*** ASUS ROG G703GX-XS71 Owner's Lounge ***

He said that after I showed my initial screenshots of ThrottleStop not applying voltage and multiplier changes. Since it is working now, even if we don't know the reason why, it must mean that it's not restricted.

I've seen posts about almost all previous Asus models being unlocked, there's no reason they would start locking down only this one.

I wonder how long it will take Asus to start releasing an updated bios or actually start fixing the bugs in their bundled apps (make armory crate work properly).

 

Yeap. I believe something wrong somewhere but it appears that the only model with issues in uv 8750h is G703.

I doubt Asus gonna release any bios in the near future since there’s no serious issue as of now.

 

I did it!
Managed to replicate the voltages not applying and then applying scenario.

Remember how I said I shut it down last night? Well, sort of as expected, now I turn it on, windows loads, I start MSI Afterburner, it shows the CPU at default speed 4Ghz, (also as expected) and then I turn on ThrottleStop, the new CPU speed (3.1Ghz) is applied instantly but the voltage changes in FIVR are gone (all zeroes on the right column where it shows the readings) and the Turbo Ratio Limits there are also greyed out.

As I had a hunch from before, I left both MSI Afterburner and ThrottleStop open and I just clicked Start - Sleep in windows. After the screen turned off, I pressed the power button to wake it up and after windows loaded back I went straight to FIVR in ThrottleStop and all the voltages are being applied again, and TRL unlocked.

For now have absolutely no idea why this works but try it. Do as I did and see if it helps.

TLDR: Start windows - ThrottleStop does not apply voltage changes - leave it open - put windows to sleep - wake it up - voltage changes magically unlocked now.

 

OMFG!!! It did applied. LOL. LOL am now a happy kid. Much happier than ever. Thanks mate. It freaking works!!!!

Max temp while benching 74C

 

Great! So it's not only my machine that's crazy. This is another clue that windows messes something up. Now the hard part is finding out what

By the way, the -120mv from my pic above turned out to be a little too much. Got one freeze while messing around in Risk of Rain 2 menu. Lowered them to -100mv and it's fine. It worked for a few hours without any problems. Maybe I can go a bit more too but it's fine for now.

 

Mine started at -95mv and stop at -125 core n cache since its stable as of now. Benched with cinebench r15 several times and game on ultra settings in bf v. Everything looks stable at the moment.

The only downside i see is the lower cpu temp lead to slower fan thus my gpu temp bumped up around 3-5c while gaming, max at 66c. Cpu temp hovering around 70-75c which is superb, max 81c.

 

Yeah, you're right. Sadly this is because asus chose to design shared heatpipes. I'm not happy about this either.

 

Interesting find from unclewebb, looks like this is indeed a recurring problem:

 

This really does sound like the ASUS Gaming Crate or whatever it's called now is locking everything down.

Shared heatpipes are a plus in my opinion.

 

Did u uninstalled your XTU? Mine uninstalled but i can see there’s still a XTU service 32 bit running at the background.

 

The question is why only G703 series? I noticed most of the gaming laptops including Rog series can uv without problem.

 

Because they don't come with that application I suppose?

My G703 undevolts just fine, but it came with ROG gaming center not the new armory crate.

 

Mine came with gaming center thou.

 

If you have a Turing G703 it should come with armory crate for the switchable graphics functionality. What model is yours? G703VI, GI or GX?

 

Mine is GI

 

I did noticed there’re quite some numbers of GI / GX owners failed to UV their 8750h. Which i think should be the same issue. Just need to put to sleep and resume.

Most probably like what unclewebb said, get rid of XTU and whatever XTU linked (ie. gaming center) and try again.

NB:i cant recall where but if am not mistaken its from the Asus forum where someone did in fact uninstalled everything but came back with the same result.

 

I wonder whether it happens to be different batches?

 

Also a question is if besides armoury crate is there any other way to switch between the dedicated GPU and iGPU. I've set mine to dedicated GPU exclusively and it works fine, I really don't need to switch to iGPU in any scenarios but I don't know how this works if I uninstall Armoury Crate. Surely it just makes some registry change, there has to be a shortcut just for this switch.

I'm thinking about my upcoming clean windows reinstall. I really want to use it without touching any of the asus software but I don't know how to make sure the dedicated GPU is on all the time.

 

Oh interesting. I didn't realise the GI models were affected as well. Yes it definitely seems to be XTU related. I was always able to undervolt with XTU with my VI, I just prefer ThrottleStop as it sometimes XTU would forget to reapply settings and was just generally inferior to TS.

Yeah tricky. It could also be writing to a register somewhere, it's hard to say. You could try a fresh install and see which GPU is enabled by default. If it's the iGPU, reinstall Armory Crate, switch GPU, then try wipe all traces of it? I'm not familiar with it so I don't know how hard it is to purge. If you uninstall the application, does it keep the GPU you last selected?

