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    ThinkPad W510 Can you Overclocking with i7-920XM

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by tilhasbb, Feb 20, 2010.

  1. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    For the record attached is the validated CPU-Z profile of this present optimal config! It's available online at CPU-Z Validator 3.1
     

    Attached Files:

    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #51
  2. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Thitiv,

    What is your geekbench score now? With this setting. Just curious.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #52
  3. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    The average score from 3 consecutive tests is (7767 + 7770 + 7764) / 3 = 7767.
     
    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #53
  4. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    cool. once I am done with test I will post my results also.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #54
  5. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    @Dharmaraja, let me know your result with the MX-4 paste.

    Do you use Prime95 to test the stability of the system as well? My experience shows that

    (1) Unstable configs result in thermal shutdown within 3 to 7 minutes after Prime95 "max heat" stress test starts.

    (2) OTOH, excessive Turbo Rate Limits (TRL) values result in "blue screen of death" a few seconds right after Geekbench starts.
     
    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #55
  6. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    I use Lenovos system stress test, it's really runs the system hard GPU and CPU. That is the method I use to test my OC settings. The test takes a while to complete. Have you tried it yet, lenovos system street test? It's in the thinkvantage utility, then system Health and Diagnostics. I have not tired Prime95. You are right unstable TRL results in blue screen or sometimes the computer just freezes up. I will try your settings and report back.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #56
  7. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Thanks, @Dharmaraja. I used to try the Health and Diagnostics feature once. I'll do it right now and let my W510 suffer while I enjoy lunch!
     
    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #57
  8. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Your settings which you posted:
    Here are the MAX temps on my W510 with your settings.
    About 96 Celsius for the CPU VIA Throttle Stop and GPU Temperature is: 87 watching the Video animation.

    Looks like it can go higher. :)
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #58
  9. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    With my setting set at TDP=70W, TDC=65A. TRL = 29, 25, 27, 26.

    I get thermal shutdown with Lenovo system stress test at about 88% completion.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #59
  10. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    @Dharmaraja, similar here:

    With my setting at TDP=67W, TDC=65A. TRL = 29/28/22/22. I get thermal shutdown with Lenovo system stress test at about 88% completion. The only difference is that I have a 27" ultrahigh resolution (2560x1440) monitor plugged into the DisplayPort of the dock in addition to the 1920x1080 Full HD display. This might make the situation more (too?) extreme [see attached picture]. What is your room temperature there? Mine is 24C or 75F. Do you use the stock thermal paste or the MX-4?

    I must say one round of Lenovo stress test is tougher than 7-8 hours of Prime95 max heat test. I don't play games and just occasionally watch Blu-Ray movies; so I think I can live with this config :)

    I will run Lenovo's CPU stress test one more time and will let you know.
     

    Attached Files:

    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #60
  11. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Hahah. I knew Lenovo's stress test is very hard on both the CPU and GPU. It is about 80F in my room. I don't have anything plugged in to the ports. I am on OEM/Factory Lenovo thermal paste. MX-4 hasn't arrived yet. Just bought it Saturday. I don't think I am going to change it because since you are getting shutdown, I will probably too. Looks like we are at the thermal cooling limits of the W510. I also get thermal shut down with your settings now. One thing we can do is maybe up the speed of the cooling fan, if not already running at its max speed? :rolleyes:
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #61
  12. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    This config should be an optimal one for me. CPU stress test passed with max temperature touching 100C, which is its Tjmax temperature [see attached picture]. The full specification of the CPU is available at http://ark.intel.com/products/43126...Processor-Extreme-Edition-(8M-Cache-2_00-GHz)

    I can rest assured it will not fail during "office hours" :)
     

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    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #62
  13. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    So your room is slightly warmer than mine. We can call it similar ambient conditions :)

    I am now tempted to go buy an MX-4 at a local computer mall after work!! From my experience with the "sole" CPU Stress Test, the CPU can survive Tjmax temperature of 100C for a few seconds during which the cooling fan needs to remove heat as fast as possible. Powerful thermal compound would help increase the cooling rate.

    We may risk having a broken fan on the road!!
     
    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #63
  14. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    For the record, my "idle" CPU core temperature is 55C approx.
     
