Battery GPU Power Settings

Been working on a little project lately. I'm trying to find the optimal clocks for the GPU while under battery power, while being able to game for at least half an hour at reasonable speeds. I've tried a few things with mixed success. Here's what I've unraveled so far, just wanted some input on it.

Ive managed to get the max GPU clocks to run at 383/767/602 (Core/Shader/DCM Mem), which, for those of you familiar with vBIOS's, is the standard 3D setting, by setting the Thrtl to those same speeds. After disabling and configuring some powermizer settings in the registry, I can get the GPU to run at those speeds. However, it wont throttle down to 2D mode, which is 200/400/200. Since I'm running at .8v instead of the .85v for low end work, I'm not consuming too much extra battery at these speeds. My question, anybody know a way to get the GPU to run on full power while plugged in, then throttle down to Thrtl speeds under load on battery, then enter 2D mode at the 200mhz Core while idling?

I've tried a myriad of different drivers, all same results. I'm holding with my precious 177.41 drivers for now. I think its a powermizer option... but it could be so many other things.

 

Is it possible to throttle the voltages for the 8800 when on battery like what RMClock does?

 

Well thats kinda what I'm working on. Technically, throttling should work, and it was designed to, but with the drivers I'm using now, it is stuck at Thrtl speeds. So I bumped that up a bit so I can game on battery. The drivers just seem to be stuck at one speed on battery only, and won't drop down into 2D mode.

You can specify the steps of voltage to take inside NiBiTor under the Voltage Table Editor and changing the amount of active entries. I've got mine set to 02 entries. 1.1v for Extra, .8v for everything else.

Throttling works great on AC power, but its on one mode only in battery... Thats my issue.

 

How low do you think i can get the voltages for 2d mode and be stable, since you can game on ,8v at 383/767/301. For 2d mode can i still lower the clocks more so that it is a bit better then an intergrated gfx card and thus lower the voltage in comparison? And would i be able to watch movies with pretty decent picture at these lower integrated like clocks? Fiddling around with this i might be able to net like 3+ hours on battery for just regular computing/school work. As right now with my CPU UV and 200/400/100 I get 2 1/2 hours, so if i can lower the clock to something like 120/300/80 at .75 v that would be a decrease of .1v from .85 at 2d works.

 

I guess i can mess around with the 2d settings but what im worried about is that if i lower the voltage to much and it becomes unstable will i loose my display completely or will i be able to at least get a boot screen as that uses nothing and reflash where the voltage for 2d was a bit higher?

 

Default 2D mode is .85v. Extra is the only mode set a 1v. I experimented with the .7/.75 voltages earlier, but if I recall, I could not get them stable. Try leaving the 2D clocks the same, made the Thrtl clock the same as 2D, set the voltages to .8v, and see what kind of battery you get then. With those clocks, your GPU would never jump up, and you'd get great battery savings, a cooler running gpu, and less wear on the internals.

If you optimize Vista properly, mod the vBIOS to lower clocks and voltages for all but Extra, use your UV on the cpu, maybe even lower it, and keep your display low, i think you could hit three hours for sure.

 

I dont mind the clocks and voltages when im on AC. But its just when I'm battery i want to do this. I thought that on battery the GPU will only stay on 2d mode anyway. The .7/.75 voltages you experimented with were those for the 2d or the 3d and throttle. And what happens when it becomes unstable just a bsod and reapply vbios again at a differnt voltage or does it become troublesome? On AC the thing has no trouble moving between voltages and clocks right?

 

In battery mode, it is supposed to use 2D and Thrtl. The .75 was used for 2D i recall. I need to jump back in there and check it. I'll probably do that at work tomorrow. I think I'm going to dump trying to get throttling working on battery and just work on power saving like your doing. I don't game much on battery anyways.

 

Cool if you could post me your results that would be awesome. And on a side note for the bios are you modding your original bios or one from a different vendor? If you are using your original one do you just type nvflash biosname or do nvflash -4 biosname? thanks

Actually for movies would it matter the clocks, arent movie images and qualities the same with an integrated card vs discrete the screen is what makes the difference?

 

Well here is the result so far.

I've managed to get the GPU to run without any issues a 1.1/.85/.75/.7 volts. No stability issues and all is well. CPU is set to around .15v lower on each multiplier. I've got Windows set to my custom power save mode, and have been running for twenty minutes now with 95% battery left. Screen on max, wifi on. Using it to stream music off pandora and browse internet. Temps at 22C Core and 40C GPU fans on minimal. I'll let you know my final battery life.

For a different vendor on a vBIOS flash, I use nvflash -4 -5 -6
If your not playing bluray, you should be just fine on the 2D clocks.

Update: At over two hours into the test, I'm at 40% battery. So its not looking like I'll hit four hours yet, but 3-3.5 hours is good too!

 

Did you set your Throttle back do default clocks for the .75 v?

 

I did not. Since doing web, etc runs on 2D, I didn't downclock the Thrtl, with is the one set to .75v. But .7 on 2D works great so far. I'm not sure what clock settings DVDs use, I'll have to check that later when I get home. I just installed a utility that disables Aero and sidebar on battery, supposedly they use a lot of power. Running three hours and have 18% left. Looks like I'll hit 3 1/2 hours. With a couple more mods, I think I'll be able to get 4 hours.

 

So what do you your throttle set to the 3d clocks? If so why not set the voltage for the 3d to .75. Also is your CPU undervolted, if so to what voltage?

Thanks

 

The 3D clocks are set to 383/767/301 @ .8v. This is fine since on battery, it never goes about 200/400/100 @.7v.

 

the 3D clocks are stock, set at .8v. I didn't lower it any further because 3D is not accessible while on battery, at least with the standard powermizer settings. The only time 3D is used is when on AC, so I don't see a need to lower it much further.

Running the CPU @ .15v under for each multiplier. I can take it lower. Still just experimenting.

 

so on 12x mult you have it running at .9875? thats pretty low.

 

no actually I have it running from 1.225v to 1.1v

 

oh that makes more sense

 

Well Three and a Half hours of battery under constant use doing light work. Not bad! I'll try for 4 hours in a bit when I have that much time again. Im going to pull my CPU volts down some more and finish my optimizations. I think its possible.

 

Im going to apply the new bios today for the volts and then try battery. I have my CPU on stock right now, at 1.0375 so i should be able to get more time than you did hopefully 4 hours. That would actually be pretty cool. Take that m15x!!

 

And what new BIOS is this? New vBIOS or system BIOS?

Actually I can't get the system to enter sleep anymore. Not sure whats up with that.

 

I meant vbios.