# Undervolting i7-9750h



## fadedninna (Jan 3, 2021)

Hi, I want to undervolt my cpu but have no idea how to do it.


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## unclewebb (Jan 4, 2021)

fadedninna said:


> I want to undervolt my cpu


You are already undervolting your CPU. Your screenshots show that the core and cache are both set to -49.8 mV. Try using -100 mV for both instead.

I like running Cinebench R20 when adjusting the voltages. If you make a change and your Cinebench score increases, that is a good sign of better performance. Your score looks very low for a 9750H. It should be closer to 3000.








						MAXON Cinebench (R20.0) Download
					

CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer's performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON's award-winn




					www.techpowerup.com
				




The EDP OTHER throttling in red that you are seeing is usually caused by Power Limit 4 being set too low in the TPL window. This is set to 60. Most laptops have this set to 100 or 150.

Your screenshots also show that you do not have Speed Shift enabled. I would enable Speed Shift in the TPL window. After you do this, check the Speed Shift EPP option on the main screen and set this to 80. This allows the CPU to slow down when lightly loaded but will quickly get up to full speed when needed. An EPP setting of 0 tells the CPU to run at full speed all of the time. That is OK as long as your heatsink and fan can handle that.

What laptop model do you have? Monster?? I also recommend that you check the FIVR Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits option.

After making some changes, post another log file while running Cinebench R20. Thanks for sharing lots of information.


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## fadedninna (Jan 4, 2021)

@unclewebb


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## unclewebb (Jan 4, 2021)

Before ThrottleStop
Cinebench R20 - 1772

After ThrottleStop
Cinebench R20 - 3028

I am not an expert but I think your computer is running a *LOT* better. Great work.  

Any problems? Your log file shows some PL1 power limit throttling at 60 Watts. You have the Turbo Boost Long Power Max set to 60W. You could try increasing that in the TPL window to 65W or 70W. This will create more heat. If you do not want more heat, leave it at 60. Your other settings all look good.

If you have used ThrottleStop to lock your turbo power limits, try using ThrottleStop 9.2.9 to unlock them. I think the new version has power limit unlock feature.








						ThrottleStop 9.2.9
					

ThrottleStop 9.2.9 https://www.techpowerup.com/download/techpowerup-throttlestop/  New Features - added 10850K / 10900K support including a new Turbo Group access window. - updated the TS Bench and the C State window for the 10 core CPUs. - enabled Limit Reasons support for Comet Lake CPUs. -...




					www.techpowerup.com


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## fadedninna (Jan 4, 2021)

@unclewebb 

Is this normal?


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## unclewebb (Jan 4, 2021)

fadedninna said:


> Is this normal?


What problem do you have? Your CPU is running well. Sometimes in the log file your GPU slows down. Maybe your GPU is throttling. Try running a GPU-Z log file. It might show if your GPU is throttling because it is too hot or because the GPU has reached a power limit.


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## fadedninna (Jan 4, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> What problem do you have? Your CPU is running well. Sometimes in the log file your GPU slows down. Maybe your GPU is throttling. Try running a GPU-Z log file. It might show if your GPU is throttling because it is too hot or because the GPU has reached a power limit.


Uploaded wrong log file sorry


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## unclewebb (Jan 5, 2021)

@fadedninna - Are you having any problems? The log file shows your GPU dropping down to a slow speed but this usually only happens when the load on the GPU has dropped. This is normal. Are there any times in game where the FPS just suddenly drops for 10 seconds or anything crazy like that? Massive stutter or hitch?


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## fadedninna (Jan 5, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> @fadedninna - Are you having any problems? The log file shows your GPU dropping down to a slow speed but this usually only happens when the load on the GPU has dropped. This is normal. Are there any times in game where the FPS just suddenly drops for 10 seconds or anything crazy like that? Massive stutter or hitch?


I think that is happening beacause of the game I play, sometimes GPU usage drops around 5-30 until I restart the game.

Edit: Game's name is Warframe. Also I can test it in another game like Metro Exodus if you want.


