TONGFANG GK5CN5Z / GK5CN6Z / GK5CQ7Z / GK5CP0Z

I just ran some quick tests between single and dual channel on my OP 15+ that is pretty much unmodified (stock thermal paste, stock Bios, original OS/software install, no undervolting etc). In the OP control center I set the fans to gaming and the performance to equilibrium. The tests were run about 20 minutes apart in identical settings and conditions. The only change was that in between I swapped the original 16gb stick of goldkey 2666 ram for 2 8gb sticks of hynix 2400 ram I picked up for $35 on ebay. The Horizon 4 Demo benchmarks using the High preset are linked here as images, as the graphs are very telling (single channel above, dual channel below): https://imgur.com/a/1jx2hUU

I also loaded the same checkpoint in Battlefield one, a flying mission over a fortress. In both cases I just flew straight ahead, through and past the action. On single channel it was flirting with 100 fps at the start, going up to around 115 after passing all of the air and ground units. With dual channel the level started at above 140fps, and went up to between 155-160 during the same stretch of time.

I expected some improvement, but this is far more than I had guessed possible. I wonder if there is something in the multicore layout of these new chips that is memory bandwidth intensive. The horizon single channel graph for CPU simulation is especially erratic, and had me worried when I first got the system, but it looks much closer to my desktop behavior now with the dual channel. Definitely a worthwile... sidegrade? In my case I guess it was a downgrade going to 2400mhz, but still a huge improvement.

 

Would anyone know which Bios chip this is? I am guessing some Winbond. I know this is an Aptio Bios but has nothing to do with the Bios chip Device ID. I kinda guessed what is is because the top of the chip does not have the device ID just looks washed out so I tried Winbond ID W25q64BV and my Xeltek rom burner gave me an device ID error, it still can read the rom but I need to make sure I choose the correct manufacturer rom and ID so I can flash it properly.

I plan on using Aptio tools to unlock hidden menus.

Edited:

Figured it out , it has this G logo and after some ebay searching I saw one listing for a Gigadevice and the ID was close. 25Q20CT. There listing was a CT. My Xeltek has that device in the list and chose a generic GD25Q20. I can read verify erase program verify all good!!

 

This is how memory has worked for CPU intensive titles for a very long time.

I use to specialize in this sort of testing long before BOAT with desktop hardware from Sandy Bridge on.

 

How did you get the MSI Afterburner overlay (that is what is in the top left of the screenshots, correct?) to work with Horizon 4? When I try to run it and then start the game, the game crashes. Thanks.

 

Haha, is that why I had so much trouble getting the game running? I assumed it was an issue with the Optimus settings. It still gives me a warning every time I start the game, but after forcing the use of the Nvidia card for that game instead of the global settings using the nvidia control panel, it does actually work after giving an error on startup that I ignore.

 

Also, this notebookreview forum page uses 50 percent of my CPU when I have the page open in Edge. It's the only web page with this issue. What on earth is going on there?

 

If you run a stress test with the CPU in conjunction with the GPU, power on the CPU limits to 35W. I noticed the PL1 and PL2 drops in HW info once I started the GPU stress test. Temps were fine. The GPU was using about 78 watts. So, if your game ramps up the GPU usage, you can expect your CPU to take a crap.... This is with dual channel ram, latest bios and EC. I wonder why they ship a 180 watt brick with this thing?

 

I wish I had those issue so I could work on sorting them out.

Latest Gaming Center software?

How does it do in BFV 64p conquest?

 

I noticed issues when I was playing CPU intensive games at higher resolutions - 3440x1440 120HZ. I decided to run a CPU stress test in conjunction with the GPU stress test and that is when I noticed the power limits on the CPU drop. Used prime 95 in conjunction with Kombustor to see what the power limits were and I hit them. Using the latest gaming center software. It appears if you pull 70+ watts on the GPU, your CPU will power limit to 35 watts - at least that is what I am seeing on my system. Removing the gaming center software does not help here either - still seeing the same thing.

 

Here is a screenshot. As you can see, temps are fine but power is the limiting factor.

