gpuz to monitor your gpu clocking
     
    royk50, Jul 14, 2008
    #2
  3. boypogi

    boypogi Man Beast

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    yes!!!!!! :D
     
    boypogi, Jul 14, 2008
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  4. LinXitoW

    LinXitoW Notebook Consultant

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    This post suggests that no, it does not.
     
    LinXitoW, Jul 14, 2008
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  5. mujtaba

    mujtaba ZzzZzz Super Moderator

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    Well, depends on the GPU, my dedicated GPU [X1600] consumes 17 Watts at the maximum, I have noticed a drop in the temps and the power usage after doing it. But the gains can be minimal if the GPU can automatically downclock (not sure if there are GPUs that do it by default)
     
    mujtaba, Jul 14, 2008
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  6. chunkie

    chunkie Notebook Guru

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    mine is NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS. does this gfx automatically downclock?
     
    chunkie, Jul 14, 2008
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  7. royk50

    royk50 times being what they are

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    check it
    run gpuz (the sensor tab)
    open a game in a window mode and watch the graph
    then shut the game window if it changes...
     
    royk50, Jul 14, 2008
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  8. chunkie

    chunkie Notebook Guru

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    Just checked. Mine is able to downclock automatically.

    Even so, it's rather hot.. Are there other ways to lower the GPU temp and lengthen battery life?
     
    chunkie, Jul 16, 2008
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  9. royk50

    royk50 times being what they are

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    sorry that's it as to gpu temp.
    as to battery life: down clock cpu, under volt cpu, turn off devices that you don't use (cdrom modem, wifi, etc) reduce screen brightness.

    that's all i can think of right now.
     
    royk50, Jul 16, 2008
    #9
  10. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

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    the gpu core can not dynamically downclock like a processor core can. No matter how much you decrease the clock speed of your gpu, the power consumption will be the same.
    If it was possible to do this, the geforce 8400 uses only 15 watts of power or so at full usage, so it is not really a drain on your battery life.

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Jul 16, 2008
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  11. kcrudup

    kcrudup Notebook Enthusiast

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    So, NVidia's "PowerMiser" is just a big joke on all of us then?
     
    kcrudup, Jul 17, 2008
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  12. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

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    Well, no. nvidia power miser cuts voltage to your gpu, choking it, thus causing it to use less power. Less power usage means it doesnt get as hot.
    using power miser is not the same as underclocking. Underclocking with rivatuner only forces the clock speed lower, and keeping voltages the same.
    Powermiser forces the card to use less current and thus saves battery life.

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Jul 17, 2008
    #12
  13. kcrudup

    kcrudup Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yabbut the PowerMiser for Linux has three discrete steps for frequency, too:

    NV Clock/Memory Clock
    169MHz/100MHz
    275MHz/200MHz
    500MHz/400MHz

    ... so I'd assume there's more going on than voltage reduction, no?
     
    kcrudup, Jul 18, 2008
    #13
  14. Sherlock

    Sherlock Notebook Enthusiast

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    Absolutely. As was said the card is choked of voltage, but the reason the voltage can be lowered in PowerMizer and the gpu remains stable is because PM also lowers the gpu/mem clocks. This is similar in Cpu's...to remain stable while undervolting you must decrease clockspeed.
     
    Sherlock, Aug 20, 2008
    #14