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1 Rookie
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5 Posts
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371079
August 29th, 2013 12:00
Alienware 18 CPU Throttling
I've had my AW 18 for a month now and it became clear shortly after I started using it that performance was not where it should be. Making a long story short, the entire throttling issue is neatly chronicled in this forum post.
Bottom line, all the throttling and heat/fan issues occurring can be resolved with an updated BIOS so please Dell and Alienware, help us out.
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BJFox
2 Intern
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763 Posts
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January 24th, 2014 21:00
Please be courteous to Brother Chris and bear in mind he is the messenger. He is here for our benefit and deserves our respect. He is not personally responsible for the issues that anyone has been experiencing.
If you know the correct settings to use and use the necessary tools, the 4930MX can run 4.3GHz with no problem. It can also run 4.5GHz or 4.6GHz with no problem. I'm talking all cores here, not one core... and under 100% load. So, to answer the question, you don't need to wait for Dell to do anything to run the CPU at that frequency. For those that have any doubt about the ability to overclock the CPU, have a look at these screen shots.
The fact that the fans do not work correctly is undeniable. It adversely affects everyone in exactly the same manner... gaming, business use, or overclocking. This is a problem that many customers are experiencing and I anticipate that it is only a matter of time until it is fixed. For those looking for assistance with cooling while we are waiting for an updated BIOS to fix it, there is something you can do minimize the severity of the problem... read on.
I have repasted the CPU with Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra and it has helped to compensate for the absence of fan activity. This is a liquid metal TIM that does a phenomenal job of transferring heat, but it can cause serious harm if not used with great caution. With Liquid Ultra I am actually able to run 4.5GHz and complete benchmarks that caused a thermal shutdown before the fans would start to spin up using the stock phase-change TIM or IC Diamond thermal paste.
The Liquid Ultra dramatically slows down CPU heating and this allows enough time for the latency in the fan tables to "catch up" and confirm the temps really are too hot and the fans actually need to come on, and the fans eventually do begin to run.
View this album for tips on applying Liquid Ultra. You will find a text description beneath each photo.
After using Liquid Ultra I was able to render this 1080p video at 4.3GHz with a max core temp of 83°C. If you watch the video in 1080p you can watch the temps in real-time.
[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACcJVGF3b8c:550:0]
BJFox
2 Intern
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763 Posts
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December 23rd, 2014 04:00
I am using the latest version. That settings in the upper right corner does not change the overclock settings. I think that controls what shows in the "Default" and "Proposed" columns below the Settings icon. I never use that. You navigate using the menu on the left side and make overclock settings changes in the large center window area.
Alienware-Dani
133 Posts
1
August 29th, 2013 15:00
Hi Drekkerd, we are aware of this situation and it has already been escalated, we will have an update as soon as we have a reply from engineering.
drekkerd
1 Rookie
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5 Posts
1
August 30th, 2013 09:00
Thank you so much for the prompt reply, our collective hopes are now greatly raised, much appreciated.
gqman69
25 Posts
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December 2nd, 2013 00:00
It's now december and unfortunatly i did not see this problem before ordering last week.
Why is this not resolved yet?
Is there a fix coming before 2015 or should i just cancel my order?
This is unacceptable. Would take me 5 mins if the bios had the entries visible.
Very disappointed.
BJFox
2 Intern
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763 Posts
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December 6th, 2013 01:00
The GTX 770M and 780M graphics cards work excellently in the Alienware 18 with a modded vBIOS from Tech|Inferno. The GTX 580M, 675M and 680M also never functioned correctly with a stock vBIOS. This is inherent to stock NVIDIA vBIOS for all brands of gaming and high performance laptops and it's not a Dell/Alienware problem. But, this is a really easy fix... simple flash and the problems are solved.
Unfortunately, the system BIOS for the new 18 is not fixed yet. You can use XTU and ThrottleStop to accomplish about 75% of what needs to be adjusted for extraordinary performance and correct the severe power throttling issues. But beware, as the fan tables also need correction to improve cooling. If you make the necessary CPU power adjustments with XTU so the CPU can function at stock core clock ratios or higher you will encounter undesirable core temperatures.
Hopefully, an updated system BIOS will be provided with no Secure Flash so we can get the Alienware 18 to perform at its best, with exposed menus to access all of the important settings that are required to achieve levels of performance that more closely resemble what the M18xR1 and M18xR2 have become world famous for. It would be an awesome gift to have it fixed before Christmas. Maybe this will be on Santa's list.
BJFox
2 Intern
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763 Posts
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December 6th, 2013 07:00
He has hex editing skills, knowledge and software tools to correct NVIDIA's mistakes. GPU Boost is an NVIDIA "feature" that causes erratic behavior and illogical throttling at inappropriate times. One of the enhancements for Kepler cards involves disabling GPU Boost so that the ordinary NVIDIA P-states can govern clock speeds.
If you use XTU and set your Processor Current Limit to at least 95.000A using BIOS A03, this will dramatically improve stock (not overclocked) Haswell CPU performance. If you are overclocking the CPU it will take more than 95.000A. Depending on the clock speed, the value needed will vary. Some users find that they need to manually set the Processor Current Limit at every boot. Others are finding the setting will stick. The default value should be programmed at 95.000A to support stock Turbo Boost core ratios. (For some reason if you boot using integrated graphics the default value is 95.000A, but booting using discrete graphics it is dropped to 55.000A by default, which is too low for the CPU to run at Intel reference clock speeds.)
You can also set this Processor Current Limit using ThrottleStop 6.10 if you find it easier than using XTU. This is the value that can be set in the ThrottleStop "Package Current Limit" field. (See highlighted value... I have it set to 130 in this example instead of 95.000A.) You can access this Power Limits window by clicking on the TPL button.
gqman69
25 Posts
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December 6th, 2013 11:00
All this is cool but i use Linux so a real fix is necessary.
What is the return policy for an unsatisfied customer? or in this case, false advertising?
BJFox
2 Intern
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763 Posts
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December 6th, 2013 11:00
You can download ThrottleStop 6.00 from: The Digital HQ | Downloads
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
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56.9K Posts
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December 9th, 2013 13:00
BJFox,
Three users here complaining of the CPU throttling. On the main AW18 thread here, do you know how many users have complained of the same issue?
BJFox
2 Intern
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763 Posts
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December 9th, 2013 18:00
gqman69
25 Posts
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December 9th, 2013 23:00
Hey Chris,
I would be MUCH interested in your follow up on this issue.
shadowhand
4 Posts
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December 11th, 2013 07:00
Yeah, I had to use XTU to give my 4900MQ CPU enough power to run at stock speeds. Which is an annoying workaround... And it's something I didn't expect having to do manually on a €4000 laptop.
Ah, well. The fix works, though I set Processor Current Limit at 80.000A rather than 95.000A.
I would prefer a BIOS update however. But for now my system is running cool enough even when under relatively heavy load.
gqman69
25 Posts
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December 11th, 2013 09:00
At least you have a workaround, I use linux exclusively and I don't have this option.
DELL-Chris M
Community Manager
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56.9K Posts
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December 11th, 2013 11:00
The team needs your help. We need your step by step instructions for replicating the CPU throttling. We need CPU temperatures both before and after.