If you use this as a DTR and you never have it unplugged, dedicated GPU on is always the way to go. I have always bought laptops without Optimus/Enduro after having bad experiences in the past. No switchable graphics = no headaches.​

 

I wonder if the performance settings in nvidia experience will help u by setting to max performance. Mine currently at optimal performance as i noticed that by setting to max then my gpu gonna stay at max core clock all the time and the temp will increase gradually.

 

Good idea, I'll check how it's set when I get home tonight.

 

From what i noticed, this issue started from GI onwards until now. Quite some numbers of GI owners failed to uv with TS while XTU totally greyed out.

Luckily @cucubits found out the trick. So now i just need to do the extra step of “sleep/resume” whenever i boot up my GI. Tried restart it and the UV is still applied. So i only need to repeat the step when doing fresh reboot.

 

In fact i do recall that some gaming laptops were affected by the switch between the intel gpu and whatever dedicated gpu in their machines especially during gaming. They managed to sort out by changing the settings in nvidia experience.

 

Any idea to adjust fan curve for the GPU? Or any reliable software? I can see its greyed out in MSI AB and not available in Hwinfo64. I am trying to set the GPU fan kicks in much earlier as my GPU temp rose up to 70/71c due to much lower cpu temp while gaming. It appears that the fan is kinda sensitive to CPU temp as oppose to GPU temp. So when my CPU temp is low, the fan kicks in much later / maintain at lower rpm. Thus lead to increase in GPU temp. (I did tried bench my GPU with furmark and indeed, the fan kicks in much later. It needs to pass 70 and above to really ramp up the fan to cool it down)

Yes, i did undervolt my cpu further and managed to max out at -171mv. BSOD n instability occurs around -180mv. Running at better temp while combine load in gaming.

 

I'm also looking for a good way to configure the fans manually. Nothing so far.

Nice that you could go so far with the undervolting. I'll probably experiment some more too.

 

I tried Asus GPU tweak ii as well but fan control isnt there.

I do come across some forums about the possibility of locked in bios when it doesnt show up in hwinfo64.

LOL. Just try undervolt more. I run cinebench every -10mv. I went as far as -200mv and managed to run few cinebench. Tried -210mv and started to BSOD non stop.

Having hard time to boot into windows as my TS was set to auto launch upon login. Managed to reduce back to -200mv but continued to BSOD / freeze. Finally settled at -170mv. Had a few run of cinebench before proceed with Asus realbench. After passing stress test, i went for few sessions of gaming in BFv BF1. So far so good.

 

So I bought a pair of 32gb G.Skill ram. Same brand same model as the one originally came with, but different speed (3000mhz) as the 2800mhz is out of stock.

After installing the new ram, as expected it will run at the lower speed ram I previously had. I am expecting it to be 2666mhz as stock but it didnt. It just decided to stick at 2400mhz. Is there anyway to push it back to 2666mhz? Or i should just return it and wait for the same model 2800mhz? I wonder if adding the extra 2 modules with the same speed as original will end up at 2400mhz as well?

 

I don't know. I've just added a 16Gb stick of 2666mhz ram and checked that it's working in dual channel mode with the stock one.

In the mean time I've taken out the sshd and did a clean windows reinstall yesterday. Same behavior, voltages and multipliers get unlocked with a sleep/wake cycle only. It's strange but I don't want to spend any more time with this. I'll use it as is and if I find that it's too loud for others in the same room, I'll have to consider giving it up. For now it's fine. As long as I can keep the temps under 75C, I find that the fans don't kick in too hard. Not sure how I could improve the cooling further (other than LM instead of paste...)

 

So is it running at 2666mhz? Did u get the same brand / model / specs?

Mine, i decided to return the ram to Amazon. Just wait for another few days since Amazon stated that the 2800mhz version (same brand/ model/ specs as my original) will be available on 20th Apr.

I think with decent undervolt + repaste, the cpu temp should be able to maintain around 60-70c under load. So far, the fan noise reduced by 30%? And hardly crank up except when there’s temp spike during heavy gaming.

Give LM a try. But do get the necessary gadgets prepared. Ie nail polish or whatever suitable for making a small layer of insulation at the side of cpu / gpu die. The 3M tapes? I believe that’s enough to give it a go.

 

This is what I got. Not exactly the same brand as stock (can't remember now what was the factory ram) but they're working in dual channel mode happily so far.

I will give LM a shot. I'm not planning on moving the laptop much, probably no traveling with it at all.

 

Nice one, i’ll wait for the new ram to arrive and see how is it.

Yeap, try LM and see how is it. I bet thats gonna be another at least 5c lower. Or lower fan speed. Hope it works for you. Do keep us posted.

 

Right, I did it. I ordered some Conductonaut. Should be here on Saturday.
We're going with either silence or paperweight

 

Ah.. come on.. no paperweight. That’s just overkill .

Have a go and review it. LOL. Am tempted to do it as well but lazy af to get everything dissembled again

 

Maaan, this thing just finds ways to annoy me.

Now, after the fresh windows install, all the drivers seem fine but when I plug in headphones via 3.5mm jack, there's still sound coming from the speakers AND very faintly from the headphone in parallel. If I leave them plugged in and reboot windows, they start working properly (sound only from headphones).

