PowerSpec 1710 + 1510?

Yes, and I bought an extra year. I should have gotten the 3-yr option instead. Unit died 1.5 months outside of extended warranty.

I decided to rebuild my 12-yr old desktop system that I haven't used in 2 years. (i7 950 @ 3.8GHz / Sapphire Nitro R9 390 / 18 GB DDR3-1600 / Asus Rampage III X58 Black Edition)

So I bought:

Asus Crosshair VII Hero Wifi ATX mobo
Ryzen 3 3600X
EVGA AIO Water Cooling
Crucial Ballistix 16GB x2 (32GB Kit) DDR4-3200
Sapphire Nitro+ 5700 XT

My 2009 Cooler Master Silent Gold Pro 1200 PSU is still going strong. (Never cheap out on mobo or PSU, always get a PSU rated more than what you need so you don't stress the PSU) and installed into my Cooler Master HAF-X Tower case Rev.1. Had fun cleaning out all the dust colony in the front case fan area. Storage are all the SSD's I have for the laptop. Old system had 4 7200 RPM HDDs in it, 2 have failed. Down to a 2TB and a 1.5TB.

Intel replaced the dead 660p 2TB.

Did a fresh install of Win10 1909, and discovered I fixed a bunch of hardware niggles I had with the old install. (Like screen blanking when watching vids) Enjoying my completely Team RED desktop. This should hold me over until some proper laptops come out from AMD. (Looking at you Ryzen 4000 / Navi)

EDIT: MicroCenter tech told me the 250GB 970 EVO was also dead, but it's working here just fine in my NVME enclosure, so wtf. Also, I'm missing a case screw on the underside now. :/ She ate my screw.

 

The ryzen 5 series makes a lot of sense, any reason for getting the x over the normal?

 

I made a mistake, it's a 3600 Unlocked, not a 3600X.

 

They are all unlocked which is nice makes sense for someone who can tweak.

 

Haven't visited this page in over a year. Unfortunately, I return with bad news. This laptop is ****. (1510)

I've had this laptop for 2.5 years, and I've put roughly 2500 hours of gaming on it.

It has always gotten insanely hot. I probably should have done a repaste but never wanted to open it up myself. Microcenter wouldn't do it for me. I tried using throttlestop and other programs but to no avail. One of my mistakes was playing with it on my bed. I always put it on my lap but it would get so hot that I would need a blanket under it to not burn myself. This probably didn't help the heat issues, which I noticed were not as bad when playing with it on my desk. Big lesson learned there.

Keyboard wise, the W key now gets stuck down after letting it go. Looking at buying a new external keyboard now. Another issue with the keyboard is some of the keys look cracked on the left side. Shift and A.

The 60 frames limit was a big upset of this computer. Doesn't matter how great of a GPU you have if you are limited to 60 fps based on the ****ty screen. If I remember correctly the 1710 could go to 120 but not the 1510.

Now the fans are broken and they make extremely loud noises. They must be hitting something. It sounds like an airplane.

Unfortunately, I'm out of warranty so I can't get the issues fixed (plus now, Corona). And I'm afraid even if I bring it in, it'll take days or weeks and they'll charge me up the ass. I brought it into micro center a few times and each time it took a couple of weeks, they didn't fix anything, and said it was normal for it to be 100C. **** microcenter. **** this laptop.

Overall, I'm pissed I bought a laptop. I loved being able to game on my bed but it's just not viable. The heating issues + having to have it plugged in for it to be able to play any game is something I just didn't realize. No point in having a laptop if you can't even use it portably. It HAS to be charging for it to run any games decently well. Should have bought a desktop. Won't make that mistake again.

 

1. Not a single laptop on the market is able to support gaming at full performance on battery. No laptop battery can support drawing 200W+ from the power hungry GPU + CPU when under full load.

2. Gaming on anything other than a flat hard surface is basically death sentence for a gaming laptop. Any gaming laptop needs the underneath vents not to be blocked so it can properly cool components basically from desktop being put inside a laptop with limited surface area. The gtx 1070 in this 1510 is almost the same as one on desktop. This is also the reason why laptop fans are very loud. Just look at any desktop gpu and you’ll see how big the heatsink is, compared to just an inch thick of heatsink in most laptops.

 

You're absolutely right, about all of that.

