M17x R3 GPU upgrade to gtx 780m

[J95]

Yeah with most games you don't need to OC at all....I've never ruined anything by overclocking....museum

Learn about AA settings using Nvidia Inspector NVidia Anti-Aliasing Guide (updated)

[link3rd]

Well, those temperatures seem OK. 78 degC being your highest temperature you say at stock voltage but with overclock. If you're overvolting I think you'd want it under 80 degC as a maximum temperature, so as long as your fans aren't on 100% when you saw the 78 degC, then you should be good to add a bit of voltage if you wanted.

Hey, I have an interesting thopic. Maybe some people figured it out already, but I'm just putting it out there. So, to install the 780m GTX in Alienware laptops that pre-date the new 2013 lineup, we need to disable the integrated gpu right. So in the event that we're running on battery, we will not be able save as much battery life as we would if we were running the intel HD 3000/4000 right? Does it make sense to undervolt/ underclock/ whatever, while on battery in an effort to save battery life?

[Robbo]

Hey, I have an interesting thopic. Maybe some people figured it out already, but I'm just putting it out there. So, to install the 780m GTX in Alienware laptops that pre-date the new 2013 lineup, we need to disable the integrated gpu right. So in the event that we're running on battery, we will not be able save as much battery life as we would if we were running the intel HD 3000/4000 right? Does it make sense to undervolt/ underclock/ whatever, while on battery in an effort to save battery life?

(Haha, yes, Lara Croft is quite hot in a 2D computer game kind of way, and she's the only woman you can really control too, without getting locked up of course!)

Yes, your battery life is less when on dedicated GPU, but they already enter lower power states (lower voltages & lower clocks) when just browsing the internet or something, so don't use much power. So, no need to undervolt or underclock manually - it's already happening automatically.

[link3rd]

This is a screen shot I took when I noticed that the temps were 76C+ @stock overclock and auto fan. I left it there for like 10 mins. This is on ultimate settings.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9241[/ATTACH]

I also rotated the camera so the hair took up >50% of the screen.

Does anyone know why this hair setting use up so much resources and put so much stress on a gpu?

[Robbo]

This is a screen shot I took when I noticed that the temps were 76C+ @stock overclock and auto fan. I left it there for like 10 mins. This is on ultimate settings.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9241[/ATTACH]

I also rotated the camera so the hair took up >50% of the screen.

Does anyone know why this hair setting use up so much resources and put so much stress on a gpu?

[link3rd]

Hey, J95, in the picture that you posted above, for the HWiNFO fan control, I'm curious to know what settings you used. Can you help me pls? I dont think my cpu fans are customized nor is my gpu fan optimal. I read through a lot of this thread to get educated about it, but I cannot come to a final conclusion.

HOW TO: Monitoring CPU and GPU Temperatures In-Game/In-Benchmark with On-Screen Display

[J95]

Aggressive fan profile, lower idle RPM.

[Robbo]

Is fan control worth messing with for the GPU? On my M17xR3, as standard built in control, I think it switches to it's highest possible RPM at about 65degC (about 4100rpm). Or are you guys talking the CPU temperature control, because that does let the temperatures get quite high before applying maximum fan rpm?

[link3rd]

Aggressive fan profile, lower idle RPM.

[J95]

Auto start fan control edit HWiNFO64.INI add OpenFanCtrlMin=1

HWiNFO64.INI

KeepTheme=0

FlushBuffers=0

OpenFanCtrlMin=1

[Robbo]

(I don't see why messing with GPU fan control is important if M17xR3 hits max GPU fan RPM at 65degC - that keeps temperatures plenty low enough; haha, maybe it's just mine that behaves like that!)

I found out by manually setting my fans to 100% using HWInfo, that the max fan RPM for the GPU is 4100rpm. My M17xR3 switches up to this 4100rpm automatically at about 65 degC, so I don't see how a fan profile is going to lower your temperatures, because at 65 degC your GPU fan will be at 100% RPM anyway. I can't see it lowering your gaming temps, unless I'm missing something.

