# Dell G5 5590 - Throttlestop undervolt not applying



## Ardjin (Mar 16, 2020)

Hi,

First time posting, and sorry it's to potentially ask a silly question, but I really can't figure this out.

Specs, just in case:

Processor:   Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9300H CPU @ 2.40GHz
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650
RAM: 8GB DDR4

I've been using Throttlestop for a few months now, because the G5 does seem to run quite hot, reaching the mid 90 degrees celsius quite easily. I put an undervolt of 134.8 on the cpu and cache, which was quite stable, and dropped thing to about 75 - 80 degrees for most games. I also limited the boost clock to 3.9, as it was shooting up to 4.2 and staying there regardless of a damn thing.

There was a BIOS update a few days ago though, and I noticed the temperatures spiked, so I investigated a bit, and saw the undervolt does not apply anymore. Or doesn't seem to, at least. As the only thing that changed was the BIOS, I rolled it back one patch to where I know it worked, and it simply does not anymore now.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Ardjin


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## unclewebb (Mar 16, 2020)

The latest Dell BIOS updates disable undervolting.  Even going back to the previous BIOS will not get undervolting working.

After going back, some user had success by going into the BIOS and selecting the reset option.  Maybe that will work on your laptop.  Sad times ahead for many laptop owners.

Here is the reason why laptop manufacturers are doing this.









						INTEL-SA-00289
					

INTEL-SA-00289




					www.intel.com
				




Edit - The turbo ratio limits are also locked after this microcode update is installed.


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## Ardjin (Mar 16, 2020)

Great, so they take away any agency from the consumer and melt our laptops in the process...

Thanks for the help, it's very much appreciated. I'll see if I can figure out the BIOS stuff, because I can't leave stuff like this.



unclewebb said:


> The latest Dell BIOS updates disable undervolting.  Even going back to the previous BIOS will not get undervolting working.
> 
> After going back, some user had success by going into the BIOS and selecting the reset option.  Maybe that will work on your laptop.  Sad times ahead for many laptop owners.
> 
> ...



This helped perfectly. I went back to BIOS update 1.11, restored BIOS defaults, and everything seems like it should be again. Guess this is where I'm staying when it comes to updates.
Thanks a million!


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## nevernotmaybe (Mar 25, 2020)

Ardjin said:


> This helped perfectly. I went back to BIOS update 1.11, restored BIOS defaults, and everything seems like it should be again. Guess this is where I'm staying when it comes to updates.
> Thanks a million!



In what way did you downgrade the BIOS?

I had the same issue with throttlestop not working anymore, and I found this thread. I downgraded the BIOS directly from Dell, and that didn't work. So I restored bios defaults and the laptop stopped booting, it asked for the system password, went to a blue screen, then just stayed there for about 30s and turned itself off. I tried a few things, in the end I had to use OS recovery and use the fix option that doesn't reset anything and it started booting again.

Now I am on 1.11.1, it boots again, bios is default settings as far as I know (I don't want to use the option again really either just in case it breaks), but undervolting is still not working. And now the screen won't dim before turning off like it did before, and seems to go to sleep much faster than expected or at least it has once so far. I am very confused by what has happened. Just trying to see if I did anything different.

Edit: Yea tried resetting to bios defaults again, broke the laptop again. Had to run OS recovery, fixed it again. Still the same issue. I hope someone figures out a way to do this, the laptop is practically junk without it and at 100 degrees when software is actively doing anything within seconds.


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## Ardjin (Mar 26, 2020)

I don't really know what to tell you. I downloaded version 1.11 of the BIOS from the Dell Support website, and installed it. This didn't immediately bring the undervolt back, so on Unclewebb's advice I rebooted into the BIOS menu, and simply had a button at the bottom of the screen which read "restore default settings", that pretty much seemed to do it. I haven't gone above 80°c again, and my undervolt's still applied.

Just for further info, Dell released a patch through the windows updater earlier this week, named Dell, Inc - Firmware 0.1.12.0, which is BIOS update 1.12. Unfortunately I didn't know this, and consequently updated back to 1.12, yet oddly enough, I still have my undervolt. No idea if this is as a consequence of resetting the BIOS settings to default or not.

I am sorry to hear you've had such a terrible time with it though, I hope it gets sorted. Can't help but feel they want our systems to run this hot in order for us to replace the unit sooner when the CPU finally melts.


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## nevernotmaybe (Mar 26, 2020)

It was the windows update that caused the issue, that is how I ended up with 1.12 bios. 

