# Undervolt not working



## Corvo1998 (Aug 6, 2021)

I have an Acer Helios 300 with an I5 10500H. Ive attempted to undervolt it with no luck, despite the FIVR box not being locked, and any offsets i apply are actually shown. I do get BSODS, but temps still do not see an improvement{hits 92C, as stated in the PROCHOT box) . Am i doing something wrong? The only ones i tweaked are CPU cache and core. Anything below - 125mv for the cache for my particular processor is unstable


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## unclewebb (Aug 7, 2021)

Think about it. If adjusting the voltage too far makes your CPU unstable then the undervolt setting must be working.

Where are some screenshots including a picture of the FIVR window?

It sounds like the 10500H is too much CPU for your cooling system. An undervolt can improve things but it is not going to fix bad design or a poorly installed heatsink. 

PROCHOT is supposed to be set to 100°C. If Acer has decided to set this to 92°C, you can expect a lot of throttling. Check the Options window to see if the PROCHOT Offset setting is locked.


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## Corvo1998 (Aug 7, 2021)

Apologies, shouldve put the title as 'undervolt not decreasing temps' instead of 'not working'. The PROCHOT offset is unlocked and was set to 8. I set it to 5 just to test it out. Im still new to all of this, thus im having a hard time finding the sweet spot? Are core n cache supposed to be the same value? Can cache be set more than core? There's so many variables and none of them seem to affect my temps. Additionally, setting my core to anything below - 125mv seems to make it unstable as well. The only thing does definitely works is if i set the speed shift box thing to 38 instead of max 45. Apologies for the noob questions.


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## unclewebb (Aug 7, 2021)

Corvo1998 said:


> Are core n cache supposed to be the same value?


There is no requirement that the core and cache offsets be set to the same value. Many users have reported better performance or better temperatures when the core is set higher than the cache. Here are some examples.






						Cinebench Test.zip
					






					drive.google.com
				




To find out what what works best for your CPU, do some testing. I like using Cinebench R20 because it is fast and the results are consistent when a CPU is not throttling. The results will drop when a CPU is throttling. You can watch the ThrottleStop Limit Reasons window for any signs of throttling while this test is running. You can also adjust the power limits, voltages and CPU speed while tests like this are in progress.  









						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
				




Set the core and cache to -100 mV and run a baseline test or two. Change only the core to -125 mV and then -150 mV and see if there are any improvements. If you do not see any improvements then stop. If you see improvements then keep going.



Corvo1998 said:


> Can cache be set more than core?


If you have a question, do some testing and find out. Prove to yourself what works.

The 10500H has a 45W TDP rating. When the power limits are set to 70W and 107W, that will overwhelm your heatsink and fan. Adjusting the voltage might help a little but it cannot fix that design problem. You can lower the PL1 and PL2 power limits or you can decrease the Speed Shift Max value to slow your CPU down. You can do either or both. I prefer lowering the power limits. Some users report smoother game play by slowing the CPU down. Only you can test and find out what works best.

Your screenshot shows that you set Speed Shift Max to 38 but you did not check the Speed Shift box. When you do not check a box, this information is not sent to the CPU. You need to check the Speed Shift box in the TPL window.

For power limits, PL1=45 and PL2=56 are probably close to the Intel recommended default values. If you have good cooling, you can increase the power limits. If your cooling sucks, you might need to decrease these limits. How much? No idea. Do some testing. 

Turn on the ThrottleStop Log File option while playing a game. This will record power consumption, MHz, temperatures and any reasons for throttling. It is very useful info when adjusting things. Attach a log file to your next post. Try reading some of the 14 pages of posts in the ThrottleStop forum here on TechPowerUp. There are literally only 5 things that need to be adjusted. The PL1 and PL2 power limits, Speed Shift Max and the core and cache voltages. With so many examples available in this forum, this should not be overwhelming.


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## cleoz97 (Aug 8, 2021)

Corvo1998 said:


> I have an Acer Helios 300 with an I5 10500H. Ive attempted to undervolt it with no luck, despite the FIVR box not being locked, and any offsets i apply are actually shown. I do get BSODS, but temps still do not see an improvement{hits 92C, as stated in the PROCHOT box) . Am i doing something wrong? The only ones i tweaked are CPU cache and core. Anything below - 125mv for the cache for my particular processor is unstable



I have MSI - GF65 with the same CPU and I managed to undervolt the CPU by -105mV and Cache by -85mV. Anything below these values I experience instability. I have also set the PL1 to 60 and PL2 to 80. Have also limited the boost clock to 4.0 Ghz. With the above setting I'm able to do sustained load at 4.0Ghz@ ~85C (coolerboost enabled).

Without undervolt, it used to hit 92-95C at ~3.6Ghz(coolerboost enabled).

@unclewebb
Although I managed to undervolt and reduce temps, while doing CineR20, I see TS reporting POWER alarm after by turbo boost time (28 secs set in TS) and my CPU clock reduces to ~3.5 Ghz. But the same while gaming (COD warzone), I maintain sustained 4.0GHz on all cores. I quite cant understand why I receive a POWER alarm. Please shed some light.


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## Corvo1998 (Aug 8, 2021)

cleoz97 said:


> I have MSI - GF65 with the same CPU and I managed to undervolt the CPU by -105mV and Cache by -85mV. Anything below these values I experience instability. I have also set the PL1 to 60 and PL2 to 80. Have also limited the boost clock to 4.0 Ghz. With the above setting I'm able to do sustained load at 4.0Ghz@ ~85C (coolerboost enabled).
> 
> Without undervolt, it used to hit 92-95C at ~3.6Ghz(coolerboost enabled).
> 
> ...


