# Alienware 15 r3 i7-7700hq GTX 1070 motion juddering and stuttering



## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

So im new to undervolting and gaming laptops in general so please help a brother out if I sound dumb. Ive had an issue since I bought the laptop a few weeks ago and after I booted up a game I noticed I was majorly throttling after a few minutes of gaming. So naturally I opened up the laptop and repasted the cpu and gpu and after getting back on the game I was getting way better temps than I had previously but the stuttering was still there so I decided to do some research and found that other people were having the same issue and I saw that throttlestop could help my issue. Ive tried many different options but it seems like the stuttering is just getting worse. Im going to be honest I have no idea how to fix this issue so if anybody can give me some suggestions to what I can try I will respond ASAP. Once again im trying this on an Alienware 15 r3 i7 7700hq gtx 1070 16gb ram 60hz gsync display. Im trying to run saints row 3 remastered on lowest settings and theres more stuttering than high settings (im so confused). Plz send suggestions.


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## eidairaman1 (Sep 9, 2021)

Get hwinfo64 and run sensors while under load


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

Cpu max at 16W , what kind of clocks you see the cpu reaching?


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> Cpu max at 16W , what kind of clocks you see the cpu reaching?


Now its at 21.2W, the clock speed was steady at 3.6ghz earlier but now its bouncing around. The processor is 2.8ghz base and up to 3.8ghz. this is giving me a major headache lol


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> Now its at 21.2W, the clock speed was steady at 3.6ghz earlier but now its bouncing around. The processor is 2.8ghz base and up to 3.8ghz. this is giving me a major headache lol


I see , well for now you should do this


eidairaman1 said:


> Get hwinfo64 and run sensors while under load


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

eidairaman1 said:


> Get hwinfo64 and run sensors while under load





Ferd said:


> I see , well for now you should do this





My temps are pretty good for what ive seen online from others so im super confused on what the issue can be.


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> View attachment 216121
> My temps are pretty good for what ive seen online from others so im super confused on what the issue can be.


You neeed to load the cpu, try the (TS bench) option in throttle stop , select 4 core and run it , take screenshots while running the bench test


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> You neeed to load the cpu, try the (TS bench) option in throttle stop , select 4 core and run it , take screenshots while running the bench test





By 4 cores I assumed you mean 4 threads, let me know if i made a mistake.


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> View attachment 216123
> By 4 cores I assumed you mean 4 threads, let me know if i made a mistake.


Yes , I just wanted to see if cpu is turbo boosting, I noticed you set non turbo ratio to 27 , so under FIVER try changing that value to 1 and do the bench again with same screenshots

@unclewebb can definitely help you more with throttlestop part ,, see if there’s something to fix there, then move to troubleshoot gpu or other parts


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Okay, dont know what that did but the temps went way up.


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> Okay, dont know what that did but the temps went way up.


Yeah my bad I should’ve explained before, basically allowing cpu to turbo boost , that’s what that did , you can see the frequency went up , and naturally power consumption as well

Now it’s another problem (temps) but at least cpu is functioning properly, for testing purposes only, you can try setting  4-cores to 32 , and 3-cores to 33 (under FIVER—> turbo ratio limits) and apply , run a game with and overly like (msi afterburner) and keep an eye on temps and frequencies , see if the stuttering is gone

You’ll have to address the overheating issue at some point , maybe a better thermal paste along with a laptop cooler , and always keep the fan vents clear don’t use the laptop on a carpet or something blocking airflow


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## eidairaman1 (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> Yeah my bad I should’ve explained before, basically allowing cpu to turbo boost , that’s what that did , you can see the frequency went up , and naturally power consumption as well
> 
> Now it’s another problem (temps) but at least cpu is functioning properly, for testing purposes only, you can try setting  4-cores to 32 , and 3-cores to 33 (under FIVER—> turbo ratio limits) and apply , run a game with and overly like (msi afterburner) and keep an eye on temps and frequencies , see if the stuttering is gone
> 
> You’ll have to address the overheating issue at some point , maybe a better thermal paste along with a laptop cooler , and always keep the fan vents clear don’t use the laptop on a carpet or something blocking airflow


Clean the fans and the heat sinks


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> Yeah my bad I should’ve explained before, basically allowing cpu to turbo boost , that’s what that did , you can see the frequency went up , and naturally power consumption as well
> 
> Now it’s another problem (temps) but at least cpu is functioning properly, for testing purposes only, you can try setting  4-cores to 32 , and 3-cores to 33 (under FIVER—> turbo ratio limits) and apply , run a game with and overly like (msi afterburner) and keep an eye on temps and frequencies , see if the stuttering is gone


Im trying to change the cores setting in fiver but when i click it i cant type anything. I also just cleaned the fans and repasted, should i double clean just to make sure?


eidairaman1 said:


> Clean the fans and the heat sinks


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> but when i click it i cant type anything


Use the arrows to increase or decrease the ratio , since we’re trying to lower the cpu frequency ( for lower temps-temporarily) you should lower to the values I suggested before