It got even more confusing since. After my reply I tried 1.10 bios and pretty much went through the same process and it didn't fix it.

I went out for an hour (shopping, under lockdown here so can't go out much or for long), came back still not working. I watched a few things on youtube, temp was a bit high and fans going still not undervolted. Then late last night, hours later, I suddenly realised the laptop was reasonably cool. TS happened to be on because it is still set to start automatically anyway so it is always on, and I opened it not really expecting anything but all the undervolting was listed and working  again!?!

I do have one final issue after everything I have done, the second HDD keeps getting stuck on even when the laptop sleeps now, if it is unplugged it is going to be using a lot more power than normal. A new thing to try and fix and drive me crazy. This laptop was an insanely low price on the outlet (plus a special discount and a sale at the time on top), and that is the only reason I can't say I regret it. It is not worth the £1400 it should be new all things considered. I nearly regret it after paying half at £712.


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## grandpa2390 (Mar 31, 2020)

unclewebb said:


> The latest Dell BIOS updates disable undervolting.  Even going back to the previous BIOS will not get undervolting working.
> 
> After going back, some user had success by going into the BIOS and selecting the reset option.  Maybe that will work on your laptop.  Sad times ahead for many laptop owners.
> 
> ...


I don't understand the language in that link. why are the manufacturers are doing this?
Description: Improper conditions check in voltage settings for some Intel(R) Processors may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege and/or information disclosure via local access.

I'm going to try and work this out. It seems they are worried that a privileged user (like myself, the administrator of my laptop), could allow permission and information disclosure by using the laptop (in person) through voltage checks??????????
the downgrade and resetting of the BIOS worked for me btw.   

my friend advised me to update the bios and just delete the Throttlestop folder, and unzip it again. I made a copy of the .ini file before I deleted the folder. after unzipping the folder and putting the .ini file into it... everything is working just fine, so far. . I'm going to keep a copy of the old bios on my ssd just in case though.


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## emics (Apr 19, 2020)

Hi,
After lot of research, I found a simple way to undervolt my laptop with the last BIOS update. I was able to unlock the voltage settings, without any downgrading.
It works for my G5 5590, may work for the G7 7590, and probably on the previous version also! Let me know if this procedure work for you too!
!! Before any manipulation save all your data !!
- First if you use bitlocker, be sure to suspend the protection of your SSD/HDD, and save the recovery key!
- Go to the BIOS setting by pressing F2 on boot up
- Reset the parameters to "Factory" ( not "Default" )
- Reinstall ThrottleStop or XTU
- Now you can change your voltage parameters through ThrottleStop or Intel XTU!
BIOS: 1.12.0 Feb 2020
Intel microcode: 0xCA Feb 2020


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## unclewebb (Apr 19, 2020)

@emics - When you run CPU-Z and click on the Mainboard tab, what BIOS version and date does it show?  If you do a reset to Factory, I am thinking that your laptop installed the previous BIOS version.

Look in the ThrottleStop FIVR window on the right hand side.  Beside the PowerCut feature it will show you what microcode version your CPU is using.  Can you post that version number?


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## emics (Apr 19, 2020)

Here it is! It didn't downgrade to the stock BIOS, it just reparameters as factory. The microcode is the last one I think: 0xCA.


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## unclewebb (Apr 19, 2020)

emics said:


> It didn't downgrade to the stock BIOS


You are right!  It shows BIOS 1.12 from Feb 2020 and your screenshot does show Microcode Update 0xCA.

Hopefully more Dell laptop owners can take advantage of this trick and get their under volt working again.  The 9750H is a very hot CPU when running at default voltage settings.


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## xor11 (Apr 19, 2020)

I did this on my G5 5590. Windows 1909 version 18363.720, BIOS 1.12, microcode 0xCA, factory reset to BIOS. No luck.

Yes, the settings show up and are adjustable in Throttlestop with no errors or greyed-out buttons, BUT the settings do not actually change anything. Watching the core voltages shows the changes have absolutely no effect on my system.


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## emics (Apr 19, 2020)

What does HWMonitor says about core and cache voltages? And XTU? I've done some benchmark, it run quieter and cooler! I'm no more thermal throttling with the Throttle stop bench! You can see the reason of throttling with the "Limits" button (when you click on the top bar it reset the trigger). The actual voltage can be seen on the top right of FIVR window!


