HP Envy 17 SB Throttling test

There seems to be a case of throttling of Envy 17 SB's performance when both processor and GPU are used. This thread is dedicated to posting of results, and of course asking questions on how to perform the test.

I have contact whom I can send the results in to, so that we may see a swift resolution. So please participate.

Download links for testing software:

CPU Stress:
Prime95 Large FFT
32 bit: Prime95 (32bit) - 25.11 Download - EXTREME Overclocking
64 bit: Prime95 (64bit) - 25.11 Download - EXTREME Overclocking

CPU monitoring:
CPU-Z
32 and 64 bit: CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

Furmark, please scroll down and select the location (Europe or America):
FurMark v1.6.5 download from Guru3D.com


Test Procedure:
Run both Prime95 AND furmark at the same time, using CPU-Z to monitor the frequency. Hwinfo32 can be used as an alternative to Cpu-Z.


Open CPU-Z once installed.
Extract the Prime95 download folder.
Install Furmark.

Once all programs are ready to run here is how to run Prime95 and Furmark.

CPU Z
Open CPU-Z and leave it open.

Prime95
Open Prime95, if you are opening it for the first time select "Just Stress testing" from the options.
Once that is done a large window followed by a smaller priority window will appear asking you to select what type of test:
Select large FFT, and press OK. This will begin Prime95's torture test.

Now monitor the CPU frequencies using CPU-Z, try to remember the numbers, or right them down every 5-10 seconds.

Keep in mind if you close the Option window you can always open it in the large window by going to the "Options" drop down menu at the top, and selecting Torture test.


Furmark
IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE THE ATI GRAPHICS NOT THE INTEL HD)
Once installed open furmark.
in Run Mode: Select Stability test.
Under Window Parameters (Params):
Uncheck "Fullscreen".
Under "Window Size" check "Custom Size".
Width: 1600
Height: 900

Under Benchmarking parameters (params):
Leave it as is, under timeframe

For MSAA:
Select "4x"
Hit Go. This will run Furmark.
Use CPU-Z to monitor the frequencies.

REPORT!
Try to run it for approximately 30 minutes without stopping. Please report if your notebook slows down and becomes unresponsive or any odd behavior.

Keep in mind your laptop will feel slightly slow during both these tests.

 

I used HWInfo32 instead of CPU-Z and must tell you. I started the test as specified...and immediately my processor dropped to 798 MHZ...then began to jump up and down from 798 to 2.3GHZ and so on for about 10 minutes. Got tired of watching that so I continued to add more load to the machine....just kept running hotter and 798...

 

Okay, during those 10 minutes could you tell me how your laptop's responsiveness was? Did you encounter any significant freeze or lock up?

If you weren't checking for responsiveness would you be kind enough to run the test for 20 minutes at least? =x Sorry I know it is asking a lot of you.

 

When I ran the test...I was getting pretty mad with what I was seeing...so I started to run Heaven 2.5 benchmark as well...then I lost sight of the HWinfo32 screen and shut it down. Things moved slowly...but moved...no lockup

I will reinstall...but I am also very curious about trying ths on the Intel GPU as well...since it is on chip.

 

So do you just let the computer run....or do you try to do other stuff while it is going on?

I plan on hooking up my laptop to my TV and streaming the Bulls/Hawks game when I get home (love that HDMI cable). That seems to stress the computer quite a bit right there....should I do that AND the above testing? (This is on a Sandy Bridge DV7)

 

Running again now...4:55PM CST

CPU Temps are 68-70C. Cooler now that if I ran Prime by itself...so this has to be thermal...

 

Browsing one webpage should be a good enough test for responsiveness. Most though you can always open documents and other windows.

 

Crimsoned, I downloaded all 3 programs and will be doing them when I get home from the office. Just to be clear and if I didn't miss anything.

There are 2 tests... 1. CPU-Z with Prime95 After this test is done close them.
2. CPU-Z with Furmark. After this test is doen close.


