[GL702VM & similar] Solution to Performance issues / Overheating / Throttling / Whine

[onjax]

Hi guys, I bought GL702VM and was upset with its ability to handle games and high load. I had immediate temperature jump to over 85 jump and throttling / frame drops in games. So I decided to understand how to improve things, even though, I already lost my warranty due to my experiments, but at least I can answer for everyone, that:
- the main problem of this notebook is inefficient, insufficient cooling system with too thin fans, too small heatsinks, vent holes in a wrong places (aside, not above the fans).

To prove this, I first changed the thermal interface to liquid metal. That doesn't solve the issue. This proves, the thermal contact is ok, but heat dissipation is bad. Second, I ran stress tests with back cover removed - helped a lot, about 15-20 degrees off. The proves that air intake is wrong in this system.

I also removed an antidust tape with holes covering all the intake holes. That helped by around 5 degrees and also brought down air noise.

Then I came to idea of downvolting CPU and GPU, thanks to devs of ThrottleStop and MSI Afterburner, we can do this with relative ease.

The result: Fan noise reduced by half. Temp drop is huge. More speed due to ability of CPU/GPU to properly boost to max speed.

For your information - CPU is responsible for about 30% of heat, GPU - for 70%. So best idea is to undervolt the GPU, but for best results go for both.

THE GUIDE - CPU
Variant A - Install Intel Xtreme Tuning Utility

• Go to Advanced Tuning tab and Change Dynamic CPU Voltage Offset to negative value (move slider to the left). -100mV is a good starting point. Leave Mode to Adaptive.
  
• Apply changes.
  

My CPU holds -150mV well.

Variant B - Install Throttle Stop 8.3 or above

• On main window click FIVR button
  
• Under CPU Core Voltage move Offset Voltage slider to the left. -100mV is a good starting point. The lower value the less heat.
  
• Click Apply. On the same window you can save settings to make them apply every time you start the app.
  

THE GUIDE - GPU

• Download and Install MSI Afterburner 4.3 or above
  
• In settings turn on Unlock voltage control and Unlock voltage monitoring
  
• Close MSI Afterburner
  
• Download my Voltage Profile for GTX 1060
  
• Extract profile to some folder and then copy file to "C:\Program Files (x86)\MSI Afterburner\Profiles". Click continue as Administrator when Windows asks permission to write.
  
• Run MSI Afterburner, click on profile 1 (out of 5). Then press Ctrl+F. (1 - least heat, but may be unstable for some... 2, bit more voltage etc till 5.)
  
• You will see my Voltage Curve (screenshot). What you'll see that it's flat until 1050mv. that means. 1050 will never be used, so will never be used any voltage except 831mV @ 1860 MHz and below.
  
• Click apply to test this curve
  
• If this curve is not stable for you - edit it to your taste: Click on 831mV dot and move it lower, so that lower freq will be used for that voltage, and for 1860 freq next available voltage will be used. Etc. Work with leftmost voltage dots to make everything stable.
  

This curve drops heat of GPU by at least 30%, which is huge.

THE GUIDE - COIL WHINE
Workaround described here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/975530

Perform only these steps as Administrator:
1. At a command prompt, run the following command:
reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Processor /v Capabilities /t REG_DWORD /d 0x0007e066
2. Restart the computer.
3. Run ThrottleStop v8.3 or above and uncheck C1E. Click save.

In theory, it will make CPU a bit hotter while system is idle, because it disables some advanced C-states, but i didn't notice that in monitoring app.
That solved like 99.9% of the noise, and in addition, disabling C1E in ThrottleStop solved noise issue completely.

[Dassh]

I haven't got my gl702vm yet and been looking for temps at the web but havent got any until i read this thread.
Was not sure if i would like the temps on this thin notebook. But if it's this easy to undervolt it's not gonna be a problem. Actually looking forward to getting it so i cant get going 🙂

Thumbs up for this guide. Will be fun

[Ymzuki]

onjax wrote:
My previous notebook was Acer 7750G with top GPU at the time, switching to liquid metal gave around 15 degree gain, so it's manufacturer-dependand thing of course. Asus makes here a right choice, as I see.

I have a GL502VS , CPU temps were hot as hell, hitting 97 and sometimes 99 C.

I did -0.150 offsted on the CPU, and it seems that the temp got lower, max was 87 after 30m with AIDA test.

I have no problem with the gpu, max temp was around 76-78 C in benchmarks, when playing games it stays under 69-72 C.

I wish i could do something more for the CPU ( going to get a cooling pad but i heard they only lower the temp by 2-3C ).