Same here. Anything above - 110mv for both cache and core causes instability. Played CP77 as it's the most intensive game i have and sometimes get a BSOD upon exiting the game. Cine bench with - 115 mv was fine, but not gaming it seems. Ive also limited boost clock to 4Ghz, seems to be the sweet spot for this CPU. Temps for my CPU generally stay around 90C however, which is quite worrying. Doesnt throttle, but still.... 


@unclewebb i experienced this particular POWER alarm too, as @cleoz97 has mentioned. The highest Cinebench i scored was 3188 when both core and cache were undervolted to - 115mv and turbo boost is limited to 4Ghz. No throttling. Anything beyond 4Ghz makes it throttle. Sadly, gaming with these undervolt values(at least for CP77) can occasionally cause BSODS. With @cleoz97 suggested values, i score around 3183, seems to be more stable too. I do get an 'EDP Other' yellow box that occasionally flashes red under the 'Limit Reasons' section.


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## cleoz97 (Aug 8, 2021)

Corvo1998 said:


> Same here. Anything above - 110mv for both cache and core causes instability. Played CP77 as it's the most intensive game i have and sometimes get a BSOD upon exiting the game. Cine bench with - 115 mv was fine, but not gaming it seems. Ive also limited boost clock to 4Ghz, seems to be the sweet spot for this CPU. Temps for my CPU generally stay around 90C however, which is quite worrying. Doesnt throttle, but still....
> 
> 
> @unclewebb i experienced this particular POWER alarm too, as @cleoz97 has mentioned. The highest Cinebench i scored was 3188 when both core and cache were undervolted to - 115mv and turbo boost is limited to 4Ghz. No throttling. Anything beyond 4Ghz makes it throttle. Sadly, gaming with these undervolt values(at least for CP77) can occasionally cause BSODS. With @cleoz97 suggested values, i score around 3183, seems to be more stable too. I do get an 'EDP Other' yellow box that occasionally flashes red under the 'Limit Reasons' section.


Are you able to do sustained 4Ghz in Cine bench ? even after the power alarm ? Thats not the case with me. It drops to 3.7-3.8 ghz when both temps and voltage are within. Also have you limited your TBLP and TBSP for boost ?

I can also confirm changing TBLP and TBSP have no effect on the behaviour of the power alarm.


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## unclewebb (Aug 8, 2021)

cleoz97 said:


> POWER alarm


This is telling you that your CPU is power limit throttling. Open up Limit Reasons and watch to see if PL1 or PL2 are red and check ThrottleStop to see how much power is being consumed. 

Did you lower the PL1 turbo power limit to 45W? That will cause power limit throttling. If the cooling system is not adequate, you get to choose whether you want power limit throttling or thermal throttling. 

Post some ThrottleStop pics while throttling is in progress if you cannot understand what is happening.


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## cleoz97 (Aug 9, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> This is telling you that your CPU is power limit throttling. Open up Limit Reasons and watch to see if PL1 or PL2 are red and check ThrottleStop to see how much power is being consumed.
> 
> Did you lower the PL1 turbo power limit to 45W? That will cause power limit throttling. If the cooling system is not adequate, you get to choose whether you want power limit throttling or thermal throttling.
> 
> Post some ThrottleStop pics while throttling is in progress if you cannot understand what is happening.



Ive attached the screenshot below. I do not receive any limit reasons (not running any hw monitor). My PL1 and PL2 are 60 and 80w. Also I have also tried the same with both PL1 and PL2 on 80w. One strange thing is, they OEM settings are 200w for both. BIOS reports the same too. I receive power alarm only in benchmarks and never while gaming.


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## unclewebb (Aug 9, 2021)

ThrottleStop 9.2 does not report any Limit Reasons data for 10th Gen CPUs. To update, download ThrottleStop 9.3.1 and copy and paste the new ThrottleStop.exe into your ThrottleStop folder.









						ThrottleStop (9.5) Download
					

ThrottleStop is a small application designed to monitor for and correct the three main types of CPU throttling that are being used on many lapto




					www.techpowerup.com
				




The new version will show power limit throttling, PL1 and PL2, lighting up red in Limit Reasons. It looks like there is a 55W power limit throttling your CPU. Some MSI laptops set a power limit internally that you cannot override.

The other problem is that you have disabled half of your CPU. Did you do this on purpose to reduce heat? Open the Task Manager and have a look at the Performance tab. A 10500H should show 6 Cores and 12 Logical processors. Does the Task Manager show 6 and 6 or does it show 3 Cores and 6 Logical processors? Buying a performance oriented laptop and then disabling half of the CPU does not sound like a good thing to be doing. If your CPU runs too hot, try to find a way to improve the cooling.


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## cleoz97 (Aug 9, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> ThrottleStop 9.2 does not report any Limit Reasons data for 10th Gen CPUs. To update, download ThrottleStop 9.3.1 and copy and paste the new ThrottleStop.exe into your ThrottleStop folder.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input. Yes I did disable my hyperthreads to see if it affects the undervolt but sadly didn't. Cannot go below -105mV but it did give me better thermals without any performance loss as most games aren't SMT. 

Yes looks like 55w is a hard stop .  But why does it occur in synthetic benchmarks but not in games ? My bios reports 200w as my PL1 and PL2 .. those where the original values.


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## unclewebb (Aug 9, 2021)

There are multiple sets of turbo power limits. The power limits set in the BIOS are not the one and only set of power limits. A power limit set internally by the EC can override the power limits set in the BIOS. 



cleoz97 said:


> But why does it occur in synthetic benchmarks but not in games ?


Some synthetic benchmarks will fully load your CPU. Most games do not need more than 55W from the CPU so there might not be any need for power limit throttling while playing a game. 

Post a ThrottleStop log file so I can see if there are any throttling issues while gaming.


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