To further explain, even with the vents being completely unblocked, my laptop was still always running over 90 degrees celsius and was obviously throttling. I spent hours and hours messing with throttlestop and other programs to try and improve performance, but the ****ty thermal paste job and small chassis paired with the overpowering GPU meant it would throttle no matter what and there was really no point to have such an impressive GPU when it wouldn't even compare to a lesser GPU in a desktop.

The fan issue I mentioned was not only the fans being loud, but I believe damage caused by the heat. I haven't opened it up, nor do I plan on getting it repaired now that it's out of warranty (and corona). But considering I haven't used the laptop all that much, and it sat on my desk for 99% of it's life, I never carried it around with me in a backpack or transported it anywhere, ever dropped it, etc. It still has lots of damage which I believe was mainly caused by the heat. My theory about this is because, like I mentioned, I was very careful with it, and it never moved for 99.9% of its life. And also because the damage is mainly in the top left by the WASD keys and the left fan, where it gets hottest. So hot, sometimes, that I can't even touch the WASD keys.

 

You have not mentioned trying to overclock your panel? Some can reach 90-100hz.

 

I understand your situation now. I'm using the 1710 and the WASD area also gets very hot because that's where the CPU is located just right under it. So far I have repasted countless times with either Kryonaut or NT-H1 but they all have the same results after like 30 mins of gaming when the heatsink is fully saturated. CPU is around 90°C and GPU is around 80°C. So my conclusion is the cooling solution in these models are good enough to keep the GPU temps down, but not the CPU temps. However looking at laptops from other brands I think it's pretty normal because laptops can't reach the thermals of desktops', it's just physically impossible, at least right now with Intel's 4th Skylake refresh with 10th gen and 14nm+++++...

There's a heatpipe going from the CPU heatsink to the GPU die. I feel like if we cut this off it might help with CPU temps when the GPU loads up because I don't think it's helping at all to be there, just makes the CPU suffer more when both are stressed while gaming.

 

I've never heard of overclocking to get higher Hz. I thought the 1510 was limited to 60 and the 1710 could unlock up to 140? But I haven't tried doing anything to this computer in 2 years now. I'll have to look into it. I've really never considered overclocking because I've always had heat problems causing throttling and it never made sense to me to try to make the machine any hotter. I remember you could use throttlestop to raise the clock speed? but I thought the screen was the limiting factor in the 60 fps anyway?

Really cool that you have a theory about the CPU being the problem. I always figured it was the GPU. But I don't have the balls to open up the computer myself, and I definitely don't have the balls to cut out or cut off anything inside lol. I'll just lose a screw and won't be able to put it back together.

 

Overclocking displays does not generate heat in your internals unless you are running vsync.

 

The CPU is absolutely the source of the throttling, and I agree it is a pain in the ass. I still get throttling with maximum fans because the number of CPU intensive games I am interested in keeps going up and the demands keep rising. I keep HWmonitor running in the background and check windows game bar performance measurements. When a game forces the laptop to run at 100% GPU it doesn't exceed 80-90C. Any game that forces the CPU to be utilized 100% will usually cause the throttling indicator to register right away. I wonder how effectively it would work to take a dremel tool and cut out the heatpipe connecting the CPU and GPU (I assume it's there for a reason).

Bummer, I have to say I disagree about it being bad but all your criticisms are legit. I basically went the opposite route by repeatedly putting more money into maintenance, and it still works well. I repasted 3 (or more) times, undervolted using throttlestop, bought an external 144hz 1440p monitor, bought an external mechanical keyboard, bought a monitor stand with ventilation holes in it to raise the laptop above my desk (and to keep the loud fans further from my face), canned air, always keeping it plugged in and buying a powerful surge protector to prevent damage to the power supply. Long term I put a lot into maintenance, but I think I had a more positive experience with it, and the longevity it afforded me will give me more time to find an opportunity to upgrade to a desktop. Hoping for a deal on a good next gen CPU that won't be a bottleneck like the i7-7700hq in the 1510.

 

Heatpipes will only transmit heat from a region of higher thermal density to one of lower so if the GPU is cooler than the CPU the GPU is not heating the CPU.

 

I was able to overclock the monitor to 63 fps. When testing 65 the screen goes black for 15 seconds and it reverts. Testing 64 initially works but the screen flickers. 63 seems to work. Any idea how I can get this higher?