I'll try to mess with the audio driver some more tomorrow...

 

Most probably driver issue. Try check in the esupport folder.

 

That's one of my problems now. Stupid me didn't save the esupport folder before the windows reinstall. I can't find it anywhere. Could someone who has the G703GX zip it and upload it somewhere please?

 

I have mine but for the GI version. Do u want it?

Btw did u check the driver / software page in Asus support website?

 

Thanks, I appreciate the offer but it won't help. I found all the other G... versions except for the GX.

I installed things from Asus website but I would have wanted to try the wizard installer from that folder.

I think I've sorted out the sound. Removed and installed again their driver. Will see if it works today too

Probably need to mess with armoury crate too, I can't get the Aura key to work and I can't change the keyboard brightness.

In the mean time Conductonaut arrived this morning. I'll have a go at it later today. Will post the usual before and after temps.

 

Well, I have good news and bad news.

Good news is that the laptop didn't burst into flames just yet.
Bad news is that I messed something up with the LM application.

I've done everything by the book and took all precautions. I've applied 2 coats of conformal coating all around the dies, put some kapton tape too and used really just a drop of Conductonaut. The thing seems to be able to be spread a lot just from a tiny amount.

All good so far, put it back together, powered it on and ran 3dmark. Here it gets interesting. The GPU temp is overall about 5C lower throughout the benchmark but the CPU temp is a mess. It keeps jumping up and down, overall stays about 10-15C higher during the test. Before the LM, I got 70C max for the CPU and now during the same test it even got above 90C and throttled (at the already low 3.2Ghz I have it set to). Even in windows just idling, GPU is about 5C lower than before and CPU about 5C higher.

- Is it fair to assume the heatsink maybe isn't contacting the CPU die properly?
- Have I put maybe too little LM there?
I've also cleaned off the stock goo from the vrms and put some good thermal pads. It's soft, it can't possibly mess with the CPU heatsink seating, can it?.

 

I do suspect about the thermal pad thou. Looks like improper contact for the cpu n heatsink. I suspected so because your gpu is getting better temp and it’s not possible for your cpu to get worse.

As for thermal pad, there’re a lot of sizes and i dont know which one should i get that is why i decided to opt out from getting one.

Try remove thermal pad n replace with thermal paste instead?

Edit: could it be due to thick conformal coating?

 

I'll check tomorrow and make sure the pads are making good contact. It's really not a very well designed heatsink. In some places it seems to need thin pads and in others it barely made contact with double thickness. Maybe something else is overheating besides the CPU...

 

It is the case where one laptop may require different thickness thermal pad.

Do look into the conformal coating as it is well known for being too thick thus affect the contact

 

Btw, you just managed to seduce me to LM my machine as well

 

@cucubits check this video. That person did mentioned about his mistake of applying overlap layer of electrical tape and raises up the level with his cpu die. This led to not inadequate contact between the heat sink n die.

 

ok, so no overlapping tape and no conformal coating high spots.

I did have to tweak some more the heatsink contact with vrms (add/remove thermal tape with various thicknesses) but that's fine now.

In the end it just seems like the CPU heatsink contact with this small CPU die is not good enough for LM to be effective. I've taken it off a few times today, double checked the LM application, all was good except that I'd get +20C CPU at full load. After this last run, I've taken the heatsink off again, cleaned off the LM from the CPU and replaced it with Kryonaut paste (the one I had before), no other changes. Instant improvement, the CPU temp is way more steady and under full load (rather short test with 3DMark) doesn't get above 70C (where it would hit 90C with LM a bit earlier).

For now it works fine, with Kryonaut paste on the CPU and Conductonaut LM on the GPU.

CPU temps are as before and GPU I see about 5C lower. Not bad, but if these results are consistent on other 703s with i7-8750H, I would not recommend LM on it.


To be honest, I'm having a hard time feeling the love for this machine for now. It's awesome, looks great and it's fast, just that I really wanted a more silent gaming experience and previous Asus models provided that.

I need to make a choice pretty soon. Either sell my G751JY (980m) or take the hit, sell the G703GX at a considerable loss and keep using for a while the 751, which is still a very capable machine, for sure all games will work but at lower settings...

 

That’s weird. I believe the gap between the heatsink and the cpu die might be slightly “big”? As such thinner LM failed to transfer heat properly while the thicker kryonaut can do so. Or it could be the heatsink is not level?

I am planning to try LM soon. Just wondering whether our heatsink is copper? Or nickel plated?

 

I sure hope it's copper.

 

Ah okay then, i gonna buy whatever needed and try LM and see hows the result.

 

Cool, can't wait to see your results.

If the heat sink if too "far" or not level, there isn't anything I can easily do about it. The 4 screws around the cpu and gpu are meant to be tightened all the way. There's no seating adjustment designed.

 

Most probably minor “bend” which we cant see from our naked eyes. There’s a youtuber who pointed out the possibility of lesser contact due to the “one piece” design.