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## fadedninna (Jan 6, 2021)

@unclewebb Hey unclewebb look at my CR20 score after replacing the thermal paste! 









						fadedninna`s Cinebench - R20 score: 3141 cb with a Core i7 9750H
					

The Core i7 9750H @ 4290.5MHzscores getScoreFormatted in the Cinebench - R20 benchmark. fadedninnaranks #null worldwide and #null in the hardware class. Find out more at HWBOT.




					hwbot.org


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## unclewebb (Jan 6, 2021)

@fadedninna - That looks great for a 9750H. Maybe your GPU will perform better too.


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## fadedninna (Jan 6, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> @fadedninna - That looks great for a 9750H. Maybe your GPU will perform better too.














						fadedninna`s Cinebench - R20 score: 3187 cb with a Core i7 9750H
					

The Core i7 9750H @ 4389.3MHzscores getScoreFormatted in the Cinebench - R20 benchmark. fadedninnaranks #823 worldwide and #6 in the hardware class. Find out more at HWBOT.




					hwbot.org


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## Cyberware (Jan 7, 2021)

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and undervolting but I do know quite a bit about computers (studying computer science atm).
My CPU (same as fadedninna) was way too hot on high(er) loads and I found this YouTube video (







). I tried the settings (-145mV to be exact) and the result was a 25-30°C drop which was amazing. Unfortunately, I encountered already multiple BSOD's with the following error "storage data structure corruption". This means that my RAM was corrupt on the time of the crash. Again, the error only occurred on higher loads (i.e. while playing Cyberpunk or Valorant) and after 15-20 minutes or more.

I also noticed that the Core PL2 and Ring EDP Other buttons turn red when there is an increased CPU load. It's the same with or without undervolt. The other buttons sometimes become yellow but not as much as PL2 and EDP. I don't know if this is a major problem but I would like to fix it if possible.

Thanks in advance for looking into my case,
Cyberware


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## fadedninna (Jan 7, 2021)

@Cyberware worst undervolting video i've ever seen why do you even try to lower turbo ratio for no reason


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## Cyberware (Jan 7, 2021)

@fadedninna, that's basically the reason why I came here and as I said I'm new to undervolting.


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## unclewebb (Jan 7, 2021)

@Cyberware, a cache undervolt of-145 mV is almost always too much. Set that to -125 mV. Do some testing with Cinebench R20. 









						MAXON Cinebench (R20.0) Download
					

CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer's performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON's award-winn




					www.techpowerup.com
				




Start with the core at -125 mV and then increase this in steps of -25 mV. Watch your results. If R20 scores improve you are doing something right. You should never see a BSOD in any app. That is a sign that you have gone too far. Make sure you can run the TS Bench for at least 5 minutes with 0 errors. That test is a minimum test for stability.

Post screenshots of how you have ThrottleStop setup and run a log file when gaming. This file is valuable. It shows how your CPU is performing and if there are any throttling problems. There is a lot of useful info in the ThrottleStop forum already. Reading that forum might be more useful than some of the videos on YouTube.


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## Cyberware (Jan 7, 2021)

Thank you for your fast reply, I'll keep you updated.
I changed turbo and turbo ratio settings in TPL and FIVR. Do I need to revert them to their normal values ?

I have R23 installed, is there a reason why you advice R20 ?

Update: TS-bench tests are stable (12 threads, all sizes)


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## unclewebb (Jan 7, 2021)

Cyberware said:


> Do I need to revert them to their normal values ?


You have not posted any screenshots. I do not know what problem you are trying to solve or what your settings currently are.

I prefer R20 over R23 because R20 is much faster. I also know that if a 9750H scores 3000 points or better, it is running well. If it scores 2000 points or 2500 points, it has a problem.

Run whatever you like. Just show me some details and include a log file so I can see how your CPU is running.

Edit - I finally had a quick browse through that video you posted. Do yourself a favor and completely ignore anything you learned in that video. His advice is worse than garbage. His recommended settings are brutal. The first half of his video is install Core Temp. Why? ThrottleStop shows you all of your core temperatures. No need for a second app to tell you the exact same thing. Setting the power limits to 24 Watts will kill performance. So will setting the turbo ratios that low.