 

I’ve been comparing a 15+ and a 17+ side by side for two days, here are my observation, all settings are the same in windows and GC and on latest win update and their own latest bios EC

17+ pros:
1. Better key caps, even though the keys are same distance apart from center to center, the deeper concave and the bigger gap between keys, makes the 17+ caps better feel. Real world difference? Only 3 less word per min on the 15+ tho (92 vs 89 wpm). The taller caps (i’d Say about twice as tall) with more build material also absorb the bottom out noise/impact better
2. Touch pad location, 17+ has touch pad perfectly located relative to the F and the J keys, so my palms don’t touch the touch pad when I type on the laptop, the 15+ my right palm is constantly touching
3. Cooling is beast mode, doing side by side Lightroom conversion comparison, constantly 5C cooler While keeping a lot lower fan noise and still complete 5% faster
4. Already running dual channel memory

17+ cons:
1. $200 + tax upfront premium
2. Inferior image quality, it is a 60hz panel overclocked to 143hz. And it’s image quality is fuzzier than my MSI GE72 17in 60hz panel (chi mei brand)
3. Relatively and noticeably larger and heavier than the 15+
4. 32gb ram overkill (make a model with 2x8gb for $899?)

15+ pros:
1. Brushed alum Keyboard cover feels premium
2. Screen panel is awesome
3. $200 cheaper
4. Small and light weight

15+ cons:
1. Touch pad placement
2. Fan gets really loud, even just messing around in windows the fans will spin up and down making it really hard to ignore/annoying. I am coming from a MSI GE72 6700hq, so the 15+ is LOUD
4. The hassle of making it run in dual channel RAM (buying a 16gb stick, or getting 2x8gb and selling 16gb), and yes there is a 10% difference 2400 vs 2666 during Lightroom conversion just FYI
5. Thin and Flat key caps with minimal distinction with adjacent keys

Not sure which I want to keep, but I am leaning towards the 15+ because I am cheap, and also that screen is better for photo editing, but oh that fan noise

 

Why is there no way to mess with ram timings or set XMP? I am trying to run 3000Mhz CL16 kit in my 17" and no way to set timings at the minimum. I understand 3000Mhz might be out of the question, but not even being able to at least use lower timings than CL19 is unacceptable. This might be a return for that reason as CL19 really does make a difference in gaming and overall performance as that is super slow memory.

I'm also having an issue where my left shift key for sprinting or walking in games is being finicky and not always registering unless pressed super hard.

 

I too am deciding between the two models, 15+ and 17+. I agree on most of the points, but wanted to add a few comments.

Personally, I much prefer the soft-touch plastic keyboard cover and very much agree about the keyboard and touchpad. The touchpad on my 17 feels a lot more solid than on the 15. With my two units, the 15 is the quieter one. The left fan on my 17 has a distinct whine that I find slightly annoying. It seems to only be the one fan, and I'm tempted to either return or just buy another fan to swap. Will see if I can do anything to quiet it down when I open it up. The 17 is definitely larger and heavier, though the 15 is so small anyways that it's not bad. I have a Dell G5 here also and the 17 is nearly identical dimensions and weight as that machine. I didn't notice much difference between the screens, though I have a bit more light bleed on the 17.

I think I'm going to keep the 17, swap out the 32gb goldkey for 16gb kingston 15CL and sell the goldkey, basically making it 2x8gb for $900ish.

Also worth mentioning, the sound is significantly better/louder on the 17.

 

Bob is playing shenanigans trying to brick your system!

 

Has the i7 1060 15+ laptop been completely removed from Walmarts' site? Can't seem to find it anywhere. The i5 and 17+ are still listed with the i5 out of stock.

 

This happened with the i5 version too for several days before it became available again.

Now I’m not saying it’s going to become available again I’m just saying it’s the way things go

 

Don’t start those rumors people are actually naïve enough to believe it LOL

 

shows out of stock in search, but if you click on it, it's available.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/OVERPOWE...256-SSD-1TB-HDD-16GB-RAM-Windows-10/510869060

 

Good morning all. My Overpowered 15+ arrived yesterday. Thanks to the community and Bob for getting the word out on this spectacular value.

Has anyone put together a step by step guide for tuning the OP15+ or is it pretty much just get the dual channel ram for 95% of any benefits?

First Cinebench out of the box was like 950...is that because of the dual channel ram?

I've already ordered some upgrades:
- MyDigitalSSD BPX Pro 480GB SSD
- Kingston Hyper X impact 2x16gb 2666 ram

Has anyone had any experience with either of these in our chassis?

Sorry if any of this has been asked before.

If anyone is concerned about the keyboard...don't be.
The keyboard action is quite good and once you get used to shifting your right hand a little bit to the left the accuracy becoms much better.