 

There can be gaps, does 75 work?

 

Nothing over 63 or 64 works.

 

Ah that sucks it can happen.

 

Could anyone tell me whats the latest compatible CCC for the 1710? The latest version I've found was v5.0001.1.97.

 

For the one guy resting the laptop on his lap: Get an external monitor or television for gosh sakes. I have my 1720 sitting on a table next to my bed, resting on a Cooler Master Notepal X3, and hooked up to a 55" Samsung RU8000 TV. I sit or lay on my bed and utilize my computer using a wireless keyboard and mouse. I think a similar setup might be what you are looking for if you use your computer from your bed as well.

To the rest of you having thermal issues with their laptops, please consider re-pasting with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut. I used it on my 1510 and on my 1720, and I NEVER, EVER have thermal throttling of the CPU or GPU, nor do I experience temperatures high enough to cause burning to myself either on the keyboard or the underside of the laptop. It's the best PERFORMING thermal compound I've ever seen in the 25 years I've been building computers.

Honestly, I've never held my laptop in my lap for any reason. You just don't do that with a "gaming" laptop. It should be plugged in, resting on a HARD flat surface or even better the laptop should be sitting on top of a laptop cooler. Even simply propping up the back of the laptop will aid in increasing the airflow underneath the laptop where your fans are trying to draw in cool air. NEVER operate the laptop with it resting on your bed or any other soft squishy surface.

One other method to reduce temperatures of your laptop is to undervolt the CPU using Throttlestop or Intel Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU). I suggest looking into it.

Don't be bashful or scared to work on these machines. Dig in, get your hands dirty, and put an end to all of your thermal issues once and for all. There is a slew of information on this forum alone let alone the rest of the internet to help you achieve what you so desire. A cool running efficient gaming laptop.

 

Looking at Clevo's Downloads section of their website, the newest version is 2.06 with a date of 05-14-20.

 

Back with more issues...

Other than the computer only running 40-50 fps on Rust on the lowest possible settings, not sure why.

It won't even boot up now!

I turn it on one day and it just sits on the loading screen that says Powoerspec with the spinning circle that keeps going round and round. I held the power button to force it off and then turned it on again 10x already. I even hit f2 went into the options and tried repairing it but I have no saves. This computer...

EDIT: It will eventually load up after 15 mins but left click and enter don't work. Can't run any programs. Uh oh.

 

Could be a memory issue. Have you tired running a single stick?

 

I've never opened it before? I guess I could try now since it can't possibly get any MORE broken.

 

Worth giving a test.

 

I realize this post is over 2 and a half years old at this point, but thanks so much for clarifying this. I was reading other posts in this thread and couldn't figure out whether an M2 NVME in the SSD1 slot and an M2 SATA in the SSD2 slot would actually work in the 1510. Some other posts seemed to imply this may not work on the 1510, but looking at the drives they mentioned trying, it looks like the main issue was trying to put M2 NVME's in BOTH slots, which seems to be a no go on the 1510.

Wound up buying a WD Blue 1TB M2 SATA since the price was reasonable, and sure enough it works fine in the SSD2 M2 Slot, with the original 250 GB Samsung 960 EVO NVME in the SSD1 M2 slot and Windows recognizing both drives (Windows 10 boots off the Samsung SSD).

Feels good to have more SSD space on this laptop without having to remove any drives, and no longer having to be so selective of what games can go on the SSD lol.

 

Hi Everyone, so my 1710 finally started to STB a few weeks ago. It powers up fine, boots into the OS and then it either freezes with visual distortion on the screen or it just hangs. It's random times, I believe it to be heat related as if I leave it over the cooling vent I can generally get the system to stay active for longer. I haven't tested the fans yet, that's my next step, question is where do you source parts?

 

I broke the keyboard on my 1720 and was able to get a replacement directly from MicroCenter. They even had it in stock in the warehouse and I was able to pick it up the very next day in the store from when I ordered it.

I would imagine MicroCenter can acquire any parts you might need for the 1710, but availability will most likely vary depending on the part.

 

Anyone still paying attention to this, I have an issue with it booting.
My charger STB and sparked and crackled while plugged in, then battery eventually died as it wasn't charging. I booted off battery only and it still worked for a short time before dying again from battery.
New charger arrived and is charging, powering up but now my stock Samsung 960 Evo is not being recognized in BIOS anywhere as a bootable drive. Switched slots, no worky.