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## Cyberware (Jan 7, 2021)

Update:
1) Set all parameters to their original values.
2) I ran through some similar threads and updated the settings with your (unclewebb's) answers.
3) My CPU is still too hot and the power limiter kicks in (as it should in this case).

Attached are my settings and log file. Used TS bench 12 threads and 768M.


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## unclewebb (Jan 7, 2021)

Cyberware said:


> My CPU is still too hot


I looked at your log file and the peak temperature was 88°C. Intel calls that a normal operating temperature. Intel sets the thermal throttling temperature to 100°C because they know their CPUs can run reliably up to that temperature. Your laptop manufacturer has reduced the thermal throttling temperature (PROCHOT) to 95°C so it is extra safe. You do not have to give your CPU temperature a second thought. It will look after itself. It will throttle and slow down to protect against any damage no matter what settings in ThrottleStop you use.

Where are your Cinebench tests with the core at -150 mV, -175 mV and -200 mV? For maximum performance and better temperatures, you need to do some Cinebench testing. Here are some examples.



http://imgur.com/qcqYRmN




http://imgur.com/xjWGPv2




http://imgur.com/WL3UI4K




http://imgur.com/Ji4Ythg


Cinebench R20








						MAXON Cinebench (R20.0) Download
					

CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer's performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON's award-winn




					www.techpowerup.com
				




Upgrade ThrottleStop.








						ThrottleStop 9.2.9
					

ThrottleStop 9.2.9 https://www.techpowerup.com/download/techpowerup-throttlestop/  New Features - added 10850K / 10900K support including a new Turbo Group access window. - updated the TS Bench and the C State window for the 10 core CPUs. - enabled Limit Reasons support for Comet Lake CPUs. -...




					www.techpowerup.com
				




Check the FIVR Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits option.

If you have a laptop, you should go into the TPL window and enable Speed Shift. The Speed Shift EPP setting on the main page cannot be used to control your CPU until Speed Shift is enabled.

Some power limit throttling is normal. The 9750H is a powerful CPU. It can easily use 60W or 70W so it will get hot at these power levels. The default long term power limit is 45W. Your laptop is set to this value in the TPL window. If temperatures in the 80°C to 90°C range are already worrying you, leave this power limit as is.

See what sort of scores and temperatures you get in Cinebench. Is your laptop running better now or do you prefer slow, cool and quiet? Your temperatures are OK. I would consider setting the long term power limit higher to at least 50W or 55W. To be honest, I would go for at least 60W.


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## Cyberware (Jan 8, 2021)

Attached are the tests that I ran. The details are in the filenames and I also added the latest settings (i.e. 50W long term power + 200mV undervolt).
Based on the Cinebench tests, I think there is still improvement to be made but it's going the right way.

After the R20 tests, I ran the TS Bench to check the stability of the undervolt which was completely fine (12 threads, 6144M).
The TS Bench log file logged my CPU temp around 92°C but only one core was that high. The others were mid-eighties constantly.

I always had the PL2 button in yellow/red during the tests and when the turbo switched to long term power limit I saw the PL1 lighting up yellow or red and the PL2 remained yellow for the rest of the time. The Ring EDP Other was always yellow.

And yes, I prefer a cooler laptop above the highest speeds possible.


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## fadedninna (Jan 8, 2021)

@Cyberware did you clean your laptop? Also repaste thermal paste if u can!


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## Cyberware (Jan 8, 2021)

fadedninna said:


> @Cyberware did you clean your laptop? Also repaste thermal paste if u can!


It's only a couple of months old so the thermal paste does not need to be replaced.
I need to break the factory seal to repaste the thermal paste, so that's not really and option.
Had a look at the bottom and fans this morning and it was clean from what I could see.

I just played Cyberpunk and got the log attached here. Quite happy with the temperatures and performance.
The only crash I got was at the very end (not playing anymore) because Windows doesn't like alt+tab when a game is on fullscreen mode instead of windowed.


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## unclewebb (Jan 9, 2021)

Cyberware said:


> Quite happy with the temperatures and performance.


That is what is important. The log file while gaming looks great. Good CPU and GPU speeds. Temperatures of both are fine. No issues.

