GT780DX Upgraded to GTX 980M & i7-2960XM

1280x720 is such a low res..

The 980m can push 1080p Medium settings on AAA games, or plain maxed out in older titles..

 

Yes but just benching video cards can yield different results. I've seen the same video card in MSI and Alienware and the MSI was 25% better. Just curious what the benches would be... and what processor and graphics card and Ram speed of those machines. things like that. Nothing major, nothing crazy, just curious

 

Yes we use the low-res and the windowed setting only on high laptop not maximum because we use the scores to bench against other machines like Asus Republic of Gamers and other lower end gaming laptops, things that only have a 50 or 60 series. And they just flat-out won't run it on maximum anyway, so to be able to compare we have to run the super duper machines at a lower-res in order to be able to compare to the lower machines. Just for curiosity's sake, nobody has to do this unless they want to. So far the post that he has put out at almost 14,000 is the highest that I've ever seen on that Benchmark on a laptop. At those settings

 

You seem to be mixing things, or I'm not understanding you..

A benchmark is a benchmark, if the same options are used, the benchs can be compared, but low settings might show artifical limitation that dont exist when you put an higher load in the system.

Like running a gpu bench at a low res low settings, you are just running into a CPU bottleneck, because even the 980m wont be hard pressed to run a bench at 720p, all you end up is with a bench that is cpu limited and getting misleading results..

 

Maybe so I never thought about it that way. My only experience was having a Alienware with an 870m 3 gig and an MSI with an 870m 3 gig. The same video card and the same 4700 processor, and the MSI scored higher. They both had solid state drives and as far as I knew they were pretty much identical.

 

That will happen even with same brand and model laptops..

What is running in the backgroung makes a difference for example, cooling solutions that allow or not the GPU and CPU to keep their clocks or to throttle down, and there might be clock differences in the GPU, I had a G750Jsomething with an 870m that would run at 1050Mhz stock if the Asus Boost was turned on the BIOS, off it would run at the stock 940-950Mhz, its only 100Mhz, but it shows up on benchs, and even then, the 870m could and can still run lots of titles at 1080p, the 980m can run then at either higher frame rates(for the same settings), or at higher settings and same frame rate.

You are under-using that GPU if you game at 720p

 

Yeah I game at ultra-high. I have an 8 gig 880m in the ms 16f1 machine and a 4 gig 680m in the ms1762 machine. Both score over 10000 on the ff14 bench but the 8g 880m is much smoother at everyday use.

 

Maybe in older titles, in siege with my OC 780m I play 1080p everything low to maintain 90-130FPS

 

GPU has not been undervolted or overclocked at all yet so there's that..

 

This is last years top laptop (no SLI) result - GT73VR 7820HK + laptop GTX1080. Now, 6 core processors may cram a couple of thousands more. Fire Strike is about 16500 and slightly overclocked 17800.

 

Well AdamManMsi was saying that the i7-2960XM can push 4Mhz, I haven't hit that yet (3.7MHz so far)

and I haven't played with overclocking at all

 

Have you pushed the unit hard enough to cause the turbo to come on yet? Or does your turbo button work? I've been curious about that? As I have stated on the other units that I have built with that processor the turbo button works on its own when you push it hard enough. I'm curious if it works to turn on manually or not and if you've pushed it hard enough to cause it to come on on its own if it does not work manually. The only time that it is hit 4 gigahertz is when it was running 50 cell phone emulations testing an app at the same time. Once you hit about 38 instances the turbo would kick on automatically and it would continue to climb as you applied more processes for it to do

 

It seems to hit 3.7 without trouble using Throttlestop

Can anyone tell me if it is safe to change the multiplier by one (it as at 37T currently). I read that this forces the processor to run at full turbo.

The BIOS I have doesn't seem to hold back the processor...temps stay reasonable even at 3.7MhZ

@AdamManMsi - I haven't tried the P1 button yet - safe to do so?

 

GHz not MHz.

Sure, bump the multipliers one by one and test a bit, till it crashes, and use the value before it crashes.

 

Thanks senso,

and that would be the "37T" setting correct? And this would be with BD PROCHOT unchecked?

 

My current setting for reference, although now I also have BD PROCHOT unchecked:

http://i65.tinypic.com/2mceetd.png

 

I'm not sure what you mean by using the P1 but, the P1 button is for your program of choice. User-defined program button, you should have a button that says turbo on it as well. That will be your built-in Factory overclocking and that's the button that I'm talking about may or may not function manually. If you push turbo button and it doesn't do anything don't be afraid or scared because that's what I've been trying to tell you. The turbo has been automatic on the machines that I have used that processor in

 

You should be able to raise the multiplier by at least three or four before it causes any problem. As was stated in the past raise the multiplier by one and test it, and keep raising the multiplier buy one until the unit crashes, then go back one or two and use that setting, that processor will hit 4 gigahertz all day long I've seen it. By turning the multiplier up by 2 you should be able to hit 4gigahertz.

 

The turbo button should be the button all the way on the left of your power button bezel, you should have a fan button to Turbo ramp the fan and you should have the turbo button on the left side. If the buttons on your bezel do not work then you do not have to correct system control manager installed. I'm sorry I haven't shown you the versions and drivers that I use, I've been super busy building a kitchen. I will try my best to make a list of the drivers that I have for that unit this evening and post it on here

 

I know that processor will hit 4 gigahertz, I have a 920xm and I raise the multiplier by 4 and it hits 3.8. Out of the first gen i7

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_multiplier

This is the 37T that you're speaking of, T stands for turbo.