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## dameh99 (Apr 19, 2020)

I have G5-5590
i5-9300h
gtx 1650
BIOS: 1.12.0
When I play call of duty war zone in cool mode in alienware command center the temp is 90c but there will be FPS drop and the game still lagging but when I change it to Balanced or High performance mode the game works very good but the CPU temp 100c How I can reduce it ? I am thinking about apply thermal paste 
I found that undervolting CPU may reduce that temperature 
is it safe ? it will affect gaming performance?
how to that ?


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## unclewebb (Apr 20, 2020)

@dameh99 - Many users with gaming oriented laptops reduce the cpu core and cpu cache voltage.  This can drop temperatures significantly.  You can also lower the CPU speed a little since many games are more GPU dependent and not so much CPU dependent.  This will also help reduce your system temps.

If these tricks do not solve your problems, changing the thermal paste is next.


dameh99 said:


> is it safe?


ThrottleStop has been helping users maximize the performance of their laptops for 10+ years.  Pretty rare to hear a complaint.  You can also try using Intel XTU if it supports your processor.


dameh99 said:


> it will affect gaming performance?


It usually improves gaming performance.  That is why so many people do it.

Head to YouTube and start watching some videos.  There are lots of experts out there that will show you how to use either program and there is always lots of help available on the TechPowerUp forums.


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## grandpa2390 (Apr 20, 2020)

emics said:


> I was able to undervolt with the last BIOS version, without any downgrading!
> Go see my post!
> 
> 
> ...


yeah, you just have to reinstall throttlestop. My friend and I suspect that it configs itself to the current BIOS, and when the BIOS gets updated, the config files don't, and then it breaks. so by deleting the folder, unziping a new one, copying in the .ini file and running a fresh throttlestop, it configs itself to the current BIOS.


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## ProcessedAB (Apr 20, 2020)

Hello guys, i have the same issue as in my fivr control is not working can someone help me, lenovo support is just garbage 
asked them for older bios files, didn't help with anything, I am trying to make it work i don't know what to do 
lenovo s340 - 15-IIL 
My cpu is i5-1035G1 
8gb ddr4 
Mx250



ProcessedAB said:


> Hello guys, i have the same issue as in my fivr control is not working can someone help me, lenovo support is just garbage
> asked them for older bios files, didn't help with anything, I am trying to make it work i don't know what to do
> lenovo s340 - 15-IIL
> My cpu is i5-1035G1
> ...



Is there anyway to help me out cause i seem helpless


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## grandpa2390 (Apr 20, 2020)

ProcessedAB said:


> Hello guys, i have the same issue as in my fivr control is not working can someone help me, lenovo support is just garbage
> asked them for older bios files, didn't help with anything, I am trying to make it work i don't know what to do
> lenovo s340 - 15-IIL
> My cpu is i5-1035G1
> ...


was throttlestop working before the BIOS update? if so, make sure you close out of throttlestop completely. copy the .ini file from your throttlestop folder. delete the throttlestop folder. redownload throttlestop and extract it. check and see if it works (it did for me), and if it does, try copying the .ini file back into the new throttlestop folder and that will put all of your settings back.


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## ProcessedAB (Apr 20, 2020)

grandpa2390 said:


> was throttlestop working before the BIOS update? if so, make sure you close out of throttlestop completely. copy the .ini file from your throttlestop folder. delete the throttlestop folder. redownload throttlestop and extract it. check and see if it works (it did for me), and if it does, try copying the .ini file back into the new throttlestop folder and that will put all of your settings back.



I wasn't using throttlestop before then, so I am not sure, any help


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## emics (Apr 20, 2020)

ProcessedAB said:


> I wasn't using throttlestop before then, so I am not sure, any help


Can you give us which Intel's microcode is running in you laptop? You can find that on Intel XTU -> System Information -> Processor -> Microcode Update.


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## ProcessedAB (Apr 20, 2020)

emics said:


> Can you give us which Intel's microcode is running in you laptop? You can find that on Intel XTU -> System Information -> Processor -> Microcode Update.


 





emics said:


> Can you give us which Intel's microcode is running in you laptop? You can find that on Intel XTU -> System Information -> Processor -> Microcode Update.


can't use intel xtu so throttlestop is my choice


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## emics (Apr 20, 2020)

I think this microcode doesn't lock the voltage control. Only the last one 0xCA is eventually locking the voltage control against the plundervolt vulnerability.. Lenovo may have locked this by default.


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## unclewebb (Apr 20, 2020)

Different CPU families use different microcode numbering schemes. You can only compare the microcode version number with similar CPUs. A 1035G1 uses different microcode numbering compared to the 8750H or 9750H.