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> Use the arrows to increase or decrease the ratio , since we’re trying to lower the cpu frequency ( for lower temps-temporarily) you should lower to the values I suggested before


Yea im pressing the arrows and its not doing anything, im not getting any sort of response. Its not grayed out but its acting as if so. Also I looked at msi afterburner and it seems everything is steady except when i start running (which its like that in most games). It drops only a couple frames but when looking at it it looks very stuttery and unstable. I tested in saints row 3 remastered on lowest settings and its basically unplayable to me ( if thats of importance)


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> Yea im pressing the arrows and its not doing anything, im not getting any sort of response. Its not grayed out but its acting as if so. Also I looked at msi afterburner and it seems everything is steady except when i start running (which its like that in most games). It drops only a couple frames but when looking at it it looks very stuttery and unstable. I tested in saints row 3 remastered on lowest settings and its basically unplayable to me ( if thats of importance) View attachment 216141


Yah I just noticed on upper right corner offset is +0.000 , so cpu  Voltage control is locked in bios
Are you able to unlock these in the bios settings?



HyRise said:


> I tested in saints row 3 remastered on lowest settings and its basically unplayable to me ( if thats of importance)


This is after unlocking the turbo boost right ? Yes it’s important, I think the issue is on gpu side maybe , unless the thermal throttling after unlocking is so bad


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> Yah I just noticed on upper right corner offset is +0.000 , so cpu  Voltage control is locked in bios
> Are you able to unlock these in the bios settings?
> 
> 
> This is after unlocking the turbo boost right ? Yes it’s important, I think the issue is on gpu side maybe , unless the thermal throttling after unlocking is so bad


What would the setting for voltage control be in the bios? And yes i kept the non turbo ratio to 1 and it helped when standing still and turning but when I start walking or running the stuttering starts and thats how it is for all my demanding games. Games like splitgate and thug2 work well.



HyRise said:


> What would the setting for voltage control be in the bios? And yes i kept the non turbo ratio to 1 and it helped when standing still and turning but when I start walking or running the stuttering starts and thats how it is for all my demanding games. Games like splitgate and thug2 work well.


So I made a reddit post to get some extra advice and someone replied with this. Could this be the issue to why i cant change the voltage?


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> What would the setting for voltage control be in the bios?


I am not sure about the exact name for Alienware it under advanced tab as ( over clocking feature ) ( extreme edition core ratio limits) , these are just examples I am not 100% sure , I think it may depend on your bios version as well , you may not find anything if an update locked or hide those features in which case you’ll need to downgrade the bios ( see some guides online or ask in the appropriate thread) .
Can you open the tpl window in TS , there might be a shortcut to lower the cpu clocks , look for “speed shift” and take a screenshot of that



HyRise said:


> and someone replied with this. Could this be the issue to why i cant change the voltage?


Yes as I said here :


Ferd said:


> Yah I just noticed on upper right corner offset is +0.000 , so cpu Voltage control is locked in bios


It’s locked, but maybe you can change that in the bios , maybe not (or unless you downgrade)


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> I am not sure about the exact name for Alienware it under advanced tab as ( over clocking feature ) ( extreme edition core ratio limits) , these are just examples I am not 100% sure , I think it may depend on your bios version as well , you may not find anything if an update locked or hide those features in which case you’ll need to downgrade the bios ( see some guides online or ask in the appropriate thread) .
> Can you open the tpl window in TS , there might be a shortcut to lower the cpu clocks , look for “speed shift” and take a screenshot of that
> 
> 
> ...


Yea thats an option, ill try a clean gpu driver install with ddu then if that dosent fix it ill try to rollback the bios. Unless this "speed shift" can fix the issue.


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## Ferd (Sep 9, 2021)

try setting speed shift to 120 , see what frequency and power consumption and temps you get



HyRise said:


> Yea thats an option, ill try a clean gpu driver install with ddu then if that dosent fix it ill try to rollback the bios. Unless this "speed shift" can fix the issue.


Check the box and apply after you set the value


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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

Ferd said:


> try setting speed shift to 120 , see what frequency and power consumption and temps you get
> 
> 
> Check the box and apply after you set the value


Im assuming you meant set the max to 120. heres the results. there was no changes to the gameplay, still stuttering maybe even more.


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## unclewebb (Sep 9, 2021)

In the TPL window, Speed Shift Min should be set to 8 and Speed Shift Max should be set to 38.

On the main ThrottleStop screen, check the Speed Shift EPP option. Change the EPP value to 80.

The 7700HQ has a 45W TDP rating. Your screenshot shows POWER limit throttling when power consumption is only 32.8W. Typical Dell laptop setting power limits lower than the rated TDP. In the Turbo Power Limits window try checking the MMIO Lock option. Exit HWiNFO and turn on the ThrottleStop Log File option. Go play a game for 15 minutes. When done, exit ThrottleStop so it can finalize your log file. Attach a log to your next post.

Before you start logging data, go into the Options window and check the Nvidia GPU box so your GPU performance and temperature data will be included in the log file.