    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #64
  15. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    We are getting similar results, I am not getting my MX-4 until late next week. Yea..if you do get a chance to test it post your results and lets see if we can go higher without thermal shut down.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #65
  16. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Correct me if I am wrong, I just found this hint from Arctic Silver website Arctic Silver Incorporated - Home, it seems that the only recommended way to apply thermal compound on "mobile" CPUs is the "Surface Spread" method explained in the document http://www.arcticsilver.com/pdf/appmeth/int/ss/intel_app_method_surface_spread_v1.1.pdf

    I try it one more time when the CPU has been idle for quite a while, i.e., it's relatively cool. It's 7866 this time.
     
    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #66
  17. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Cool, one more note my hard drive on this W510 is 5400rpm drive.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 25, 2011
    #67
  18. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Mine is a Crucial M4 SSD. It should consume less power than a hard drive. :)
     
    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #68
  19. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    I have arrived at home and just finished another full stress test with Lenovo ThinkVantage Toolbox. This time the machine is undocked, without an external monitor. It passed the test perfectly. Room temperature is 24C, air-conditioned. Max core temp was 98C. Screenshot is attached! The o/c configuration is unchanged: TDP=67W, TDC=65A. TRL = 29/28/22/22.
     

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    thitiv, Jul 25, 2011
    #69
  20. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    thitiv, Jul 26, 2011
    #70
  21. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    I bought the Arctic MX-4 today. I repasted the GPU with the Pea method and the i7-920XM CPU with the Rice Grain method. I could push the TDP and TDC to some higher values and the system survived Prime95 stress test 1-2 minutes longer than when the MX-3 was in use. It couldn't survive ThinkVantage Toolbox full stress tests, unfortunately, and resulted in premature thermal shutdowns. The optimal o/c configuration for me remains TDP=67W, TDC=65A, and TRL = 29/28/22/22, the values of which full stress test can be completed successfully.
     
    thitiv, Jul 26, 2011
    #71
  22. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    The MX-4 gives approximately 2-5 degree Celsius lower idle core temperature than with the MX-3 though.
     
    thitiv, Jul 26, 2011
    #72
  23. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    I don't play games so I don't think I need to fully stress the GPU during the test. With the MX-4 and ThinkVantage Toolbox CPU-only stress test, I think I have reached the upper limit of TDP=72W, TDC=70A, and TRL=29/28/22/22. Core temperature touches 100 C (the Tjmax value) many times during the CPU stress test. Fortunately, it survives. This config should be good for my daily non-graphics intensive uses of the laptop. Average Geekbench score is 8000.
     
    thitiv, Jul 26, 2011
    #73
  24. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Cool. :D Thanks for testing the setup. :D
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 26, 2011
    #74
  25. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Hinted by the Alienware people, I tweaked a little bit last night and got TDP=72W, TDC=62A, unchanged TRL. CPU-only stress test passed. Full stress test gave thermal shutdown.

    Trying full stress test again right now...
     
    thitiv, Jul 26, 2011
    #75
  26. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Hehe. That lenovo stress is hardcore.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 26, 2011
    #76
  27. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    My speculation is that when both are tested together the fan cannot cool the CPU and GPU at same time. So the system thermally shuts down. :rolleyes:

    I have tested with geekbench as high as 8800. :)

    Search Results for 43892SU : Geekbench Result Browser
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 26, 2011
    #77
  28. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    I tested again in my office with good ventilation: TDP=72W, TDC=62A, TRL=29/28/22/22 -> Lenovo Full Stress Test PASSED & Geekbench Score = 8010.
     
    thitiv, Jul 27, 2011
    #78
  29. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Several consecutive stress tests might have left "stresses" in the CPU and the cooling system. The configuration that passed a full stress test crashed the machine in another similar test.

    I must say that the optimal o/c configuration for me remains TDP=67W, TDC=65A, and TRL = 29/28/22/22. This seems to be the limit of "my" W510 with i7-920XM.
     
    thitiv, Jul 27, 2011
    #79
  30. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    TDP=67W, TDC=65A, and TRL = 29/28/22/22 gives occasional thermal shutdowns during several consecutive Full Stress tests. I lowered the TDC by 1A. Now TDP=67W, TDC=64A, and TRL = 29/28/22/22. So far, so good.
     
    thitiv, Jul 27, 2011
    #80
  31. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Nice. Yea..a slight temp difference causes thermal shut down. It's to bad the W510 has only one cooling fan, cooling both CPU AND GPU. :rolleyes:
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 27, 2011
    #81
  32. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Thitiv,

    I am interested to know your windows experience scores?
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 27, 2011
    #82
  33. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    It's 6.5.

    i7-920XM gives 7.3, no matter overclocked or not.
    G.Skill DDR3-1333 gives the memory score of 7.4.
    Graphics and Gaming Graphics scores are both 6.5.
    The SSD score used to be 7.7. It somehow got reduced to 7.6 in a recent test.
     
    thitiv, Jul 28, 2011
    #83
  34. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Interesting..mine goes higher as I overclock. Anyways here is a screen capture.
     