Oh yeah, and it is back in stock if anyone still wants it.
Can't understand how they can sell this machine with what's in it for $799.

I managed to get mine for $751 plus tax.

Another question....I'd like to sell the Goldkey 16g ram stick...assuming the Hyper X Impact is stable in this laptop. Would be interested in others opinions about what is a fair and equitable price for both parties?

 

Just to confirm, are there any major differences between the Walmart OP15+ and the Eluktronics Mech 15-G2?
(GTX1060, i7-7850H, 144hz display, brown Switches variant)

 

HOLY HELL! Has anyone else’s laptop Shocked / electrocuted them? Lol I noticed this “bumpy” feeling on the surface of the laptop when I ran my fingers along it and just thought it was really clean causes my fingers to snag as the dragged across it. Hmm.... left it charging overnight then went back to open it this morning and felt the surface again- ZAP! And my iPhone which was plugged in, when I pressed he home button it zapped the **** out of me too. Kinda scared to touch it now. This is the OP 15+

 

Yes, price...

The laptop is to OP for you.

 

LMAOOO. I’m in a foreign country and this wasn’t happening back home. Didn’t open it up either what the fuuuuuck that 180w brick is no joke folks

 

Use these settings to get the maximum performance with the default stock single stick of RAM:
- Windows 10 v1809
- Latest OP BIOS N1.05, EC 1.35.09
- OP Control Center 1.2.2.8
- OP Control Center Fan Mode = Gaming (DO NOT USE OFFICE MODE for maximum performance: Office mode sets lower CPU power limits that will cause throttling but it is good for reducing heat and fan noise)
- OP Control Center Performance Mode = Equilibrium
- Plugged in to power (NOT on battery)
- Windows 10 Power Mode = Better Performance (a.k.a balanced - the middle slider value)
- Stock 1x16GB single-channel RAM
- CPU Core & Cache Undervolted -0.125V in ThrottleStop

If you want slightly better short term burst performance you can enable Speed Shift in ThrottleStop and that will allow the CPU to boost to max frequency a little bit faster than the default SpeedStep that is enabled. You need to do this in the TPL window in ThrottleStop and not just setting the value on the main window. I recommend setting EPP to 84. Any lower really and your just running it at max frequency almost all the time and generating more heat and wasting power, any higher and you start possibly not boosting to max frequency under load. You can see some screenshots of differences between values and how to set it here: https://imgur.com/a/dlQ294n

Now if you want to get the absolute best performance possible you will need to upgrade to a dual channel RAM kit. Just like any computer if you add new and better hardware you will get better performance. Just to be clear there is nothing wrong or working incorrectly in the default stock configuration (i.e. it is working just as well as any other laptop with similar specs and single channel memory) but you can squeeze a bit more performance out of the system if you give it more memory bandwidth by going dual channel.

I personally am planning on keeping it in single channel because I see no issue with the performance right now and it runs everything I throw at it without any issue. Hope this helps!

 

The OP-ness is too much for some of you.

 

Just as awful ... 2-3 hours max. I'd say 3 hours if you force Intel graphics, lower brightness to 1/4, turn keyboard backlight off in BIOS, undervolt core/cache 0.125V, and only do some lightweight tasks.

 

Apparently. Nice to know I had a nice AC current running through my wrists while playing BLOPS 4 last night, it was wrong but it felt so so right

On a serious note. I wonder if it’s an issue with the outlet I’m using (foreign one), the AC adapter, or something in the PC itself. Anyone have any experience with laptops passing a strong current through the case? I unplugged it and it no longer shocks

 

Can anyone else confirm that once your GPU starts pulling 75 watts you CPU will drop to 35 watts? Perhaps this also explains the discrepancy in Linus' video on performance when compared to another 8750h/GTX1060. Basically, if your GPU is being pushed, your CPU will automatically limit power to 35 watts - this is with dual channel ram and latest OP bios/ec/drivers. I can confirm this behavior on 2 machines.

 

Tons of paste!

 

With prime 95 alone the CPU will pull 55+ watts with temps in the high 60's - PL1 and PL2 are 45w and 55w respectively. Once Kombustor is started up, the GPU ramps up to 75 watts + and the CPU is instantly lowered to 35 watts and PL1 and PL2 are both set to 35watts. Once I stop Kombustor, the CPU PL1 and PL2 limits will go back up to 45 and 55 watts - this is with prime 95 simultaneously running. Something is limiting the total sustained power draw on the CPU and GPU to around 120 watts. This is really too bad as the laptop has plenty of thermal headroom for more power.