[link3rd]

(I don't see why messing with GPU fan control is important if M17xR3 hits max GPU fan RPM at 65degC - that keeps temperatures plenty low enough; haha, maybe it's just mine that behaves like that!)

I found out by manually setting my fans to 100% using HWInfo, that the max fan RPM for the GPU is 4100rpm. My M17xR3 switches up to this 4100rpm automatically at about 65 degC, so I don't see how a fan profile is going to lower your temperatures, because at 65 degC your GPU fan will be at 100% RPM anyway. I can't see it lowering your gaming temps, unless I'm missing something.

[Robbo]

It works for my gpu fan it seems. But my CPU fan is another story. It reaches like 85C when I game with max settings and a lot of stuff happening in the background. I haven't even over locked it yet. So before I try Overclocking the CPU I wana get the fans working exactly how I want it =)

[J95]

(I don't see why messing with GPU fan control is important if M17xR3 hits max GPU fan RPM at 65degC - that keeps temperatures plenty low enough; haha, maybe it's just mine that behaves like that!)

I found out by manually setting my fans to 100% using HWInfo, that the max fan RPM for the GPU is 4100rpm. My M17xR3 switches up to this 4100rpm automatically at about 65 degC, so I don't see how a fan profile is going to lower your temperatures, because at 65 degC your GPU fan will be at 100% RPM anyway. I can't see it lowering your gaming temps, unless I'm missing something.

Compal EC

[Robbo]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9250[/ATTACH]

Compal EC

[link3rd]

Deleted...

[link3rd]

Deleted.....

[link3rd]

What was your max GPU fan RPM before you manually set it? What is your maximum fan rpm now that you have set it manually? Note that the target RPM you ask of it might not be the actual fan RPM experienced; for instance you could maybe set it at 5000 RPM as a target, but would only reach 4100RPM. What I'm getting at is: what is max possible fan RPM for the GPU when you set it to 100% fan, and do you not get this max fan RPM when over 65degC? I think you do.

I agree you can improve on the CPU fans to kick on earlier at higher RPM's, because they don't reach their highest RPM's until the 90 degC's, but I'm still sceptical about the GPU.

[J95]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9249[/ATTACH]

Wrong settings, Safety>uncheck SW SMI, set the new fan table click ok>open "custom auto" again set the fan table and hit ok, now settings will stick.

Fan table http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x-aw-17/3702-m17x-r3-gpu-upgrade-gtx-780m-14.html#post68814

[link3rd]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9249[/ATTACH]

Wrong settings, Safety>uncheck SW SMI, set the new fan table click ok>open "custom auto" again set the fan table and hit ok, now settings will stick.

Fan table http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m17x-aw-17/3702-m17x-r3-gpu-upgrade-gtx-780m-14.html#post68814

[J95]

Right click HWiNFO>Settings>Safety>uncheck SW SMI>Hit OK>restart HWiNFO.

[Robbo]

wow, where do i start, so i just did the most idiotic, suicidal thing ever. I swear i never playing tomb raider with the hair quality at tressfx ever again!?!! sooooo. u remember this scene in the game:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9253[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]9254[/ATTACH]

I set the fan speed limits to what J95 has above and I decided to play this on ultimate settings. I staring at the gpu temperature all along. I see 75C, so i begin to think hard...

Then at the topof the tower, I kid u not, in the space of 5-10 secs, the temperature went from 75C -85C-90C right at the point where she begins to tune the radio... Max temp was 90C recorded on gpuz and hwinfo... so BOARDERLINE TRAGEDY...i hope????? this is y i am terrified to stress test gpus =(

I cannot describe the speed at which i pressed Alt+F4. Then ctrl+alt+delete.... Panic button, everything.... as soon as the game exited temps dropped to 60-ish... so i'm like "wow, amazing...." *sigh* a little more and i nearly had a heart attack. anyways, With in 30 secs, the temp was back to below 50C... I decided to play it again, but with that dumb hair setting on normal. u won't believe that temps didnt cross 60C.........WOW!!!!

bf3 campaign on ultra setting was like 64C...

