M15x FSB Overclocking (not only 920XM!)

Anyone try to contact abo for setFSB in relation to the I3-330m? I know it will depend on motherboard and pll but I dont see any feedback in the polls and I am curious to see if anyone has got the i3 to work yet?

Thanks,

StevenX

 

I'm doubtful that ABO can help there. Since he doesn't have various models of M15x and some i3 chips. Perhaps (since you do have an M15x with an i3) you can test it yourself and let us know? That would be great

I imagine it would work, since the fsb is controlled by the mobo, and if I put an i3 in my mobo it would probably work with setfsb. i3 is a low voltage part so probably quite overclockable (it's 32nm also).

 

Thanks Pras .. I am actually one of the m11x guys looking at various options for different models. I know if I get a 15 I am getting the 5850 but I can't decide on cpu yet. Thanks!

 

hey man i have the m11x and i can get like 8k 3dmark06 and on the m15x i can get like 13.5k-14k 3dmarks nice jump and really enjoy gaming at home on m15x and the screen is light years ahead of the m11x.


Look at the 620m processor for hardcore gaming and look at the i7 720qm for multitasking and quadcore optimized software. If you are big baller than stick with the i3 chip and buy a 920xm es chip on ebay and you will have guaranteed overclocking and max performance.

 

Good to hear, but please do keep in mind that many M15x owners are finding that their motherboard is NOT currently supported by SetFSB. There is no guarantee that you will be able to overclock yours!

 

Mr Pras. Got a BSOD yesterday after clocking to 150. I think its because I OCd the GPU (650, 1600, 1000) first then Setfsb the CPU.

Tried it again this time clocking the CPU first then the GPU and then was it was stable again.

Did you get any BSOD since you started using the SetFsb? Should I continue using setfsb because of the BSOD?

Thanks.

 

Is it only the m15x with the nvidia 260gtx that can overclock the FSB with setfsb? How can you tell with MB's will allow it and which wont? Best Wishes, StevenX

 

I did get some BSOD when I pushed up to 155. Each machine will be different and I think yes when you OC the GPU also that will put extra pressure on the power supply and perhaps that is what causes the crash.

I doubt that the order in which you OC (GPU first or second) will make a lot of difference, but then again who knows?! Computers can be really strange like that..

I'd recommend that if you continue to get crashes at 150, try lowering to 145 or something like that. Another thing to try is forcing the game/app that you are using onto cores 0,2,4 and 6 (basically disabling hyperthreading) which gives the CPU a bit more breathing space with power and heat generation and rarely makes any difference to the performance of the game (actually can increase it).

At the moment we haven't identified any particular way of knowing whether it will work. I think that you can just try it, and worst comes to worst - you've lost $5 on setFSB.. You can always ask ABO for the money back if it doesn't work.. He's a nice man

 

WOoooo!
Just applied OCZ freeze to both GPU and CPU.
Now running at 3.3mhz (SetSFB 158/532). Temps of both GPU and CPU are about 70c.

Havent had a BSOD. YET.

Mr Pras. Whats the max i can push this? tempting tempting..

 

haha good to hear.

anyatan, basically set a baseline (in your case 158/532) and increase it by small increments. each time test for stability and monitor temps.

when you think you've found the max stable, go back a little and try it out for a few days or so, checking again for stability issues.

yeah abo's pretty nice. my new mobo doesn't work with setfsb and he was going to send it back, i told him don't bother. *note mobo did not die due to overclocking, it died due to fan failure while gaming with headphones, did not hear it coming*

 

Great! The lower temps will help a bit I'm sure..

Honestly though there are several factors to keep in mind:

1: Every machine is different, for me 160 is too much.
2: You will get plenty benefit UNLESS you are using a program that maxes out all threads - the CPU will then throttle.
3: Benchmarks can also be affected by the timing change. For example, when running v-sync and maxed at 60fps, fraps detects it as 53fps.

I regularly use 150 when doing professional projects, and consider it to be safe for my machine. 158 is about the maximum I can push it to and sometimes it crashes so I generally don't use it.

 

Here's the little program that will show you if your internal timers get screwed up when using SetFSB.

WinTimerTester
WinTimerTester.zip

When these two Windows timers start running at a different rate of speed, that's a sign that some benchmark programs will start to lie to you like the FRAPS bug that Mr Pras discovered.

 

I'm not sure why I didn't try it before, but there is a DDR3 voltage setting in the bios. It defaults at 1.5v, I'm currently testing 1.6v - and am running at 160MHz FSB which I couldn't really do before without crashing..

 

Would be nice to know ram temps wouldn't it ... I dnt feel comfortable ocing or increasing voltages on components without sensors... As your pretty much in the dark

 

Yeah, that's true.. I think it should be okay (fingers crossed)..

After testing at 1.6V it's definitely more stable.. If you want to take the risk.. ahem..