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## ProcessedAB (Apr 20, 2020)

emics said:


> I think this microcode doesn't lock the voltage control. Only the last one 0xCA is eventually locking the voltage control against the plundervolt vulnerability.. Lenovo may have locked this by default.


so basically i am screwed 

i can't find anything to help me with this matter


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## jenijek (Apr 24, 2020)

Thank you very much For councils! The DELL G7 7790 laptop version 1.12.0 bios blocks core voltage was rolled away on version 1.11.0. Everything earned perfectly


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## ProcessedAB (Apr 24, 2020)

is there anyway for lenovo users to get old bios or can revert microcode updates so i can finally undervolt?


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## xor11 (Apr 26, 2020)

I finally got ThrottleStop on my G5 5590 to undervolt again, back in business running the prior BIOS 1.11.1 with microcode C6. 

I was unsuccessful earlier after using all the advice I could find, including on this thread. I did a couple of things differently this time. I'm not sure which step was important, but originally I was doing the BIOS downgrade from Windows and was doing a soft BIOS reset from the BIOS setup. This time I did a hard CMOS reset including battery disconnect and I installed the BIOS from a USB stick.

This is what I did on my G5 5590.  I don't know which steps were critical and I don't plan to experiment to find out. It just worked and here it is in case it helps someone. Don't bash me for overkilling the process. 

-Put the 1.11.1 BIOS file on a USB stick. It doesn't have to be bootable, just formatted as FAT32.
-Power down and unplug from wall power. 
-Take the back panel off. Note all the screws come fully out EXCEPT the two rear screws, which are captured and pull up the panel as they are loosened - use the gap created by those two screws to start the prying process. DON'T try to unscrew those two screws fully out of the panel, the teeny-tiny metal capture disk on the screw can pop off and end up who knows where.
-Disconnect both the main battery and the coin-cell battery, both are easily accessible. The battery connector pulls straight up, the coin cell connector pulls sideways.  Push the power button a few times and let the laptop sit for a few minutes to be sure the supply capacitors are completely discharged. This gives an indisputable BIOS/CMOS hard reset.
-Reconnect the main battery and coin-cell battery, put the back panel on (you don't have to put all the screws in yet, but might want to partially or fully tighten the captured screws at the rear because they otherwise prop the back edge open a bit).
-Plug back in to wall power.
-Insert the USB stick (it won't be booting from the USB, just have it handy).
-Boot up. This will be scary because the BIOS real-time clock will be off, which will make the laptop go through several seemingly random power cycles as it checks itself out. There is an official procedure to handle this from Dell (hold the power button for 30 seconds or something like that), but I didn't do it. 
-Be ready to start hitting the F12 button as soon as the Dell logo finally shows up to get into the boot menu.
-Choose BIOS Flash Update and select the 1.11.1 BIOS file on the USB stick. During the update I did get an Intel ME error but it didn't stop the install or cause any further issues. 
-When it boots again, don't let it get to Windows yet, hit F2 (or F12) to get into the BIOS setup.
-I did a BIOS restore settings here, but don't know if it has any effect given the battery-less BIOS/CMOS reset and newly installed BIOS, I just did it because it helped someone else get their system running.
-Set the BIOS date/time.
-Under Security, go to UEFI Capsule Firmware Updates and disable it. This supposedly prevents Windows from updating the BIOS again.
-Exit and boot normally. After booting, you might want to do a sync now in the time settings to sync with internet time, but not critical.

ThrottleStop now works for me again. I did allow another Windows update after all this, and it incremented the build revision but otherwise left my BIOS alone. Hope that stays true. I don't plan on risking a new 1.12.0 install at this point.

Current system:
BIOS 1.11.1 microcode C6 (was formerly 1.12.0/CA forced by Windows Update)
Windows 10 version 1909 build 18363.778
Throttlestop version 8.71 (this version has an option to automatically set undervolt to zero while in sleep mode)


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## HenryAuto (May 29, 2020)

Hi @xor11

Is that your bios 1.12 disallow BIOS downgrade? and you still made it back to 1.11.1?
I am also the situation that after update Windows 10 to version 2004, it downloads a package call Dell -Firmware and upgrade BIOS to 1.12.2. and now I cannot downgrade to 1.11.1.


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## Max(IT) (May 30, 2020)

HenryAuto said:


> Hi @xor11
> 
> Is that your bios 1.12 disallow BIOS downgrade? and you still made it back to 1.11.1?
> I am also the situation that after update Windows 10 to version 2004, it downloads a package call Dell -Firmware and upgrade BIOS to 1.12.2. and now I cannot downgrade to 1.11.1.