What type of thermal paste did you use and how did you apply it. Your temperatures still do not look great. Your first screenshot shows 80°C when the CPU is only at 16W of power consumption.

Here is how to unlock CPU voltage control on many Dell laptops. This fix will also unlock the turbo ratio adjusters.









						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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## HyRise (Sep 9, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> In the TPL window, Speed Shift Min should be set to 8 and Speed Shift Max should be set to 38.
> 
> On the main ThrottleStop screen, check the Speed Shift EPP option. Change the EPP value to 80.
> 
> ...


Wow I had to power through the 15 minutes because it was stuttering so bad. I used Corsair XTM50 thermal paste which has done me wonders in the past and I used this video as a guide to repaste my laptop 







. Heres my log.


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## unclewebb (Sep 9, 2021)

HyRise said:


> Here's my log.


Your computer is running horrible. Did you enable Speed Shift in the TPL window like I recommended? Did you check the MMIO Lock option in the TPL window? Can you post some updated screenshots so I can see how your computer is setup now? The main window, the FIVR and TPL windows are the important ones. There is no reason for a 7700HQ to be running this bad. Your throttling problem has Dell written all over it. Make sure that you exit HWiNFO and any other monitoring apps when logging data with ThrottleStop.

If you are using any Dell power control software, make sure it is set to Ultra Performance. Do not use any cool and quiet type setting.


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## HyRise (Sep 10, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> Your computer is running horrible. Did you enable Speed Shift in the TPL window like I recommended? Did you check the MMIO Lock option in the TPL window? Can you post some updated screenshots so I can see how your computer is setup now? The main window, the FIVR and TPL windows are the important ones. There is no reason for a 7700HQ to be running this bad. Your throttling problem has Dell written all over it. Make sure that you exit HWiNFO and any other monitoring apps when logging data with ThrottleStop.
> 
> If you are using any Dell power control software, make sure it is set to Ultra Performance. Do not use any cool and quiet type setting.


Yes I did everything you recommended and its honestly running worse now. Dell is so unnecessarily complicated its insane, i had a asus and it was nothing like this. Im not aware of any dell power control software, what would it be called so I can check? Heres the ss.       Update: so i changed my power mode to best performance instead of better performance and it slightly improved but im back at square one where its mostly stuttering when running ingame. No idea whats the issue


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## unclewebb (Sep 10, 2021)

I need to see another log file. Some Dell laptops use three or four different throttling methods. When you fix one problem, another one pops up. 

In ThrottleStop on the main screen, try checking the High Performance box. This lets you access the Windows High Performance power plan that is often times hidden on many laptops. Also change the Speed Shift EPP setting from 128 to 0. Click on the 128 number and you can edit it. Setting EPP to 0 tells the CPU to run at full speed. 

Your screenshot shows 22W of power consumption and 95°C for the max temperature. That means your cooling sucks. There is a significant difference in the maximum temperature from one end of the CPU compared to the other end. Almost like the heatsink is not sitting square to the CPU. You are probably going to have to pull your laptop apart and have a good look at the contact between the heatsink and the CPU. 

When you have a CPU with a 45W TDP rating, the cooling has to be able to dissipate more than 22W without the CPU starting to overheat and thermal throttle.


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## HyRise (Sep 11, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> I need to see another log file. Some Dell laptops use three or four different throttling methods. When you fix one problem, another one pops up.
> 
> In ThrottleStop on the main screen, try checking the High Performance box. This lets you access the Windows High Performance power plan that is often times hidden on many laptops. Also change the Speed Shift EPP setting from 128 to 0. Click on the 128 number and you can edit it. Setting EPP to 0 tells the CPU to run at full speed.
> 
> ...


Heres another log file. The game loaded extremely fast but still stuttering in game every few seconds. When I repasted my laptop I noticed the heatsink was brown/black almost like it was burnt (i did buy this laptop used). Could this be the issue and should I replace my heatsink? Thanks for the help.


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## unclewebb (Sep 11, 2021)

In that log file, the CPU is running at a consistent speed and the CPU temperatures are normal. A new heatsink is not going to improve that game.

The in game stuttering might be GPU related. Have you tried using a variety of GPU drivers? The mobile GTX 1070 is more than five years old. The most recent Nvidia GPU driver might not be the best driver for your computer.


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## HyRise (Sep 11, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> In that log file, the CPU is running at a consistent speed and the CPU temperatures are normal. A new heatsink is not going to improve that game.
> 
> The in game stuttering might be GPU related. Have you tried using a variety of GPU drivers? The mobile GTX 1070 is more than five years old. The most recent Nvidia GPU driver might not be the best driver for your computer.


I have tried installing driver 391.35 from 2018 which was recommended by someone on dell forums but there was no difference, I can try again with the new cpu settings but I doubt there will be a difference. Any suggestions on driver versions?


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## unclewebb (Sep 11, 2021)

HyRise said:


> Any suggestions on driver versions?


I have zero experience with your laptop model or with a mobile GTX 1070.


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