m11x R2 Torchlight 2 and BSOD

This is a game that my machine runs very well with most graphics options turned up (shadows, particles, bloom, etc.) at native resolution.

However, if I don't down-clock my video card (from 450/790 core/mem to about 410/750) it will BSOD after 5-15 minutes of play. I get the same results with the 306.23, 285.62, and 257.30 drivers.

Even at the down-clock, it still runs the game between 30-50 FPS, so it's not that big of a deal, but it is disappointing to have to resort to this workaround.

Does anyone have any ideas for a better solution or an explanation as to why this happens? Other potentially relevant info is I have the i7 OCed to 167 with ThrottleStop and 8GB of RAM. My machine will accept a GPU overclock to 525/865 and run the FurMark burn-in for 20 minutes with temps staying below 75, so I don't think heat is the issue. Thanks.

 

I've had this same problem with multiple games (Diablo 3) and downclocking doesn't fix it on my machine, it seems to be a very specific problem with the M11x R2. I really think it's just a problem with the Optimus tech not working properly.

I've spent hours searching the net for a "fix" for this issue and downclocking is the only thing I've come across.

 

It may be just that the 2 video cards are not communicating properly through the driver. Are you monitoring the temps at all times? Maybe you should disable the CPU overclocking and test it that way. Perhaps it is the CPU and not the GPU the one that is overheating.

 

Thanks for the replies. My CPU while gaming never exceeds 70C and even during a stress test such as wPrime, maxes out at 71-72C. You may be right about the communication issues, but its definitely not the temps.

Sadly, my machine seems to do better at benchmarking than running games.

 

2 questions:
I have the m11x r2, and i always crash on torchlight.
It feels slightly laggy when i play it, and when it crashes, the screen freezes and it makes this buzzing sound until i hold down the power button to shut it off.
What do you think might cause this, and why would it only occur on torchlight 2? on other games I play (tf2, protal 2, bastion, etc) lagging and crashing arent a problem.
I also want to try and see if underclockin helps, how did you do it?

 

1. I was laggy when I first installed the game. I tried updating the drivers and it helped. Not sure what drivers I had, but I ended up with 385.62 from the Dell website (the optional ones). This helped the frame rate go from 15-20 on the lowest setting to 30-50 on medium, but then I started crashing. I'd never had this problem with other games either.
2. Based on research on these forums, the 335m of the R2 has a reputation for not running all games at base clock speeds, so I don't think its just a TL2 issue. To under/over-clock, download MSI Afterburner. Your base GPU clocks should be core/memory 450/790. I have to take it down to 410/750 for it to run stable enough to play for 1-2 hours. Be sure to click "apply" once you change your clocks.

Obviously, I wouldn't worry about underclocking until you can get good FPS which hopefully is just a driver issue. Check your CPU and GPU temps under stress to ensure your system is not throttling down due to heat.

 

Well, my drivers were pretty messed up before, so I downloaded the newest ones from the nvidia website and installed them after a complete reinstall of windows 7 from the disk that came with my computer. I played torchlight on medium with everything turned on and had pretty much no lag, and then out of the blue I lagged for a few seconds and then bluescreened.

 

That sounds exactly like what I was experiencing. Try lowing your GPU clocks as discussed and report back.

 

I'm playing Torchlight II on the R2 - Stock speeds.

Currently running on Medium - VSync Off/AA Off.

Although I'm using the outdated 270.61 Drivers, I haven't had a single BSOD in the game, and I've racked up over 6 hours playing non-stop.
I doubt under clocking it will do much good.

It may be a driver issue, however I would have expected a lot more moans and groans on this forum.

I've personally found the R2 to run perfectly at stock speed with the main AA titles. (With the exception of Warhammer 40k Space Marine - damn console port!)

I might just be a lucky exception, but I would haphazard a guess it's the latest drivers. The 335m stopped being "truly supported" a long time ago. Nowadays it's just an extra drive version number which the 335m is available for, and perhaps a small performance boost if you're lucky.

 

Thanks Joel. I remember, now that you bring it up, that I was using the 270.61 drivers originally, but had horrible FPS. That said, I could play forever without downclocking or BSOD. I had to change drivers to increase FPS, but that led to the BSOD and my crappy under-clocking solution. BTW, I tried both of the "official" Dell m11x R2 335m drivers with similar BSOD results.

Its been months since I've played it, but my machine played Warhammer 40K SM very well as I recall. Computers are funny.

 

Lowered GPU clocks to what you suggested and it worked for an hour with no problems. A little lag whenever i get surrounded by a lot of enemies, but it's better than bluescreens.