If you want a bigger number when running Cinebench, just increase your power limits up to 55W or 60W. You are in control of your laptop. You have the tool to run it at whatever speed or temperature you want.


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## Cyberware (Jan 9, 2021)

Thanks a lot for the help @unclewebb.

I would also like to make a battery profile to use when the laptop isn't plugged in. Any recommendations for the TPL or other settings ?
Btw, I just noticed that the speed shift setting on the TPL screen was disabled but enabled on the main screen (that wasn't before). After enabling that setting, 'SST' appeared on the main screen.


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## unclewebb (Jan 9, 2021)

Cyberware said:


> Any recommendations for the TPL or other settings ?


At the moment, the turbo power limits are only a global setting so you cannot set different power limits for each profile. Maybe someday soon.



Cyberware said:


> I just noticed that the speed shift setting on the TPL screen was disabled


I noticed this a couple of posts ago.


unclewebb said:


> If you have a laptop, you should go into the TPL window and enable Speed Shift. The Speed Shift EPP setting on the main page cannot be used to control your CPU until Speed Shift is enabled.



Most modern laptops automatically enable Speed Shift in the BIOS. Your laptop does not so if you want to use Speed Shift, you will have to enable Speed Shift in the ThrottleStop TPL window. I am a fan of Speed Shift because it offers better off idle performance. It can get the CPU up to full speed much quicker.

I am not sure if Windows is going to be Speed Shift aware. When Windows starts, Speed Shift does not exist so Windows might not manage this at all. Set Windows to the Balanced power plan. Look in the system tray. Is there a power slider available? Most laptops will show a slider that lets you select Better Performance or Best Performance, etc. With Speed Shift enabled and with Speed Shift EPP not checked on the main ThrottleStop screen, if this slider exists, try moving it back and forth. Watch the monitoring table in the FIVR window to see what Speed Shift EPP value the CPU is using. If this changes when you move the slider, Windows can manage Speed Shift EPP and you do not need to check the Speed Shift EPP option in ThrottleStop. If Windows is not able to manage Speed Shift EPP, you need to check this option on the main screen of ThrottleStop and you will need to manage this yourself. Set EPP to 0 for maximum speed, a setting of 80 is a good compromise for laptops. Use a big number like 192 if you think a slow and sluggish CPU is good for reducing battery power consumption.

Some users like to disable Turbo Boost when running on battery power. You can do that or your can set up a ThrottleStop profile that lowers the turbo ratio limits a little or a lot.


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## Cyberware (Jan 9, 2021)

Sad that something like that isn't possible on such amazing tool. Can I use command line to change any of the active settings ? I could make a little script to do that.
Even if I have to change those settings myself each time, no problem.

I now have the option "Enable speed shift when ThrottleStop starts" ticked. I guess it does what it says ?

The Windows slider is available now, but I had moments in the past that it disappeared after applying ThrottleStop settings. And no, nothing changes in FIVR when using the slider.

Could you give me some numbers/advice for the turbo ratio settings and TPL please ? That way, I can fine tune it myself based on decent settings (and not internet rubbish ;-) ).

Quick update: just played Valorant for 2 hours with Discord call and everything went perfectly. A while later when surfing on the net, I got the BSOD again. I tried the TS bench and I had errors quite quickly. I lowered the undervolt from -200mV to -150mV of the CPU core and it is stable now.
Btw, there was no sign or error in the log file that the memory corruption would occur. There was also little load on the CPU and/or RAM.

Update 2: TS bench is stable at -180mV. I won't go higher because I don't think it's needed. It's still 90% of the previous undervolt and stable at least.
I added the logs and specified the undervolt of each test.

Quick question: On high load like the TS bench, the ring EDP other shows up in red or yellow. I read on other threads of this forum that it is because the CPU cache and core don't have the same undervolt. Can this harm the CPU in the long term or take performance away ?


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## fadedninna (Jan 9, 2021)

Cyberware said:


> A while later when surfing on the net, I got the BSOD again


Your undervolt is unstable, you never should not get any bsod, lower your undervolt.


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## unclewebb (Jan 10, 2021)

Cyberware said:


> Can I use command line


ThrottleStop does not have any command line options. I should have included some options like this day 1 but I have never been much of a command line person.