 

Wow my temps are so much better. Kryonaut dropped me down to a peak of 80 while playing Civ 6. Mostly the cpu is in the 60s.

 

Thanks...
I'm on Windows v1803.
Not messing with any upgrade now because plan to install a fresh copy of Win 10 Pro onto the new SSD on New Years Day. I'm not sure how to ensure I end up on 1809 when I do that??

I think it was Windows 10 Power Mode that made the difference.
Cinebench just gave me 1221 cb score. Thanks!

I used XTU to undervolt by -.125.

 

So which mode is better, gaming or performance???

 

So after further investigation it appears I am running into the 150 watt power limit set by the system even though i have the 180 watt adapter. This is mentioned on the 1st page of this thread and there is a link to a program that lets you change the power adapter size but you need an encryption key. Does anyone have that?

 

Neither. If both the CPU and GPU are pushed you will hit the power limit anyway. Equilibrium mode will be best.

 

Balanced mode

 

Are you sure your laptop is configured at 150? And you have to be insane to run prime 95 and Kombuster on a laptop LOL

I couldn’t possibly think of anything I would recommend less

 

It appears to be as well as a number of other posters on Slickdeals as well. Were you able to get the program that allows you to change your power supply settings to work?

 

Check with steberg for the correct file to run

 

Found it - thanks. Problem solved after running his file - see photos!! I was stuck at the 150 watt limit. Anyone else having this issue please see streberg's post - last one - http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/tongfang-gk5cn5z-and-tongfang-gk5cn6z.815943/page-101

 

That was the first major thing I checked on mine. It was configured to work with the 180 lol. Strange!

 

I agree but I hate leaving performance on the table!

 

The issue we have is that how many of these are configured this way and how did this happen?

 

Hard to say. Just happy it is an easy fix for anyone who runs into the issue.

 

For some reason, my RAM is only running at 1333, any ideas for solution? I also managed to get my OP 15+ to shutdown (cuts power completely) all of a sudden with a game and downloads running the background without reaching max temps on game mode, I had turbo mode on for the fans and used a fan cooler. Also is anyone actually able to download from the OP support site, only the CC downloads, the 15+ drivers they posted seem to be corrupt on my end.

 

DDR stands for Double Data Rate so it's 1333 x 2

 

Hey guys, after ordering my 15+ I've read almost every page in this thread and I've watched every BOAT video related to the computer. I just received my 15+ a few days back and I'm having some serious performance issues, I'm at a loss here. I can't seem to get a cinebench score above 860 no matter what I do. I have a 970evo, a fresh windows install, I've updated windows and the drivers, I've tried without gamecenter installed and with the newest version of gamecenter installed, I've tried every fan mode and battery mode, I have the newest mechrevo bios and ec, I've updated my oemserve with stebergs oem file and my power limits reflect the change same as hodge, I've undervolted cores and cache by 0.0135 with throttlestop and XTU (not at the same time obviously), I've tried with the goldkey ram installed, I've tried with 2x8gb ballistix 2666 sticks installed for dual channel. The only thing I haven't done is repaste with kryonaught because it hasnt been delivered yet.

I keep getting throttled by temperature because my cpu will hit 92-95 C in almost every benchmark. What I'm wondering is after I repaste will I really see a thermal improvement drastic enough to get a 1200+ cinebench score as other users seem to be getting? Did I just get a bad cpu? It seems to be running way hotter than most people with similar modifications.

Another thing I noticed is the ballistix ram is only running at 2400mhz even though its rated for 2666 where the oem goldkey would hit 2666. Is there any way for computer to recognize the ballistix capabilites?

Thanks for any help guys. BOAT as well as all the other members who have shared valuable info on this chassis have been invaluable to this community. Thank you so much!

 

Oh okay, that makes sense.

 

You don't mention it but do you have the following set:
1. Windows power mode = balanced
2. Gaming Center Fans = Gaming Mode
3. Gaming Center Performance Mode = Equilibrium
Also when you test/Benchmark/game are you making sure to hit your turbo boost fan button?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

Ok. Now that I finally have this thing dialed in, I have to say it is a great little laptop.