So.... I am reading in our main Envy 17 3D thread some of you guys are running both Prime95 along side Furmark to really stress the laptop. Yet, in this guide you don't want us to run Prime95 at the same time we run Furmark? Its always CPU-Z with one or the other? Never both, and never all 3 programs. Just wanted to clarify, thanks.

KJ

 

You run both Prime95 and Furmark together.

 

Ok, sorry for mis-reading.... so we open CPU-Z, while its open, start Prime95, and while that too is open, start Furmark...so basically all 3 are running at the same time then...

And while all 3 tests are running at the same time, jot down the frequencies form CPU-Z every 5-10 or so seconds? Am I getting it now? Sorry for not being a techie, lol. I do like learning though.


KJ

 

yup thats right. if possible please jot it down. Dont need you really jot it down every 5-10 seconds as that's a ALOT of jotting down over the 20-30 minute period.

 

I am running slightly different versions of the tools since I already had them installed (I have been tracking the other thread and doing some of my own testing). I am running hwinfo (3.73), prime95 (v26.6) and furmark (V1.9) on a 2820.

When running just prime95, the core temps climbed and peaked around 90 degrees at 2.8 GHz and settled at around 82 degrees and 2.5 GHz after about 10 minutes (remained pretty constant after settling).

Once I started furmark, the cores dropped quickly to 800MHz (or slighly below) and the core temps dropped to around 67 degrees. Both tests ran simultaneously for about 20 minutes. The laptop was still responsive, without any lockups during this time.

After terminating furmark, the cores settled back in the 82 degree range at 2.5 GHz.

 

Ran the test for 15 minutes on the Intel GPU vs ATI...NO THROTTLING...

CPU Temp went from 70C on ATI to 80C on Intel...mainly because Intel is On chip

Biggest difference was memory temp. Using ATI GPU...memory was 53C...on Intel...93C...probably due to the fact that memory controller is built into i7 chip

All in all...starting to look like ATI is playing into this...Intel and AMD are arch rivals...maybe it's an AMD plot...lol!!!

 

Ran it on my 14 and noticed only a little bit of lagginess. It never bogged down or dropped, it was consistently at 2.6GHz

 

Pez319 this thread is for the Envy 17 Sandy bridge my friend not the previous Clarksdale. XD
Thanks though for the proactive checking!

@Bobmitch
Yes I know the Intel HD does not suffer throttling as the GPU is in the processor, or at least shouldn't suffer anything but maybe loss of turbo boost. The reason why I want to Radeon to be tested is to test the motherboard as the Radeon graphics card on the Envy 17 has the GPU board integrated into the motherboard and the actual 6850m graphics chip is soldered on.

 

Do you think the 6850 is drawing too much power away from the CPU? Perhaps the CPU starving a bit?

 

no problem

 

Same here, on the Intel GPU it doesn't throttle in game or anywhere else, but as soon as I fire up the AMD GPU, everything goes down to 800.

Prime95: Runs fine with no throttling, until I open Furmark or a game on top of it, then the CPU throttles back to 800. Something is seriously wrong.

 

Crimsoned...

Here's something to try. Go here:

MSI Afterburner

Download MSI afterburner...

Then go here:

HOW TO: Enable UNOFFICIAL overclocking mode in MSI AfterBurner - Guru3D.com Forums

Set it up so that you can overclock and underclock the 6850. Underclock by 25 MHZ increments and see if and when the throttling stops...

Make sense?

 

I'm about to run the tests. In order to be sure I'm in ATI graphics and not intel, I just choose High Performance GPU when I'm in my dekstop and right click to configure switchable graphics, correct?

KJ

 

I've currently been running both furmark and Prime95 with CPU-Z open for the last 15mins. I am using ATI graphics. I first opened CPU-Z, then Prime95. I immediately saw both the intel turbo boost monitor jump up and CPU-Z reported core speeds of 2300MHZ and up. But a few seconds later when I opened Furmark, intel turbo boost monitor shows nothing, and CPU-Z is reporting a core speed of 798.2. So I've been sitting at 798mhz for the last 14 mins and 30 seconds. What going on? Why did it stop turbo boosting? I have not experienced any lock ups or freezes however. It is running slower but still usable. What does this mean?