Said to myself "never again with that damn setting":50_002:

I had the regular overclock with out the overvolt (985/3000/+0mV) when i got the 90C, so I didn't cry as much as I would have, if i had it at (1006/3000/+12.5mV)...... but WOW!

This is my settings for hwinfo:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9255[/ATTACH]

Any thoughts?

It'll be fine going to 90 degC for a short time, it's only more dangerous when you run it for extended periods of times. I think the GPU will throttle if it gets too hot anyway as a safety feature, don't know what temperature it does that though.

One thing I just don't understand is why you guys are messing with the fan tables for the GPU. I asked you guys before, but you didn't answer me, when you don't use HWInfo do you not see max fan RPM at about 65 degC? If that's the case, then why bother messing with the fan tables? For instance, Link3rd, your GPU is getting up to 78 degC and beyond, surely without HWInfo activated you're still seeing max GPU fan RPM at those temperatures right?? If you are getting max fan RPM at those temperatures then I fail to see how using HWInfo fan control is going to lower those temperatures if your GPU fan RPM is already at 100% anyway, do you guys understand what I'm getting at? Correct me if I'm wrong about any of that. (You can test to see what fan RPM you are getting by using the sensors tab of HWInfo, so you can compare actual measured max fan RPM between leaving it at 'laptop built in fan control' vs 'your HWInfo fan control profile', surely the max fan RPM that you see will be the same, and therefore no difference in maximum temperatures of the GPU to be seen??

I'm just curious about this, and also I want to save you the effort of messing with HWinfo fan control if it can't do anything to lower your temperatures.

[link3rd]

It'll be fine going to 90 degC for a short time, it's only more dangerous when you run it for extended periods of times. I think the GPU will throttle if it gets too hot anyway as a safety feature, don't know what temperature it does that though.

One thing I just don't understand is why you guys are messing with the fan tables for the GPU. I asked you guys before, but you didn't answer me, when you don't use HWInfo do you not see max fan RPM at about 65 degC? If that's the case, then why bother messing with the fan tables? For instance, Link3rd, your GPU is getting up to 78 degC and beyond, surely without HWInfo activated you're still seeing max GPU fan RPM at those temperatures right?? If you are getting max fan RPM at those temperatures then I fail to see how using HWInfo fan control is going to lower those temperatures if your GPU fan RPM is already at 100% anyway, do you guys understand what I'm getting at? Correct me if I'm wrong about any of that. (You can test to see what fan RPM you are getting by using the sensors tab of HWInfo, so you can compare actual measured max fan RPM between leaving it at 'laptop built in fan control' vs 'your HWInfo fan control profile', surely the max fan RPM that you see will be the same, and therefore no difference in maximum temperatures of the GPU to be seen??

I'm just curious about this, and also I want to save you the effort of messing with HWinfo fan control if it can't do anything to lower your temperatures.

[Robbo]

Actually, that makes a lot of sense. The reason I am doing this is because I want the higher rpm to kick in before 65C, but like you said, it wont matter, because, it will reach max at 65C anyways and most of the time im in the high 60's so it doesn't matter, lol... (I guess its more of a paranoid thing:01:). I have seen temperatures lower with it running as opposed to not having it on. I'll admit, that tressfx setting kind of over did it. I will never be playing with that again. What I really want control over, and don't seem to be getting it is control over my CPU fan. Bf3 gets my cpu to like 80C-85C with no overclock.

[link3rd]

Haha, good, it's good that makes sense, it's good to be understood! :-)

I guess if you're still not happy with the temperatures, on the CPU & the GPU then you can try repasting, bad paste jobs can make tens of degrees celsius difference. Also, I'd make sure that you've blown all the dust out of your heat sink fins & fans, using a can of compressed air (don't use a vacuum cleaner - I fried my RAM due to static once!). Also, use the laptop on a flat surface so the vents aren't blocked, laptop coolers can help by maybe 5 deg C, or you can use bottle caps or something else to raise the back of the laptop up to allow more air to flow freely to the fans & around the underside of the laptop.