EDIT: I'm getting crashes when thrashing the L3 cache, it's running at 20GB/s instead of the stock 15GB/s so that'll be why - Basically, 160MHz isn't working even with 1.6V because the L3 in my processor is causing the crashes...

Conclusion: Don't bother overvolting the RAM.. I'm going back to 150MHz FSB

 

Mr pras. Any improvements on the ao8 bios while using fsb? Temps?

 

Hey there I've tried OCCTPT with the A08 bios and it still throttles (at 150MHz).. It takes a lot longr to throttle than it did before but:

I've just reinstalled fresh and havent applied the Core-Parking fix (not sure if that makes any difference yet)..

I'll try some more and see what happens but early signs look like you still need to disable Hyperthreading to avoid CPU throttling based on CPU thrash (ie no GPU)..

I'll have to try it in GTAIV to see if it throttles since that was the only game that did for me..

Yeah A08 stops the throttling in GTAIV!! So can play overclocked (to 150MHz) at 1920x1080 without throttling... I assume that goes well for all other heavy games, this was the only one I got throttling on before..

 

Updated the first post to include a note about the timing issues that can occur in games and benchmarks.

bump!

 

@All - I just pulled the hammer on a m15x i3-350m so when it arrives one of the first things I will do is reach out to abo to see if fsb works. Hopefully it will. If not, no worries.. I will put some pennies back slowly for the 920 or 940, whichever is cheaper on ebay.

Best Wishes, StevenX

 

Hi!

And overclocking is good or bad for the system (M15x)? (such as overheat)


Thank you so much.

 

It's good for the user and _can_ be bad for the system.

Deciding what clocks to run your hardware depends on the slight manufacturing differences between the hardware. Some can run overclocked without any problems, some may have a shorter life.

In terms of this specific Overclock of the M15x FSB, as long as it's stable then it's fine. There are higher temps involved but as long as it doesn't exceed 90C (that's pushing it, but still well within the safe zone) then you should be fine..

The M15x has awesome cooling so I wouldn't worry too much, and the extra heat is only around 5c. Nothing to worry about in my experience.

There is the question of - will long term overclocking of the FSB damage the RAM, Mobo, CPU?

The answer is - we don't know yet. Personally I doubt it and I'm not worried because the machine comes with such a great repair/replace warranty.

Mind you - I don't think anyone has managed to get this working on the 8xxQM CPUs. Am also not sure if anyone got it working on the x40 revision CPUs. It might just be us with the older revisions of M15x.

 

when overclocking, its necessary to monitor the temps. especially if trying out a higher setting you're not comfortable with... eventually you learn the ins and outs of your hardware (as MrPras has no doubt done by now) and know the temps will be fine for a particular setting.

what will most likely be necessary is a re-application of thermal paste for anything more than a slight overclock since the stock paste seems only suitable for stock settings. on the other hand, the cooling system (fans and heatsinks) are remarkable for a 15" laptop, more on par with some 17" systems really.

 

Hi. Is there anyway to make the clock stay, or we have to oc everytime we restart?

 

What software are you OCing with? I use nVidia System Tools (NST) which does keep the settings after reboot.

 

setfsb.I'm talking about ocing the cpu.

 

*facepalm, I wasn't paying attention to the thread title. For setfsb I dunno, it was a no go on my mo-bo.

 

The overclock does remain when you restart - just not if you turn off and then back on.

You can also use the command line options on setFSB:

-w : Wait [00-99 sec] default=10sec
-s : Set FSB [000-999 MHz]
-i : Increment [00-99 MHz] default=max
-u : 0(default)=normal , 1=ultra
-b : 0(default)=normal , 1=background
-p : PCI-E [000-999 MHz] default=none
-cg[string] : Clock Generator default=none Maximum 15 characters

I tried it just now and used setfsb -w0 -s150 to set it to my default oc. It works So you could set up a shortcut with this as a commandline and run it when you want to OC. I personally wouldn't put it in the startup because I don't run my FSB overclocked unless I need it

 

Got it. Thx Mr Pras. I put it in the startup with -q so the UI wont load, now my system startup with fsb 150 .

 

You're very welcome enjoy!!

 

Everyone, what does your screen show when you choose the asus system in fsb? Mine shows a number of 407/760. I asked abo and he said he doesnt recognize my system? anyone else have this issue? Thanks, StevenX

 

Yeah 407 is the default for me too.. I wrote some stuff about it on the first post I think.. I use 492 (150MHz) as an overclock..

 

@Mr Pras - does this mean it will work? Or does this mean it will not? I will send paypal to him right now if you think it will work ok... thanks!

(edit) Just sent him paypal for 6.16 for donation.. hope this works! (edit)

 

I honestly can't tell if it will work because it gets the right number. But I suppose it's a good sign!

\\your sig says M11x-R1 - I have no idea if this will work on an M11x.. There is a discussion about that on the forum though

For M15x mostly 720QM and 920XM users have found this to work.