 

Yes sir that is correct. you can double confirm by looking at the active background programs on the bottom right, and looking for ATI's CCC symbol which is a red dot with grey balls around it. Will say your resolution , color bit, and landscape mode. YOU SHOULD NOT SEE A BLUE SCREEN MONITOR.

 

That is correct.

 

I decided to exit Furmark, but continue to let Prime95 and CPU-Z run, and as soon as I exited Furmark, my turbo boost monitor jumped up to 2.6 and CPU-Z is showing my core speed at a steady 2.3 ghz

 

5 minutes have passed. I closed Prim95 now leaving only CPU-Z open (and chrome). CPU-Z is showing a core speed of 798.2mhz.

 

OK.....I'm streaming the Bulls/Hawks game to a separate TV...I've downloaded the software.....I'm going to give it a try. I have CPU-Z open and my fan is already going like crazy (that always happens when I hook up the laptop to a TV). Let's see how long it takes me to brick this bad-boy....

 

OK, after 15 minutes....I have not slowed down. I've been between 1700 and 1900 the entire time. My computer sounds like it is about the fly away...and I can cook an egg on it...but it seems OK.

I gotta run and help my neighbor with his bike....

 

Okay thanks for the results Panther can you confirm you are using ATI graphics (High Power graphics under the switcheable window).

 

Yup...I'm in ATI. But...I don't think the Furmark program is working on my system. After I set it up and hit go....it just goes away.

 

Ok, results on next page.

KJ

 

Sorry this is for the Envy 17 SB 3D or not! feel free to post it here.

 

Ok.

Ok. I don't think I can thank Crimsoned enough today regarding his thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/575817-hp-envy-17-sb-throttling-test.html

I stress tested my dv7-4283CL which has an i5-480M processor, ATI Radeon Mobility HD 6370
With the parameters that are stated in Crimsoned's thread here are my results:

Min Temp: 63C
Max Temp:75C

Min FPS 4
Max FPS 9
Avg FPS 6

Now, I suppose the most important information we are all trying to garner is the Core Speed. I was planning to write down at various times the speed changes, but to be honest it was rather constant throughout the test wich I ran for a good 30 minutes.

My Core Speed was rather constant at a nice 2,660.8 MHz not fluctuating more than about 120 MHz towards the end so it never got below about 2,525.4 MHz or so.... If indeed I performed this test correctly....(I'd be rather proud of myself, never having done it before ) then I can see why some of you more seasoned computer folks are speaking up about this throttle issue.

I can see now there is a problem indeed....if my dv7 did not "throttle down" and the Envy 17 3D SB is going down to about 800 MHz when its supposed to be in the thousands...maybe 3,400 MHz for the max on the 2820? I want to learn more about this...and hope there will be a fix like they did for Alienware....

KJ

 

KJ I am sure a fix will come up. By HP or by the user base. When and how are different matters however :/

 

I thought I would post my results running this test on a M17xR3 in case it helps make your case that throttling should not be hapenning on any SB that is properly cooled...

With both Prime95 and Furmark running:

Room temp: 78F (San Diego temps)
CPU: 85C after 10 minutes
GPU: 75C after 10 minutes
CPU: steady @ 2.5GHz (x25 multiplier)
GPU: steady @ 680MHz/900MHz
FurMark: Min 46fps, Ave 54fps, Max 75fps

 

jywang, thanks soooo much I really needed to confirm other laptops with SB PLUS you included ambients.

Temperatures are looking pretty good.
Seems the throttling may be an Envy issue.

 

When I used to design Pentium motherboards, we used something like this:

Component Cooler - RadioShack.com

to test thermal related issues by spraying the offending chip.

This may be a good way for someone that doesn't mind openning their laptops and spraying this on the CPU heatsink to see if it temporarily stops throttling.

 

This could be very dangerous as a hot heatsink being hit with a very cool gas could cause large amounts of moisture build up which could lead to a shortcircuit and possible bricking of the motherboard!
I wouldn't recommend it on laptops as the heatsinks are typically very small.