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    Dharmaraja, Jul 28, 2011
    #84
  35. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Interesting!
     
    thitiv, Jul 28, 2011
    #85
  36. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    For the record, here's what I have so far:

    Arctic MX-4
    -----------
    Grain-of-Rice method for CPU, Pea method of GPU.

    CPU-only Stress Test Passed
    in Room with Good Ventilation
    TPL 74/65 : 29/28/22/22
    Geekbench 8073 (1.19)

    Full Stess Test Passed
    in Room with Good Ventilation
    TPL 67/65 : 29/28/22/22
    Geekbench 7834 (1.16)

    Regular Clock Plugged
    Geekbench 6774 (1.00)

    Regular Clock on Battery
    Geekbench 5478 (0.81)
     
    thitiv, Jul 28, 2011
    #86
  37. BrendaEM

    BrendaEM Notebook Consultant

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    I am not against overclocking, but the perhaps 10% performance increase you may see isn't worth the risk.

    Heat is the problem in notebook computers, and you won't be adding more heatsink, will you?

    There is no free lunch, and the additional power the chip would take will have to be accounted for.

    Even though it's pretty new, perhaps you ebay it, and upgrade to a newer machine.
     
    BrendaEM, Jul 28, 2011
    #87
  38. Likvid

    Likvid Notebook Geek

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    Maybe you should concentrate in getting more memory and getting SSD as the CPU in your case is not the bottleneck in your system.
     
    Likvid, Jul 28, 2011
    #88
  39. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    "Extreme" series of CPUs like the i7-920XM is "designed" to be overclocked. You can check the advertisement on Intel's website. That is the reason there is a huge price difference between an 820XM and a 920XM/940XM as well as the 2820XM and the 2920XM; and hence the name of this thread "ThinkPad W510 Can you Overclocking with i7-920XM" with specific CPU name.
     
    thitiv, Jul 28, 2011
    #89
  40. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    It's fine little guy, the W510 920xm can take the beating. :cool:
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 28, 2011
    #90
  41. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    I really pushed the system last night, what I did was take the keyboard out and put a CPU fan on the cpu and gpu. It didn't fail any tests..but BOD appeared..something cannot handle the 3.7GHZ.. :eek:
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 28, 2011
    #91
  42. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Yea..I know lol.. :D Just I don't need anything fast or have money for it yet..I will upgrade soon. ;)
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 28, 2011
    #92
  43. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Wow!! You're the man!!!
     
    thitiv, Jul 29, 2011
    #93
  44. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Thitiv, Right now I am trying to install snow leopard on W510. Have you tried that before?
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 30, 2011
    #94
  45. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    I use a VMware installation. You can install OS X onto a W510 but you will have a problem with Wi-Fi, etc. All hardware must be those that exist in real Macs to get drivers support.
     
    thitiv, Jul 30, 2011
    #95
  46. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    So you have snow leopard? Also you got all the drivers for it? I am trying to get everything running. Right now my pointer track is not working and the left and clicker below the space bar.

    My trackpad is working and the left and right click.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 30, 2011
    #96
  47. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    @Dharmaraja, I don't have Snow Leopard installed as an OS. I use it thru VMware virtual machine :)
     
    thitiv, Jul 30, 2011
    #97
  48. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    Ahh ic. What is the benefit of using it through VMware?
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 30, 2011
    #98
  49. thitiv

    thitiv Notebook Guru

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    Installing Mac OS X in a Windows machine is not as compatible and reliable as on a real Mac itself. I use VMware for iOS development/teaching at work when carrying another MacBook Pro is not a convenient option. This is the only benefit of a VMware virtual machine. The drawback is that virtual machines work slower than real machines :)
     
    thitiv, Jul 30, 2011
    #99
  50. Dharmaraja

    Dharmaraja Notebook Consultant

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    One more questions during the stress testing how many degrees are the temp differences. Between the cores.
     
    Dharmaraja, Jul 31, 2011
    #100
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