 

he got a m15x i3 and if it does not work abo is good about offering a full refund. I had 3 replacements and he checked all three i7 720qm and 1 740qm and none of them were compatible and he took care of the refund. Truly a genuine guy and if the software works for you them i am jealous

 

i think though, even with my machine overclocked - your 920XM runs rings around it when overclocked using normal XM methods! Wanna swap?

Is there a possibility that some of the other ASUS settings work on those motherboards that didn't work with the one I used? Has anyone tried the others? It would be awesome if we got it working for other M15x users!!

Ooh I just noticed that there is a working 820QM and i3

Awesome, so it works with nearly all CPUs assuming you have a compatible FSB..

 

I am very happy with the 920xm but being a true geek i would love to play with the FSB and the multipliers simultaneously to yield even a higher clock speed and hit 4.0ghz or higher . I would love to have the bios capability like m17x or playing with voltage. Maybe i just need to built a i7 950 desktop and make that hit 4.0ghz+ and wait it out till Alienware makes announcement.

 

Appears my m15x is not overclockable by fsb stock. Abo was nice when i used my wife's email address and I paid the donation but he was not very polite when I asked on my own email.. I asked if i could gather any information that he might be able to use in future but just responded I CANT SUPPORT IT. In bright red letters at maximum font size. So.. I may be looking for another solution. If the board is TME locked then i might look to unlock it. Thanks again for all your help! StevenX

 

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck with the setfsb program and the 740qm processor?

Secondly, are you guys running your processor in unlinked or normal mode?


Regards,


Mike

 

its just luck of the draw, depends on the mobo, some works and some don't.

 

Does anyone know the root cause on the notebooks where setfsb does not work? Is it cause the TME is locked or is it because the motherboard isn't supported yet? If it's number 2, is there anyone here who has some influence with Abo to get him to research this please? If' it's number 1 do we have schematics of the mb layout and ideas on how to modify? Thanks! StevenX

 

Read here


http://forum.notebookreview.com/6504695-post304.html

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m15x/499768-m15x-fsb-overclocking-not-only-920xm-9.html


It has to do with the PLL on the board and ABO not having the instructions or ability to work with that certain PLL

 

Not working on my 740qm.
Abo seems like a decent bloke, though.

 

hmm, i should probably update the poll.. Pity that it didn't work for you!

Added command line options to first page .. bump ;p

 

I've been working with nando4 on a new feature for ThrottleStop and I thought some of you guys in this thread that are using SetFSB might be interested in giving it a try.

ThrottleStop 2.89.6 Pitt. 3
http://www.mediafire.com/?7x8fhh0iyalsf7s



It's now possible to set up ThrottleStop so it can run a program whenever the profile changes. If you tell ThrottleStop to quietly run SetFSB then you can do some overclocking or underclocking when switching profiles in ThrottleStop. Kind of handy I thought.

You can set different SetFSB parameters for each profile if you want. SetFSB will be immediately run when you first start ThrottleStop and it will be run whenever you resume from hibernate or stand by.

The SetFSB docs show you what sort of command line parameters you can use. I use -w00 so the change happens immediately and -q so it happens quietly in the background without SetFSB popping up. I was testing on my QX9650 so that's why the bus speed is a lot higher than a laptop.

If this is useful then maybe just send me a PM with a or if there are any problems then one of them or let me know anything that could use improvement. I'm hoping this will give SetFSB fans a little more automatic control of their CPU speed without needing to run a .bat file every time they play a game. This is still in the beta stage so be careful when playing.

 

awesome job uncle

 

Wish ABO would put some effort into figuring out what our PLL is for the newer m15x. Nice to squeeze out a few more mhz out of rig.

StevenX

 

UncleWebb, is this the same for the M17x? I'm assuming it is, but thought I would ask.

 

I second that StevenX, I would really like to break 10k Vantage with my rig but it isn't going to happen without some extra juice from the CPU.

Great job Unclewebb! Looks awesome to me, sound like some great features and some hard work there. Thanks!

 

This should work for any computer that supports SetFSB. It's very easy to set up. Just use whatever clock generator / PLL that is appropriate for your computer.

-cg[CY28551LXFC]

My desktop uses CY28551LXFC so replace that in the above screen shot with the appropriate one for your laptop.

I thought one or two of you guys might like this new TS option.

 

Wow man, that's great!! for me, using the setfsb command line options always come with a "hold your breath moment" and I never do it while running anything important. Since it hard crashes my machine sometimes (going up to 150, or back down to 133 can also crash)..

I guess about one in every 5-6 times or if I've changed the clocks more than 3-4 times.. Maybe it's just me..

Great idea though!! repped you

@StevenX

Regarding ABO and your unsupported ClockGen, I think that someone has to find the info he needs - what PLL it is and the technical documents for that particular PLL.. Maybe you could send him your machine?

Anyone tried the other ASUS options? I have a funny feeling one of them might work?