I have 1.12 on my G7 7790, and I still can undervolt.
It doesn’t need a downgrade of the BIOS, but just a reset to factory settings.

To avoid new BIOS updates you can go to Security and than disable UEFI Capsule Firmware Update. This should avoid BIOS upgrades when Windows Upgrade.


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## yukita2324 (Jun 3, 2020)

xor11 said:


> I finally got ThrottleStop on my G5 5590 to undervolt again, back in business running the prior BIOS 1.11.1 with microcode C6.
> 
> I was unsuccessful earlier after using all the advice I could find, including on this thread. I did a couple of things differently this time. I'm not sure which step was important, but originally I was doing the BIOS downgrade from Windows and was doing a soft BIOS reset from the BIOS setup. This time I did a hard CMOS reset including battery disconnect and I installed the BIOS from a USB stick.
> 
> ...


Hi, after doing all the steps disconnecting the batteries and booting from the usb with the desired bios version in it I got a message that the power status is inadequate because of my damaged battery. I have a Dell inspiron 15 5567. I updated my bios by forcing it because of the same issue but now the bios doesnt let me downgrade by any means.
I would really apreciate if someone knows how can I get ThrottleStop working again because with these 85+ degrees it is impossible to do anything without thermal throttling.


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## Max(IT) (Jun 3, 2020)

yukita2324 said:


> Hi, after doing all the steps disconnecting the batteries and booting from the usb with the desired bios version in it I got a message that the power status is inadequate because of my damaged battery. I have a Dell inspiron 15 5567. I updated my bios by forcing it because of the same issue but now the bios doesnt let me downgrade by any means.
> I would really apreciate if someone knows how can I get ThrottleStop working again because with these 85+ degrees it is impossible to do anything without thermal throttling.


As I wrote above, try to reset the BIOS. Usually on Dell notebooks it is still possible to undervolt just after a BIOS reset (it worked on mine).
BTW the CPU doesn't throttle at 85º, nor even at 95º. It will start throttling at 100ºC (sometimes at 97º if the manufacturer is taking a little margin, but this isn't Dell case usually).


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## yukita2324 (Jun 3, 2020)

Max(IT) said:


> As I wrote above, try to reset the BIOS. Usually on Dell notebooks it is still possible to undervolt just after a BIOS reset (it worked on mine).
> BTW the CPU doesn't throttle at 85º, nor even at 95º. It will start throttling at 100ºC (sometimes at 97º if the manufacturer is taking a little margin, but this isn't Dell case usually).


Yes, I tried resetting to factory settings but didnt work. Well i guess it is not throttling but i do see a performance drop within half an hour or so playing.


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## Max(IT) (Jun 3, 2020)

yukita2324 said:


> Yes, I tried resetting to factory settings but didnt work. Well i guess it is not throttling but i do see a performance drop within half an hour or so playing.


if you are using Throttlestop try to post a log here after playing an hour, just to see what the system is doing.
It could be related to TDP


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## tiagolirape (Jun 6, 2020)

I'm replying to this thread because it's the first thing that appears when you search for "5590 throttlestop", "5590 undervolt" and variants.

The latest bios update locked the overclock options under XTU and ThrottleStop, however, as @emics explained before, a factory reset for the parameters in the bios unlocked the undervolting capacities of my i7 9750h on a Dell G5 5590. You really just need to be careful with Bitlocker (why are you using it? It's shit, even MS advisors in their forums advise against it) and make sure that you are resetting to Factory settings. That's all I've done.

I believe my processor microcode version is CA, if any of this matters. What I know is that I was unable to perform undervolting and after doing the procedure above I was able to.


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## yukita2324 (Jun 6, 2020)

tiagolirape said:


> I'm replying to this thread because it's the first thing that appears when you search for "5590 throttlestop", "5590 undervolt" and variants.
> 
> The latest bios update locked the overclock options under XTU and ThrottleStop, however, as @emics explained before, a factory reset for the parameters in the bios unlocked the undervolting capacities of my i7 9750h on a Dell G5 5590. You really just need to be careful with Bitlocker (why are you using it? It's shit, even MS advisors in their forums advise against it) and make sure that you are resetting to Factory settings. That's all I've done.
> 
> I believe my processor microcode version is CA, if any of this matters. What I know is that I was unable to perform undervolting and after doing the procedure above I was able to.


Hi, can you tell me what version of TS are you currently using? Because y resetted to factory settings and then installed the 8.74 Version of TS and didn’t work.


