Official: Battlefield 3 and AW M18x

[littleone562]

What do you mean you get shocks?

[mw86]

I'm still having trouble with my 6990 xfire tho... I still get shocks! When I go in to Windows (alt-tab) and go back, the first 30 secs all is fine. Then it's start shocking again. If I played windowed, there is no problem either. Weird right?

I'd like too see more info on the GPU's, even if I'm not sure the problem is with the GPU's. I saw some-one post a screenshot on this forum of the Catalyst software, with temperature info etc. Where can I download that software?

The overdrive software isn't anything special and requires quite some steps to enable properly... (there are easier ways to monitor and overclock)

This software HWinfo will cover all your monitoring needs no doubt. http://www.hwinfo.com/

If your getting electrical shocks from your system there is no reason that acceptable for that behavior and is not a direct result of something your running in windowed or not... if full-screen acts it up perhaps its when there is a lot of load on gpu... but if your having electrical shocks i would call dell immediately.

[Aardschok]

Sorry for the bad explenation.. By shocks i mean it's not running smooth, it's like FPS dropping. When I go into Windowed mode, everything is good AND when I do ALT-TAB, and go back, it's good for a really short while (a minute maybe).

Looks like this is the same issue: BF3 Crossfire not working. - [H]ard|Forum

[Aardschok]

See the attached image. I'm not sure what GPU utilization is, but it's the only fluctuating value, so I thought this would be a nice meassure point. As you can see I started the game full screen. The second (or first, not sure) GPU is hitting 100%. The game is not running smooth.

After that, I went into windowed mode. The game runs smooth (very smooth) and GPU2 is doing less work?

Any ideas?

[Aardschok]

Some temperature info, maybe here's a problem? Since it's okay for a short while, when I return from Alt-tab (desktop)?

[svl7]

Holy sh.. !!! Look at those temps!!

Time to repaste your cards or you gonna fry them. (Well, they'll shutdown before it happens, but still the temps aren't healthy at all.)

First of all make sure the copper fins at the end of the heatsink are free from dust, then repaste your GPUs (or call Dell if you don't want to do it yourself).

Also it can help to slightly lift the back of the system to improve the airflow, just make sure you don't block the holes for the incoming air.

[Aardschok]

I lifted the back of the notebook with 3-4cm's and I put the fan manually on MAX (7000 rpm). Now it's not going above 62 degrees... everything runs smooth, on high reso, high settings. It's SO weird it runs smooth one day, and bad the other. I'm gonna check if this good temps are due to the raising and the fan speed by putten the fan speed on auto again.

I think I'm not capable of repasting myself, so I would probably lose the notebook for weeks to Dell

-edit-

I put the fanspeed on auto and the temp rises to 104!!! Ouch.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Aardschok

[svl7]

I don't know how fast the M18x fans are usually running, but somethings wrong with your machine... What is the max speed of the fans when you don't set them manually? Which BIOS are you using?

[Michael]

max fan speed is about 4-4,5K RPM for the video cards.

Something is def. wrong there.

[Aardschok]

Im using bios version R1_A04. I'm not sure what the real max fan speed is. HWiNFO says 7000.

[unreal25]

Are you talking about static electricity shocks?

Also, according to this screenshot, you have 6970cf not 6990cf:

Some temperature info, maybe here's a problem? Since it's okay for a short while, when I return from Alt-tab (desktop)?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2808[/ATTACH]

But yes, those temperatures are way too high. You are not preventing the normal air flow the fans right? (Like, laptop is not a cushion?)

[Aardschok]

Hi! HWiNFO displays 6790/6990 but you can't see that in this screen.

The fans are totally free

[mw86]

I lifted the back of the notebook with 3-4cm's and I put the fan manually on MAX (7000 rpm). Now it's not going above 62 degrees... everything runs smooth, on high reso, high settings. It's SO weird it runs smooth one day, and bad the other. I'm gonna check if this good temps are due to the raising and the fan speed by putten the fan speed on auto again.