 

Correction, each of those 7 units has a different button layout on the bezel. On the unit I just looked at the P1 button is all the way on the left. You are correct. And that is the user-defined button. The turbo button is next to it and then the turbofan button and then the keyboard light button next to the power button. those are the buttons on the left.

 

As I understood from reading up on Throttlestop, even with BD PROCHOT disabled the processor will still know when to step back as it gets closer to TJMax

Yes, I'll appeal to you re: drivers, SCM/S-Bar, chipset, etc..

 

Update: turbo (P1) touch button does not work, boost fan button works fine

Attempting to change the multiplier (higher) in Throttlestop does not work (lowering multiplier works) ...I believe this might be where TechInferno's unlocked BIOS would come into play, unless there is another way..

I'm hoping to not to have to touch the BIOS at all and with the SCM or S-Bar driver enable the turbo boost function to get it to work that way

 

Throttlestop only allows you to adjust multipliers down, if you want to raise them above their standard level you'll need to use Intel extreme tuning utility XTU, it will allow you to change the multipliers on one core or 2 or 3 and 4 cores. I usually raised 1 core x4 and 2 cores x3 and 3 and 4 cores x2 each.

 

On it

Edit: is it ok that the i7-2960XM is not listed as supported for XTU?

 

I remember reading something about being careful with installing XTU if Throttlestop was previously installed because it can give you an incorrect baseline. However, I closed Throttlestop before I installed XTU (didn't reboot though) and the restarted after XTU was installed. Throttlestop is of course closed now and not running underneath XTU. Should this be fine?

Also, XTU scared me - showed GPU has 4GB RAM, but Nvidia Inspector shows correct amount (8GB), normal?

 

You will probably need to reboot in order to use extreme tuning utility, I don't know why the 2960 wouldn't be listed under XTU because it's an Intel extreme i7. I use that program on that processor before

 

I checked and as far as the main component drivers for that system goes I have older drivers, and also I use the system control manager listed on msi for that machine. I don't get real picky with making sure everything is super-duper up-to-date. As long as the drivers function properly I'm okay with it. Things like a Wi-Fi driver and things like that, as long as they function there's no difference.

 

And I don't use S Bar either because sometimes it conflicts with system control manager

 

Ok, when you have a minute let me know what version of SCM (there are two on MSI's site, are you using the most recent)? and other drivers. Can I test with XTU in the meantime? It does see the processor. What would you recommend I start with - in terms of adjusting the multiplier....which cores and how much for a first run? Thanks

 

Dont use XTU and Throttlestop at the same time, it opens the door to conflict

 

Yeah, found what I was referring to:

"Note: If you are already using Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) and you intend to use ThrottleStop, it is very important that you reset your XTU settings to default, uninstall XTU, then restart your PC before running ThrottleStop for the first time. XTU and ThrottleStop control many of the same registers and so do not play well together. If you start ThrottleStop with CPU registers from XTU set, it will read those settings as your defaults when they are not."

I think I'm good, they are both installed but only XTU is running

 

Start with turning 1 core up by 2 and each of the other cores up by 1. Then slowly increase each of the multipliers by one. Like I stated before I normally multiply or add 4 to the single core then I add 3 to the 2 core and add 1 each to the three and four core setting

 

Ok, thanks

 

Default stress test ran without issue (5 minutes), but the settings are greyed out and I can't adjust the multipliers

 

Afaik S-Bar is for Win7, SCM Win8 and up.

 

Spent some time last night adding all of the recommended drivers and utilities, did not run any benches yet

Will update later tonight, hoping to get around the greyed out settings in the XTU so that I can adjust the multiplier - all recommended Intel utilities are installed and the Intel Driver Updater found no updates

 

Use TS, does the same, can be set up to run on startup.

 

Trying to but in TS can not go above 37T when I try to adjust the multiplier

However, I have now installed all MSI drivers and utilities, including Intel, and will try again this evening

Do I need TS to run at boot in order to be able to increase the multiplier? (Decreasing it works by the way)

 

Will running it on startup change its result?

 

No

 

You need an unlocked BIOS to get unlimited turbo if i remember correcly.

 

Right, I am using my original system BIOS though.

I tried again in TS and by clicking on TRL I was able to adjust the multiplier values. Then I saved it and was able to change from 37T to 38T.

When I ran Firestrike it does go to 3692 Mhz, but during the bench it goes up and down from 3392 to 3592 to 3692 - in that range, but not higher than 3.7Ghz. Does this mean that my change to the multiplier is working?

With my XM processor I should be able to get 3.8/3.9/4? Temperatures seem to be good.

Thanks

 

This behaviour is usually caused by low AMP. To into throttlestop and raise the amp, that way the range will be more stable, however the CPU will produce more heat!

 

Heaven Benchmark: turbo boost stays between 3.3 - 3.7Ghz, 980m has small overclock, TS running + Afterburner

 

Are you able to undervolt?

Undervolting may help you maintain higher frequency.

 

You can't undervolt 1st - 3rd gen I7 CPU's.