Is it just a fricking timing thing it also died?

About to try one stick of RAM also just in case. Switched RAM all around, no change.

 

See BIOS Main

 

Is this supposed to say this?

 

Problem solved. I inserted and removed SSD several times, then, fully seated it. Once it was seated I pulled it ever so slightly back out and tightened the screw to hold it in place. It booted right up.
Weird things.

 

Maybe some dirt in the connector?

 

Maybe, IDK.

Now I'm getting critical errors and random reboots.
PC restarts and doesn't recognize drive again. I manually Power off and Power on and it works again...

I think my SSD is on the way out?

 

I'd suggest getting what data you can from it for sure.

 

How do you remove this LCD cable connector? I have disassembled this laptop a number of times to re-paste without the need to remove the cable but this time I want to remove it

 

Looks like the metal Housing possibly lifts away from that plug.

 

you mean like vertically upwards? I tried wiggling a bit but it seems stuck/soldered on the board?

 

I’d check under that black fabric material. There is more than likely a latch that unlocks and it’ll then unplug. Most laptops have a locking latch for the display signal plug.

 

The tab on top shows it pulls straight up 90 degrees from the board.

 

ok I tried pulling the tab upwards but it kinda stretched without moving anything so I'm afraid I might break the connector. Let me try again this time. Btw are there any 120/144hz replacements for this laptop?

 

If you are 1080p 60Hz the higher refresh rate panels usually need 10 more pins on the LCD side. You could try clocking up the panel and seeing if does any better.

 

Well ladies and Gentlemen, we had a great run, but she let out the magic smoke last night, some small flames, and she's down, my beloved 1510.

Powerspec 1510, dead. https://imgur.com/gallery/NcwqQg5

 

Ouch, that sucks

 

does anyone know if it's possible to upgrade the bios on the 1710 (PA7xHS) using files from here: http://repo.palkeo.com/clevo-mirror/PA7XHS?

 

I believe so. Within that is a 'PA70Hx.16' file that is 8,192 KB. You can rename that with ".rom" and flash. At least that is how I did it with a CH341a programmer clip and ASProgrammer software on my PB70. Be sure to read and backup the chip first, multiple times for reassurance.

A question though; is the Windows method of BIOS flash not an option for you? It is much "safer" in practice.

 

I got the link from this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/clevo-bios-thread.416916/. The instructions from that thread saything you need a bootable DOS usb to flash. You can flash from Windows? Which .bat file should I run? There are a bunch of different .bat files here. I'm honestly confused...

 

Ah, I may have spoken too soon about Windows flash. The flash method described for that machine is DOS/USB. I had to use a programmer since my laptop wouldn't even boot up. I followed a guide on Win-Raid which has worked on my Clevo which was boot-looping. https://www.win-raid.com/t796f16-Guide-Using-CH-A-based-programmer-to-flash-SPI-EEPROM.html

 

hmm... how did you end up in a boot loop in the first place?

 

Corrupt BIOS via memory overclock. I was pushing for 3200MHz which I've bootlooped from before (dozens of times actually). However, every time in the past I could CMOS reset or NVRAM reset no issues. This time, it was bricked. No display, no USB/keyboard input, fans spun up for a bit then auto shut off. @HenryCase was in the same predicament at the same time and shared his solution with me here - http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...s-now-supported.825558/page-254#post-11116573
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/official-clevo-pb7xex-g-owners-lounge.826811/page-91

Just for reference, the Clevo's (or at least mine) will boot cycle 3 times after a flash with no display. The first 2 seem like failed boots but they are hardware checks I believe. It will power up a 3rd time and give the 'CMOS reset' message and then fully boot. I think this is what happened when Henry walked away and came back to his machine as described in the above posts.

 

so it seems like if anything happens I can use a programmer to save the BIOS. That's good to know. At the moment I don't have any programmer at hand, so I'm wondering if I can run any of the .bat files directly from Windows, or I'll have to create a bootable DOS to do so.

Edit: I've read through the 2 links you provided, and it seems the BIOS archive of your model has a full BIOS dump. My model doesn't seem to have one though, so not sure how am I gonna save it using a programmer if things go wrong. Is your bios vendor INSYDE? Mine is American Megatrends, maybe it could be different...I dunno, so many things to learn...