Anyway with gsync capped at 60FPS games run very smooth, and the cpu does not even reach 80 C in games - played BF1 and some other games ( Day By Daylight, Osiris New Dawn, and some other minor stuff) - i'll reply with updates with more heavy games , Watch Dogs 2, GTA 5, Withcer 3, Doom and Rise of Tomb Raider.

PS: Important detail, the CPU used to throttle before, now with -0.15 offset there's no throttle

Thx for the guide )

[Appuru]

Hi there,
first off: thanks for the guide. I was a bit worried about the higher temperatures when playing games or running other demanding programs and was already thinking about returning my gl702vm. After reading your guide and tweaking with the settings a bit, I feel more confident in being able to handle those problems.

Anyways. I downloaded your profiles and they all show up in MSI Afterburner. Once I hit "apply" though, when pressing CTRL+F again, the curve is the same but with one change: the points (and the curve) seems to be 100mHZ lower than originally.
This applies to each of the possibly selected profiles.

Why is this happening and am I doing anything wrong? ^^

Also I did some testing yesterday with -100 CPU Voltage Offset and the 2nd or 3rd of your MSI Afterburner Profiles.
When I played Overwatch on "Epic" Settings the temperature would rise up to ~85°C and then suddenly everything would freeze for like 1 minute and then I'd get a message like "rendering device could not be found". This seems to be coming from the graphics card getting disabled within the device manager for a short moment.
Might this have anything to do with the settings or is it another problem which should make me return the Notebook? 😕

Thanks in advance.

[Dassh]

I've finally got my Asus. Now even before i started a game i undervolted my GPU with the profiles onjax linked.

Just to be sure. I downloaded the profile, put the file in profiles in MSiafterburner. Then restarted Msi Afterburner and pressed number 1 and save and apply. Now while im idle just checking the internet im at 60C. Is this how it should be? Havent got the time to check in a game but will do it tomorrow.

[joaocarlosr]

Will the performance be the same after doing this?
Why would they put more voltage than it needs?

[Dassh]

joaocarlosr wrote:
Will the performance be the same after doing this?
Why would they put more voltage than it needs?

Yes the performance will still be the same.

[Puya9876]

Is it worth to buy a laptop cooler?.i also have ROG GL702VM but the GPU gets quite hot even if applied one of those profiles more exactly profile 3 in MSI Afterburner

[pppttl]

Puya9876 wrote:
Is it worth to buy a laptop cooler?.i also have ROG GL702VM but the GPU gets quite hot even if applied one of those profiles more exactly profile 3 in MSI Afterburner

Yes, it's worth it. I use cooler master notepal u3 plus. It's fans are completely configurable, so I placed them under the ventilation holes. It generally means 5 degree difference at least.

[Lord_Obsidian]

Puya9876 wrote:
Is it worth to buy a laptop cooler?.i also have ROG GL702VM but the GPU gets quite hot even if applied one of those profiles more exactly profile 3 in MSI Afterburner

Yes. Laptop coolers' function is mostly to adopt the surface where you are placing notebook, and it is important: gap btw notebooks' bottom and surface defines air intake by vent holes. Proper cooler pad at least increases this gap what results in better ventilation.
As I know, it is better to buy cooler with one powerful vent (= with good CFM) than with two less powerful. Notepal U3 Plus described above is much more mobile (it also could be used as half-case) and yes, it allows to plase vents just underneath ventilation holes. But each of its 3 vents generates 15.42 CFM, while in Deepcool Windwhell FS it is 73.42CFM.

[GolFer]

So I've been lurking around this forum, and especially this thread for a while now, and after a gaming session on Dying Light for over 5 hours, I've noticed my CPU temps peak and sustain near 96oC while my GPU barely bumps over 74... I've pretty much tried as much as I could without voiding my warranty(extremely little to no success with undervolting) and the FX502VM being similar in physical construction to the GL502VM... I want to ask... does anyone know if the GL502VM bottom case is interchangeable (aesthetically) with the model laptop I have? It's slightly thicker which means it'll have a slightly larger area in which air can pass through.. anyways, if anyone knows, it'd be nice to know, so I could order one from eBay and cut it up to help improve my CPU venting.

Also, unlike the GL502VM, the heatpipes on the FX are ****ing retarded to take off... the fans are a part of the assembly, so ther eis no reason to do the "Tape Mod" before anyone tries to suggest, and there's more than double the amount of locations wherein to spread thermal paste when redoing it.

Doesn't seem like a lot of people with my Model have tried very hard to take it apart, except for our cousins overseas who have this model with a ****tier configuration.

Anyways... please point me in the right direction soon, my buying finger is itching to click order for the bottom case I found for $45USD