I think I'm not capable of repasting myself, so I would probably lose the notebook for weeks to Dell

-edit-

I put the fanspeed on auto and the temp rises to 104!!! Ouch.

go by the readings in the sensors for fan control... by most cases... you will see 3.9k-4k when set to those values or higher like 7k... the fans still just max at 4k... Michael is right there is a built in internal max of 5.2k on certain fans according to specs of these systems. 4k is what you can set on hwinfo. you can set 7k though to help keep the fans maxed. in the reading by the fan control where auto shows in green letters when its using it shows what it thinks it set... the sensor window shows that actual rpm reading that is resultant of what you had set. go through this thread for the proper setting http://forum.techinferno.com/hwinfo32-64-discussion/65-alienware-fan-control-post15889.html#post15889

i use

i am repasted with ICD24 and i use paste in place of dells sponges on vram... those temps are dangerous and with work they should be more manageable.

i use task scheduler to start when windows does and the command in that thread to start fan control at hwinfo's start and minimize sensor tab etc.... i have used this like this for awhile fans always maxed and no lockups or probs...

Edited November 22, 2011 by mw86

[taola16]

hi guy..my m18x had a problem last week when i was playing bf3. My fps normal was ~70-80 but after 5 minutes my fps droped ~30.However my cf was enable. somebody know what wrong is this ? i'm using

AMD Catalyst 12.3 RC (8.950.0 January 31) + CAP 12.1.

i'm tried to use AMD Dell but the same problem..drop pfs when playing game after 5 minutes ( bf3, skym..etc )

[svl7]

What are your temps while playing?

[mw86]

also what settings resolutions etc are you using? Catalyst can house settings for antialising and its best to set use apps settings and tell it to use multisampling not super sampling or adaptive antialising. Turn off morphological filter and perhaps tel tesselation to be off instead of AMD optimized. Next in game what settings are you using via skyrim and BF3. Are you overclocked if so elaborate. As above please check and post temp situation jnder gaming. If your core or mem is overclocked past a certain point temps are outrageous. I found honing in helps find a spot where mhz are high but cool any higher temps skyrocket.. I suggest finding those if overclocked already.

welcome to Tech Inferno

[Brian]

hi guy..my m18x had a problem last week when i was playing bf3. My fps normal was ~70-80 but after 5 minutes my fps droped ~30.However my cf was enable. somebody know what wrong is this ? i'm using

AMD Catalyst 12.3 RC (8.950.0 January 31) + CAP 12.1.

i'm tried to use AMD Dell but the same problem..drop pfs when playing game after 5 minutes ( bf3, skym..etc )

Sounds like throttling, I suggest you download HwiNFO64 and monitor your temperatures with that and report back to us. Take a screenshot of your temps after playing BF3.

[mw86]

if its determined to not be throttling look into BF3 etc settings. I find i get high fps and could come into a lot of smoke and effects and drop some fps dramatically. And in Skyrim this worse turn a corner walk by wrong rock 20fps HBAO and post processing can add to fps drop in high detailed areas and with lots of onscreen effects. AA any form can add a lot of fps drops during different scenes. Hopefully the hwinfo screenshot can determine whats happening

[taola16]

hi guy ! thanks for answer quickly .

My m18x 2720qm cf 6970 8gb ram

I didn't overclocked my laptop. i'm using Throttle Stop for my m18x,it doesn't drop fps when i'm play bf3.. CPU ~ 80

.However when i'm turn of ThrottleStop it drop again.

my cf 6970 is enable..

i'm not using HwiNFO64 because i'm don't know what is this.. Is it help my laptop still cool during playing game ?

Edited February 11, 2012 by taola16

[mw86]

@taola16

http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m18x/1226-official-battlefield-3-aw-m18x.html#post15892

this is in this thread HWiNFO can allow you to control fans and cool it down before its already to warm

also here i write about its uses and how to use it

Products and User Reviews -- Tech|Inferno Forum

just click on HWiNFO

Edited February 14, 2012 by mw86