Cyberware said:


> I guess it does what it says ?


The Enable Speed Shift option does exactly what it says. I cannot think of how I could possibly make this option any clearer so I have decided to remove it. Keep it simple is my motto so the Speed Shift option in the next version of TS has been simplified.








Cyberware said:


> I had moments in the past that it disappeared after applying ThrottleStop settings


The power slider in the system tray is only available when you are using the Windows Balanced power plan. If you use ThrottleStop to switch Windows to the High Performance power plan, this slider will disappear.



Cyberware said:


> I had errors quite quickly


It is usually the cache undervolt that causes errors. For most mobile CPUs, I would first try reducing the cache offset by 5 mV or 10 mV before lowering the core undervolt.



Cyberware said:


> Could you give me some numbers


I do not have any magic numbers for you to use in your laptop. I rarely use my laptop on battery power. What works best for you depends on what sort of apps you run when on battery power. If you are mostly lightly loaded when on battery power, you might not need to create a second profile. Trial and error works best. You already have a good understanding of the program.



Cyberware said:


> Btw, there was no sign or error in the log file


TS Bench errors are not recorded in the log file. That might be a good idea for a future feature.



Cyberware said:


> I read on other threads of this forum that it is because the CPU cache and core don't have the same undervolt.


I have never heard that before. If I did read that in this forum, I probably quickly forgot that theory. The EDP under the RING column is hyper sensitive. It is also linked with other things so if you have any power limit throttling on the CPU core, that can trigger EDP to light up at the exact same time under RING. No idea why this happens. Concentrate on boxes lighting up red under the core column. That is what is important.



Cyberware said:


> Can this harm the CPU


Why does everyone worry about harming their CPU? This rarely happens even when you abuse the snot out of your computer. My closets are full of old computer hardware and CPUs that run just fine. I have heard that requesting different voltages is just a trick that reduces the CPU voltage when it is running AVX instructions. This should not hurt anything.


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## HenryCase (Jan 13, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> If you have used ThrottleStop to lock your turbo power limits, try using ThrottleStop 9.2.9 to unlock them. I think the new version has power limit unlock feature.


Where is this located? I'm on the latest beta and I can't seem to find it :s


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## Evhorus (Jan 13, 2021)

Some tips, I have a msi gl65 9sek i7 9750h rtx 2060 and I have power limit


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## unclewebb (Jan 13, 2021)

HenryCase said:


> Where is this located?


Open the TPL window. In the turbo power limits section at the top, is there a Lock option? 



http://imgur.com/3YxmLnd


When this is checked, the power limit register is locked. If you previously used ThrottleStop to Lock this register, you can try using ThrottleStop to unlock this register by clearing the Lock box. You will need to reboot for the CPU to reset itself. If your BIOS locks the turbo power limit register automatically, ThrottleStop cannot be used to unlock it. 

@Evhorus - Set the core and cache offset voltage to -125 mV and check the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits box.


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## HenryCase (Jan 13, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> Open the TPL window. In the turbo power limits section at the top, is there a Lock option?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Actually my TPL window looks nothing like that at all. I installed the latest beta, but maybe I did something weird.


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## unclewebb (Jan 13, 2021)

@HenryCase - My latest beta looks a little different than your latest beta. Being the developer does have some privileges. All versions of ThrottleStop still have a Lock option in the Turbo Boost Power Limits section. Post a screenshot and I will draw a red circle around this option.


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## HenryCase (Jan 13, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> @HenryCase - My latest beta looks a little different than your latest beta. Being the developer does have some privileges. All versions of ThrottleStop still have a Lock option in the Turbo Boost Power Limits section. Post a screenshot and I will draw a red circle around this option.


Well now I do feel quite dumb. I got it. Thank you 



unclewebb said:


> @HenryCase - My latest beta looks a little different than your latest beta. Being the developer does have some privileges. All versions of ThrottleStop still have a Lock option in the Turbo Boost Power Limits section. Post a screenshot and I will draw a red circle around this option.


Actually.. could you please also explain where the FIVR setting Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits differs from the TPL lock settings?


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