Help Please!

I created a new account here just so I could ask this. I don't know if this is the right section to put problems, although it's on an Alienware laptop so I just said what the heck. Anyways, I own an Alienware m14x and downloaded MSI Afterburner to overclock the GPU. I saw somewhere that a good combination was 700/1400/1000, so I went with that. However, I went down in performance and even got my windows experience index score for gaming graphics go from 6.9 to 6.2. Puzzled, I decided to reset and slowly went up 15 MHz at a time, however nothing offered a performance boost. In fact, even when I reset it the Windows Index score didn't change and the performance was still worse. If anyone could help me as to why all this is, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to NBR and Welcome to the Brotherhood of Alienware , you're in the right one, well not quite exactly one but anyway. The WEI Score actually rate the Intel iGPU (Intel HD 3000) the GPU that is integrate with the CPU, it is not the NVIDIA GT555M. The reason is that the Intel iGPU handle the LCD display while the GT555M handle high performance graphic because it is a complete separated dedicated GPU.

Now for the clockspeed, can you be more specific? I mean what game are you testing on? At what setting and resolution? And remember not all GPU can be OC easily, some will have problem when OC while other does not, and by OC the GPU, it mean you push your GPU beyond its limitation which will reduce its lifetime and will increase heat produce by the GPU. Oh btw, what version of the GT555M are you? Is it 1.5GB or 3GB, and NVIDIA driver version as well?

 

Thanks for replying! For testing I am using Crysis at 1366x768 on very high. I have the 3gb GT 555m. I've heard it only helps with overclocking although how I don't know. My driver version is 295.73. Hopefully this helps!

 

Have you whitelist the game's .exe to the NVIDIA Control Panel (Guide found on my sig)? Crysis is also a game where my M14x with 800/1600 still having problems with it, I only able to get around 35~45 on 900p ultra setting. And able to get something like 40~50 Med-high on BF3 instead. Have you also try other game?

 

Yes, it's whitelisted. Before OCing I was getting about 22-26 FPS, and after OCing it lowered to around 18-22. I know it's possible that going too high can negate performance, however I know for a fact that 700/1400/1000 is nowhere near the limit. I haven't really tested any other games, however I left Fraps on by accident when playing Left 4 Dead 2 at max settings w/ 1366x768 resolution and, while I would have gotten 40 - 50 FPS average before OCing, it got lowered to a visibly slow 15 FPS on average. To make sure it wasn't just the server, I tried single player and same results. Also regarding WEI, even gaming graphics are controlled by Intel HD 3000? I though that was with just plain "Graphics."

 

No, for overclocking, going too high will not negate the performance but instead most games would just crash at startup or during gameplay, the only thing that would negate the performance is overheat or at the point where the GPU is around 90C~99C, that's same with the CPU.

When you said "left Fraps on" Do you mean you're recording video? If so then I guess that is your problem, because when recording video, fraps will drain up your system resources and CPU power to process all those information, however if you just have it on as a FPS display then it will not eat much resource, but you'd experience lag if you're low on memory or using a slow computer.

For WEI, you can see the proof by clicking the "View and Print detail performance and system information" under those scores, then under "Graphics" it will show you which "Display adapter type" it use to rate the WEI, which mine is "Intel(R) HD Graphics Family".

 

Yeah I know what you mean with the video, I meant just showing the FPS. And when you say I will experience lag if I'm "low on memory," I assume you mean video card memory? Because I still have about 280 GB free on my hard drive. I checked and I still have about 1700 MB of video memory, so I'm still left to guess. My games are no longer slower but still aren't faster despite the fact I'm leaving the Afterburner settings on.

EDIT: As it turns out, Afterburner apparently just reset it to the normal clock speeds and now I can't adjust the sliders. It kind of sucks as I was looking forward to reaping out as much power as possible, but I guess you win some, you lose some, unless there's some other way.