Undervolting 9800M GPU?

[EliteRetard]

Got an old gaming laptop that's still kicking, but most games today are pushing it well past its limits. Even something simple like Defense Grid at the lowest details and 1024x768 crank it up to 110C (~230F). The CPU tops at ~75C. I ended up chopping a crude hole in the case above where the single fan sits, and that dropped temps by 4C, but its still stupid crazy hot. I haven't had any luck finding software that can control or adjust this mobile GPU. From what I've read though, it probably runs at over 1v and could run fine at .9v maybe less. Anybody got any ideas? I need something fairly simple, trying to figure out how to rip out the firmware or bios or whatever and custom mod it is beyond the skills of anybody here.

I'm trying to prolong the life of this thing a bit more, keeping it from melting itself would be good. And actually, there's a few older games where I'm not sure the GPU is being used, or its not kicking up in speed. Like Dungeon Siege...it gets 13-18FPS at 1024x768 low settings. Seems weird, when something newer like League of Legends runs fine at 1366x768 max settings. I'm thinking the old game is running on the IGP or the GPU is stuck at idle speeds.

Don't have much hope for something this old, but maybe we'll get lucky.

 

[zijin_cheng]

Hey man I have the same problem as you but I have a 9600m GT. My gaming temps are about 95C but after undervplting they dropped to about 83C Max, but it went up again because i stopped cleaning the dust off.

But without further ado, here is the link to notebookreview:

forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/235824-undervolting-guide.html

 

[jacktesterson]

Is it an Asus laptop?

I had an old gaming laptop I sold back around Christmas with the 9800m in it that Ran very hot. (I bought it off craigs list as user complained it shut down all the time and didnt want to mess with it).

I took it apart and the fan and vent was clogged with dust. I removed the HSF, cleaned it all up, applied new thermal paste and what do you know, it dropped Temps drastically and worked fine.

Have you taken the back off and looked it over?

 

[EliteRetard]

Thanks for the input, but that guide is for a CPU. The issue I'm having is with the video card (GPU). I've confirmed that the CPU has very little effect on the GPU temperature wise. They seem to have separate heatsinks despite sharing the single fan.

Yes this is indeed an Asus, and you can be sure I didn't go through the trouble of hacking a hole in the case if I hadn't already tried cleaning out the heatsink and such. I don't have access to TIM or additional heatsinks here, otherwise I would try sticking some to the heatpipes and such where I could. The best option currently is to try and reduce the voltage some. I figure I may be able to get it back down to 100C or less if I cut power by 10% or so...even if I have to underclock a tad to do it.

The fact that this thing has been running for 4 year or so at 95+ temps is pretty surprising. Now that its running up to 110 without bursting into flames is even more surprising...but at those temperatures you can actually smell plastic melting and the area you'd normally rest your left hand becomes untouchable. I'm certain it is not good for the continued life of this unit. So if I can undervolt and shave off even 5C that may even give it another year of life.

Its surprising how well made this thing actually is, I've seen it run down concrete stairs, survived liquid spills, its been taken around the world a few times, and banged up in a backpack with 20lbs of books for years. Considering it was bought "refurbished" for almost half price back when they came out...it has proven itself a fantastic value. With the complete lack of advancement in hardware you still can't best the performance of this thing for any less money (600$ back then)...though you may be able to get better temps and battery life.

 

[lavaheadache]

Knowing that the machine as taken a few tumbles and what not means that the heatsinks may not be seated firmly or have lossened causing very high temps

 

[jacktesterson]

Nice. Sorry missed the part about the hole somehow, here is a pic just for reference to my post. Not sure what else to tell you. Have you tried reseating everything?

Mine was an Asus too.

This is what the Vent inside looked like inside the Fan mount when I took it apart:

 

[EliteRetard]

Yeah, I've been through this thing a few times...I checked it over whenever they tossed it out of a car or whatnot. Its put together as well as it can be right now (I'm in another country fixing it for a friend, there's no tools or PC shops here). The temps have always been high when gaming (95+), but I don't think it has ever been stressed so hard either...it seems some of the current games just push it beyond what the old games could and as I said, I've seen it hit 110C.

Hacking a jagged hole in the case for the fan helped some, but not enough. If I could mess with heatsinks and TIM I would...but there's no doubt, no matter how bad the TIM or heatsink, that reducing the voltage used will also reduce the heat it outputs. So that's my goal. I just don't know of any software or tools for mobile GPUs let alone ones this old. I wasn't able to find anything...but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask and see if somebody else had something.

Pretty much all I can try right now.

 

[EliteRetard]

Nice. Sorry missed the part about the hole somehow, here is a pic just for reference to my post. Not sure what else to tell you. Have you tried reseating everything?

Mine was an Asus too.

This is what the Vent inside looked like inside the Fan mount when I took it apart:

Yar, that's pretty gnarly. They had a vent hole planned originally, but decided not to for whatever reason...I don't have my own pick, but this should give you an idea:

Mine is much more crude since I had to carve it open with scissors and a bread knife (seriously). I didn't put any mesh back in place...its just a gaping jagged hole. Ill have to fix it up when I get back to America.

 

[jacktesterson]

Yar, that's pretty gnarly. They had a vent hole planned originally, but decided not to for whatever reason...I don't have my own pick, but this should give you an idea:

Mine is much more crude since I had to carve it open with scissors and a bread knife (seriously). I didn't put any mesh back in place...its just a gaping jagged hole. Ill have to fix it up when I get back to America.

I had this on the bottom of mine too. (Sealed too, never made a hole)

Did your's have Flames on the top?


The dust I shown in my pic, you have to take apart the actual Fan inside the Mount to get at it or see it. I'm sure you did this though.

Good luck, hope somebody else knows.

 

[EliteRetard]

Yeah, Asus G50V....they look more like yellow squiggles but I guess you could call those flames on the lid.

 

[frozentundra123456]

A friend of mine has an Asus laptop with a GTX260 M that was having overheating problems as well. You could not do it away from home, but he solved the problem by simply putting a small (maybe 8" diameter) fan next to the laptop when gaming, blowing directly onto it. I mean a fan that runs from an electrical outlet, not one of those weak usb powered ones. Not a great solution esthetically, but the laptop works like a champ now and never shuts down.