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109755
November 11th, 2015 12:00
X51 R3 "OC Controls" overclock application issues
X51 R3 with Win10x64:
The OC Controls application is unreliable. Works upon initial install, then after 'sleep' power situations the application fails to operate. One symptom is that the GUI for the app won't display.
Looking at services, this app adds 7 services - some default to Automatic and some to "Manual". Changing all to 'Automatic' seems to help - but still the app fails..
Doesn't seem to be a pattern to the services being started or not - sometimes all of them are going, sometimes only 2 -- and it still functions properly.
How do I get the attention of the developers at Dell who are responsible for this application?
Thanks/jim
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Alienware - Rodrigo
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4.4K Posts
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November 12th, 2015 09:00
Hi,
I don't understand what you mean by the OC controls failing to operate during sleep or power situations, how does it exactly fail to operate?
LagunaJim
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November 12th, 2015 10:00
Hi. Sorry if my description was unclear - and thanks for asking!
What I mean is that after the computer has resumed from a sleep state, the OC app is SOMETIMES no longer working properly to juice the CPU beyond it's standard speed.
Generally there are two services out of the 7 added by OC Controls which are running at all times - MSICPU_CC and MSICTL_CC.
Sometimes after resuming from a sleep state, these two services are still showing 'running' as always, but the cpu is not being overclocked. When this is the situation, launching the OC Controls GUI fails -- the "turning gear" graphic comes up for several seconds but then disappears and the OC GUI is not shown.
It's easy to see on my system - with OC turned off my CPU (performance tab in Task Manager) maxes out at 4.01 - when OC is working, the CPU often jumps to 4.17 or 4.25 - this is the desired result.
One thing that SEEMS to have improved the resutls is that out of those 7 total services, 3 are set up as "Manual" start upon install of OC Controls. Changing those to "Automatic" improves the likelihood that OC behavior will continue after a sleep state. But even with this tweak there are times when the OC still fails to do its job.
One question I have - does OC Controls require that Alienware Command Center also be installed? I don't really need this application - I installed it to modify the color operation of the cabinet lights but that's all I needed it for so I prefer to uninstall it.
Right now I am testing with the AWCC installed, to see if it has any effect on my success with OC. I have also uninstalled and clean-installed OC a couple of times.
I would be pleased to provide any additional input/assistance you might need to work on this.
THANKS!
LagunaJim
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November 12th, 2015 17:00
I can add further information:
After a period of "Sleep", OC was not happening even though the usual two services, "MSICPU_CC" and "MSICTL_CC" were showing running.
Turns out that stopping and restarting the "MSICTL_CC" resumes proper OC behavior.
/jim
LagunaJim
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November 13th, 2015 00:00
Well... you can all enjoy my troubleshooting as it unfolds:
Turns out OC craps out even without a sleep cycle. I've been using the machine for a couple of hours straight, and I just checked and lo and behold no OC.
Could not launch the GUI, restarted the service mentioned above, that allowed the GUI to open but it was frozen to input of any kind -- just 'hourglass'.
Hmmn.
LagunaJim
12 Posts
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November 13th, 2015 12:00
A related comment:
I note that in the OC Controls GUI, it specifies a maximum overclock CPU ratio of 44.0 - so 44.0 x Base Clock of 100.0 should yield a maximum overclock speed of 4.40 GHz.
Yet the actual speed it ever reaches is 4.20 GHz.
Question is: why doesn't it max out at 4.40 GHz ?
Question 2 is: the only field in the OC GUI that I can modify is the ON-OFF slider - am I missing something?
Alienware - Rodrigo
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November 20th, 2015 07:00
Hi,
I don't believe there is anything else that you can modify besides the ON/OFF switch. For it to go to 4.40 or higher, you need to stress the CPU somehow, perhaps with a benchmark program that will stress it enough for it to go that high.
LagunaJim
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November 20th, 2015 09:00
It seems to have settled down. Changing the services to "Automatic" from "Manual" may have resolved my issue. Thanks.
Alienware - Rodrigo
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4.4K Posts
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November 24th, 2015 07:00
Thank you for confirming this.
LagunaJim
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December 8th, 2015 22:00
Hi Rodrigo, the application is still crashing despite my best efforts at a workaround. I would appreciate the software developers getting involved - let me know how we can make that happen.
Thanks/jim
acx51
3 Posts
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February 26th, 2017 02:00
Mine also only reached 4.2 ghz. Never reach 4.4 ghz. I used cpuz and Prime 95 to stress the cpu. did you solve the issue?
LagunaJim
12 Posts
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February 26th, 2017 11:00
I never got the speed above 4.2 (maybe 4.25), but I did find a useful workaround for the application crashing:
1) Change the "First Failure" and "Second Failure" settings in the Recovery tab for ALL the OC services to "Restart the Service"
2) Change the "Startup Type" for the "MSICPU_CC service to "Automatic".
I am surprised that Alienware never issued an updated version of the OC Controls app - we're all still on "Version 1.0"
Best wishes/jim