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## tiagolirape (Jun 7, 2020)

I'm using 8.70


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## yukita2324 (Jun 7, 2020)

I kinda give up. Did all the above recommendations multiple times but none worked on my dell 5567. Thanks for everyone who shared their experiences. Hope someday this comes to a solution.


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## tiagolirape (Jun 7, 2020)

Well, your processor is a totally different generation, so it's no wonder it didn't work. From Dell's website I can see the 5567 uses a 6th/7th generation Core processor, and we are talking about a 9th generation processor. Probably you need to look for this fix for your processor model.

To put it short, you are barking at the wrong tree.


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## Chris5963 (Jun 9, 2020)

I succeeded in getting Undervolting working on a new out-of-the-box Dell G5 5590 (came with BIOS 1.12 installed) of getting undervolting working. This is what I did

1. Turn off auto BIOS update in BIOS settings: it's the option under security: turn off UEFI updates
Also uninstalled the Dell Assistant (this also pushes auto updates) I think I am sensible enough and grown-up enough to check manually thanks Dell.
2. Downgrade to 1.10 BIOS (I assume people know how to do this)
3. This next step is the most important! Go into BIOS settings and reset to Default (NOT factory). I think new computers come with the Plundervolt fail-safe wired into the factory settings.
4. Restart PC and REINSTALL Throttlestop (the INI file must be replaced with a new one). Boot into Throttlestop and you should be able to apply an undervolt.
I went from a score of 1618 on Cinebench R20 to 2791 and my PC is now cool as a cucumber even when under maximum load.


Good luck everyone!


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## Max(IT) (Jun 9, 2020)

Chris5963 said:


> I succeeded in getting Undervolting working on a new out-of-the-box Dell G5 5590 (came with BIOS 1.12 installed) of getting undervolting working. This is what I did
> 
> 1. Turn off auto BIOS update in BIOS settings: it's the option under security: turn off UEFI updates
> Also uninstalled the Dell Assistant (this also pushes auto updates) I think I am sensible enough and grown-up enough to check manually thanks Dell.
> ...


I did the same but without downgrading the BIOS (I'm using 1.12)


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## Chris5963 (Jun 10, 2020)

Downgrading alone didn't work for me, but I do wonder if I might be able to upgrade to 1.12 safely now. It seems that the settings are hard-wired into the BIOS configuration on some new laptops, so resetting to factory and or default without a downgrade might not always work. Is it possible that downgrading process also changes the default settings? Is it possible that older laptops have the default settings of an older BIOS without the Plundervolt failsafe? This might explain why for some people resetting alone is enough. Max, Was your laptop a new one purchased after March/April 2020? I really hope Intel can find a better way to protect against Plundervolt than their current solution. Also my understanding is that Plundervolt requires root privileges to be a threat, so this pretty much excludes any risk for ordinary users right? This seems like serious overkill by Intel.


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## Max(IT) (Jun 10, 2020)

Chris5963 said:


> Downgrading alone didn't work for me, but I do wonder if I might be able to upgrade to 1.12 safely now. It seems that the settings are hard-wired into the BIOS configuration on some new laptops, so resetting to factory and or default without a downgrade might not always work. Is it possible that downgrading process also changes the default settings? Is it possible that older laptops have the default settings of an older BIOS without the Plundervolt failsafe? This might explain why for some people resetting alone is enough. Max, Was your laptop a new one purchased after March/April 2020? I really hope Intel can find a better way to protect against Plundervolt than their current solution. Also my understanding is that Plundervolt requires root privileges to be a threat, so this pretty much excludes any risk for ordinary users right? This seems like serious overkill by Intel.


Nope, my laptop was purchased in January.
Now that you made me re-think about it, I downgraded (IIRC to 1.11), I reset to default and then I upgraded to 1.12 again, and the undervolt was still possible.
After that I disabled UEFI upgrades in the BIOS settings, to avoid further upgrades.


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## Chris5963 (Jun 10, 2020)

I just got upgraded again to 1.12 (I thought I had disabled upgrades to BIOS but it seems not), but I can use undervolt so it seems that one-time downgrade and reset did the trick. Let's hope future BIOS upgrades don't add the Plundervolt fail-safe again.


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## Max(IT) (Jun 10, 2020)

Chris5963 said:


> I just got upgraded again to 1.12 (I thought I had disabled upgrades to BIOS but it seems not), but I can use undervolt so it seems that one-time downgrade and reset did the trick. Let's hope future BIOS upgrades don't add the Plundervolt fail-safe again.


well, good for you.
Since the notebook isn't a new model anymore, I think you can skip any future BIOS upgrade.