 

I'll be happy to run these tests on mine but only if it's safe. I've been reading some people getting really high temps and do not wish to have it running for 30 minutes at scorching hot temps. Is it 100% safe?

 

mcchea it's perfectly safe. Chances are your machine will throttle in which case temps shouldn't go above 90c.

 

Would it be better to install the latest version of FurMark (1.9)? FurMark: VGA Stress Test, Graphics Card and GPU Stability Test, Burn-in Test, OpenGL Benchmark and GPU Temperature | oZone3D.Net

 

Yeah that'd be fine, the goal of this test is to stress both CPU and GPU together and see the results.

 

Ran the tests...I think I have the throttling "issue" described.

I ran Prime95 by itself and CPU-Z consistently displayed around ~2600 MHz with the CPU temps running in around 82-85 degrees C.

Then ran I FurMark at the same time and it was consistently ~800 MHz with the CPU temp surprisingly low at around 52-55 degrees C and GPU temps around 56-60 degrees C.

I ran Starcraft II for about 15 minutes with CPU-Z running on an external monitor and it stayed consistently at ~2600 MHz with CPU temps in the high 60s degree C and GPU temps around 55-58 degree C. When I minimized it dropped back to around ~800 MHz.

It looks like the throttling is working correctly when running games so I'm not sure why it reads ~800 MHz when running both Prime95 and FurMark...

 

Hi, I've noticed similar happenings with my Envy 14 where the CPU would throttle itself down to 532Mhz (4x Multiplier) whenever straining both the CPU and GPU. With the discovery of the advanced BIOS settings for the 14, I found several settings that reduced the extent of the throttling.
One setting in particular, BDPROCHOT, stopped my i7-720QM from chocking itself once disabled but also caused it to run hotter than ever. At first, I disabled hyperthreading to reduce temperatures but found it messed with my computer's ability to wake up out of standby.

More info:

I found this tidbit of information in a guide on how to use ThottleStop. Using this app is a MUCH better solution (but only if you're into micromanaging your CPU)
I suggest you guys check it out, you can adjust your Multiplier, Turbo Boost, Unlock Bidirectional PROCHOT, Sleep States, and a bunch of others! I'm still in the middle of fiddling with it but so far its solved all the random lag in my games. This makes me happy

I forgot where I downloaded it but the app features a big TECHPOWERUP logo, so i'm guessing you can get it from there.


BTW: YMMV, so try it on your Envy 17 and share your findings!
Just don't forget to watch those degrees!
GOOD LUCK!

EDIT: Actually, the program originates from one of the users here on NotebookReview: unclewebb
You can find his thread here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...arket-upgrades/531329-throttlestop-guide.html

 

I just want to add that my G73SW does the exact same thing in furmark, exactly as others have described dropping to 798mhz the instant furmark starts while running prime95.



No real world slowdowns as far as I've seen though.

 

<s>Did some googling, think I found the problem, rename ur furmark exe to something other than "Furmark.exe"

I just put renamed it to furmark2.exe, and viola, no more throttling.</s>

EDITED: This method doesnt work, sorry.

 

but it's not only furmark but every game that uses the graphics card. Would it help to rename them as well?

 

I haven't noticed any throttling during games, but actually, renaming furmark may not work after all.

I'm not sure what happened the first time I ran it, but it's still be throttled, sorry, guess I jumped the gun too soon.

 

Okay you guys it likely is not software related (bios/low level operatings/or GPU communicating to throttle).

 

I looked again this morning...Furmark does not even run on my machine. So I'm thinking I never ran both (well, all three) programs at the same time. I saw an updated Furmark...so maybe I will try that.

 

This throttling test is very intensive and will show thermal limitations greater than any game or application. Therefore, it is possible that HP created the Envy 17 with "typical use" into design consideration rather than allowing for full CPU and GPU utilization.

The PROS and CONS for taking this are:

PRO:
more compact and lighter laptop
looks competitive to a MacBook

CON:
can't fully utilize both CPU and GPU and 100% utilization
bad for benchmarking

The alternative is a much larger system with dual fans, etc which would put it in direct competition with Alienware instead of Apple.