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## Ender (Jul 14, 2020)

Guys, i just went through this (wondering why undervolting failed, read up on the BIOS problem, downgraded & reset 1.11).
SO i understand upgrading to 1.12 is safe, so its probably advisable (have no version hiytory so i do not know what i would miss on).
Do you also know if upgrading to 1.13 (current version on Dell website) would be safe to keep undervolting?

So basically i am asking, whats the best BIOS if you INSIST on undervolting?

Thanks for help  
Ender


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## nokturnal (Aug 3, 2020)

I upgraded bios to 1.13 and followed @emics instructions and did Factory reset on my bios and undervolt works again, but only on profile where i have modified Turbo Ratio Limits. On my main profile where I only undervolt, voltage does not change when I switch to profile (or it goes back to default if I switch from profile where it works). Again the only difference between two profiles is Turbo Ratio Limits (default: 41, 41, 40, 40, 39, 39 => modified: 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 32). My undervolt is at -145.5mV.

I also tried upgrading to ThrottleStop 9.0 and I experience same behavior.
My computer is Dell G5 5587, i7-8750H,  bought 2 years ago.

Hope this helps @Ender  and any other guy who got stuck without undervolt.


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## unclewebb (Aug 3, 2020)

@nokturnal - Make sure that Unlock Adjustable Voltage is checked in each profile that you want ThrottleStop to control your voltages. If this box is not checked, when you switch to that profile, ThrottleStop will not do anything to the voltages. If will not reset the voltages to their default voltages if this box is not checked.

Look in the FIVR monitoring table at the top right to confirm what voltages your CPU is using.  If you are still having problems, post some screenshots that show how you have your ThrottleStop profiles set up and screenshots that clearly show the problem you are having. I just tested this and the voltages on my computer are changing correctly when I switch back and forth between two different profiles.


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## nokturnal (Aug 4, 2020)

I checked again and Unlock Adjustable Voltage is on in both profiles.
I recorded my ThrottleStop behaviour and my settings so it will hopefully be more clear: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dCd5fq0kHyR0ikCYlW4UfM1y4NlKVrAD/view?usp=sharing

I reinstalled ThrottleStop and deleted old ini files so that should not be a problem. I will try to play with bios settings to see if anything changes.

And thank you for your help


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## unclewebb (Aug 4, 2020)

The VID voltage reported on the main screen of ThrottleStop changes depending on what speed the CPU is running at. That is normal. When you change profiles in ThrottleStop, if the CPU speed changes then yes, the VID voltage is going to change too. That is not a bug. This is normal for Intel mobile CPUs. Requested VID voltage varies with speed.

You control the amount of offset voltage in the FIVR window. The monitoring table in the top right corner of the FIVR window confirms that the -145.5 mV offset voltage that you requested be applied to your CPU core and cache is being applied correctly. The Offset column in the monitoring table shows -0.1455 for both the core and cache. This is working OK.



http://imgur.com/Ey9A6eR


When undervolting the 8750H, do some testing with Cinebench R20. Reduce your CPU cache offset to -135 mV. Run a baseline test with the voltages set equally. After this test, leave the cache voltage at -135 mV and start increasing the CPU core offset voltage. Some people see improvements in performance or temperatures with the core set at -200 mV. Test in steps of -25 mV to make sure your CPU is stable.

These 2 voltages do not have to be set equally. Modern software like Cinebench R20 and many games will show an improvement when these voltages are set to different values.


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## Nocthmyst (Aug 8, 2020)

emics said:


> Hi,
> After lot of research, I found a simple way to undervolt my laptop with the last BIOS update. I was able to unlock the voltage settings, without any downgrading.
> It works for my G5 5590, may work for the G7 7590, and probably on the previous version also! Let me know if this procedure work for you too!
> !! Before any manipulation save all your data !!
> ...


It seems like that is only a temporary solution. Tried this on my Dell Inspiron 7577 and it worked the first time after I restarted to reset the BIOS (v1.10.0) to factory settings. But then after I shut down and switch it on again, TS FIVR control shows that my undervolt settings are being ignored again. So I have to reset my BIOS to factory settings everytime before I use my 7577 for my undervolt settings to be applied.

Can't be bothered with that so I just downgraded my BIOS to v1.9.3... Is there any permanent way for undervolt settings to take effect on the newer BIOS versions though?


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## unclewebb (Aug 8, 2020)

@Nocthmyst -  The "reset to factory" BIOS option works for many Dell laptops to restore CPU voltage control. This is a bug. When Dell fixes this bug, new BIOS versions might not be able to restore CPU voltage control by using this trick.

If the latest BIOS is blocking CPU voltage control and this feature is important to you, stop trying to use the latest BIOS.


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## Nocthmyst (Aug 8, 2020)

unclewebb said:


> @Nocthmyst -  The "reset to factory" BIOS option works for many Dell laptops to restore CPU voltage control. This is a bug. When Dell fixes this bug, new BIOS versions might not be able to restore CPU voltage control by using this trick.
> 
> If the latest BIOS is blocking CPU voltage control and this feature is important to you, stop trying to use the latest BIOS.


Gotcha, thanks for the heads-up. Hopefully in the future they'll take note of this issue and rectify it so we don't have to burn up our PCs on new BIOS updates...


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## BLKGHOST (Aug 15, 2020)

I can confirm that resetting the BIOS settings worked for me. I'm on the latest BIOS (1.13.2) on a Dell G5 5590, i7 9750h, RTX 2060. I was able to get my temp down to a max of 63°C instead of the usual 100°C by undervolting with an offset of -125mV and disabling turbo using Throttle Stop. I should mention that I also repasted the CPU and GPU using Artic MX-4.


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## adelino660 (Aug 17, 2020)

BLKGHOST said:


> I can confirm that resetting the BIOS settings worked for me. I'm on the latest BIOS (1.13.2) on a Dell G5 5590, i7 9750h, RTX 2060. I was able to get my temp down to a max of 63°C instead of the usual 100°C by undervolting with an offset of -125mV and disabling turbo using Throttle Stop. I should mention that I also repasted the CPU and GPU using Artic MX-4.


how did you reset the bios, via the settings via factory or default? Or did you do a hardreset?

I'm trying to use reset the bios for my Dell XPS 13, but nothing works via a software reset either factory of default, even when i downgraded to a bios that should enable undervolt.


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## boked33404 (Aug 28, 2021)

Device: Dell G3 3579, CPU: i7 8750H, Bios: 1.16.0.

- I was using ThrottleStop with an undervolt of ~ 150mV before the BIOS upgrade pushed by Dell disabled that functionality a few years ago.
- After that kinda gave up on the idea of undervolt and went through each BIOS upgrade as they came.
- Had ThrottleStop running with the initial config of ~ 150mV in the background. It wasn't getting applied due to the BIOS.

Just got the Undervolt working again by following some of the steps described by you throughout the thread, as follows:
1. Suspend Bitlocker. Reboot.
2. F2 -> Go into BIOS -> Restore Settings (bottom of the screen) -> Factory Settings -> Reboot.
3. ThrottleStop undervolt is now getting applied without other changes.
4. Rebooted again and undervolt is still being applied.

Conclusion: For me the only step needed for this to work was Resetting the BIOS to Factory Settings. No BIOS downgrade required.

Thank you very much! Best of luck to you all.


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## unclewebb (Aug 28, 2021)

@boked33404 - Good to hear that you got undervolting working again. 

If you ever have problems in the future, here is the more complicated method that works on many Dell laptops.









						Undervolting 2020 Dell Laptops like the Vostro 7500 and More Tips to Improve Thermals, Battery Life, and Speed - Brendan Greenley
					

2021 Update: Based on post and Reddit comments, the approach to unlock undervolting works for a number of models, including the XPS, Inspiron, G5, 11th Generation Intel processors, and 2021 Dell models and other lines. If it works for you, please leave a comment below so others may know...




					brendangreenley.com


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## adelino660 (Aug 28, 2021)

adelino660 said:


> how did you reset the bios, via the settings via factory or default? Or did you do a hardreset?
> 
> I'm trying to use reset the bios for my Dell XPS 13, but nothing works via a software reset either factory of default, even when i downgraded to a bios that should enable undervolt.


So for almost a year i've been locked out of undervolting due to the dell bios update preinstalled on my Dell XPS 13 7390. The trick of downgrading and restore/factory reset bios settings never worked for me. I finally got it to work following this guide on the latest 1.9.0 BIOS for the Dell XPS 13 7390 Very simple with the Universal BIOS BACKUP toolkit. Got it working following the exact steps laid out in the video. Undervolting my CPU at 100mV and cache and i7-10710U has never been cooler. Seriously this chip runs so hot out of the box, that undervolting is needed..


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## londeroarthur (Apr 16, 2022)

Dell isn't updating the microcode of the processors, the lock is by BIOS only, and I can help you to remove this lock. I did it on my Dell G15 and everything is working perfectly


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