Undervolting Dell Inspiron 15 7559

[irlVector]

Hello,

I have had this Dell laptop for a good 5 years now, and when I bought it, it was labeled as a "gaming" pc. However nowadays It's been overheating a lot, especially during gaming. I used to run Windows 10 on it, but recently did a clean format, bought a new SSD and switched to Win11, only to find out that there was quite a drop in performance. The laptop and its Intel i7 6700HQ CPU, although not "technically" supported by windows, checked all the boxes in the Win11 tests, having both TPM 2 and UEFI/Secure Boot.

Anyway, in order to fix the overheating issues I've been looking to use throttlestop to undervolt the pc. Below are the settings for all my profiles and options. I also provide a log of me playing Black Desert (pretty demanding game i think) for around 10 mins. I usually get PROCHOT 100C flashing red, with POWER or HOT also flashing red next to it.

AC Profile

Battery Profile

Options

FIVR Settings (Both profiles have the same undervolt offset for core and cache)

TPL Settings

While running game limits (FID keeps going up or down since I have set the alarm to switch to backup profile to lower temps)

TS Bench 8 thread 120M test (C0% goes to 99.# %, never 100%, and in general the cpu instantly thermal throttles and goes to the second profile - this repeats for all the test sizes)

I guess the reason for this post would be thus:
1. Am I getting CPU bottlenecked or GPU bottlenecked?
2. If it's the CPU, what settings in Throttlestop would help with stabilizing/lowering temps even more?
3. Would me changing the TPL settings - i haven't touched anything there in fear of bricking the pc - even do anything? (considering all that I've read about Dell and how their PCs have their own power limit system override of the sort.)
4. At the end of the day, is the laptop and its hardware considered 'too old' for 2022 gaming?

 

[unclewebb]

ThrottleStop does not work correctly in Windows 11 unless you disable Virtualization Based Security (VBS). You also need to disable core isolation memory integrity.

How to Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11 to Improve Gaming

Getting frame drops while playing games in Windows 11? VBS might be the reason and here's how you can disable VBS in Windows 11.

beebom.com

After you get VBS disabled, reboot and delete the ThrottleStop.INI configuration file before running ThrottleStop. Post an updated screenshot of the FIVR window after you do this.

The 6700HQ has a 45W TDP rating. The heatsink and fan are not able to keep your CPU from thermal throttling when the CPU is only running at 34W.

in order to fix the overheating issues

I disagree with using ThrottleStop to slow your CPU down to try and prevent it from overheating. You need to properly fix the problem. You need to open up your laptop and at least clean it out. If this does not help solve the overheating problem then you also need to replace the thermal paste. Has this ever been done before?

If you can get CPU voltage control working after you disable VBS, that will help with some of the excess heat.

I just noticed in this screenshot that you also have a Clock Modulation throttling problem.

The Mod column in the monitoring table should always be showing 100.0%. The screenshot shows 62.5%. To fix this type of throttling you need to check the Clock Mod box on the main screen of ThrottleStop and make sure that is set to 100.0%.

Your laptop has the potential to run a lot better. Start by improving the cooling. I would also check the MMIO Lock box in the TPL window.

 

[irlVector]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply!

Virtualization Based Security was disabled from the get-go (EDIT 5 mins after: I now understand that Core Isolation Integrity WAS VBS...), however I had enabled core isolation myself thinking It was going to offer some more security. I've disabled it now, and this is the updated FIVR window after setting up everything as before, with the TPL window and Clock Mod changes you've mentioned.

Would the settings below be causing any issues, considering that the only difference between the two profiles is that on P1, I have Speed Shift EPP at 0, while on P2, I have it at 128?

I disagree with using ThrottleStop to slow your CPU down to try and prevent it from overheating. You need to properly fix the problem. You need to open up your laptop and at least clean it out. If this does not help solve the overheating problem then you also need to replace the thermal paste. Has this ever been done before?

I've only ever "cleaned" the laptop once, and that was when I gave it to be checked by a technician when the HDD I had a couple of years ago bricked after a windows update bug. They also repasted it IRRC, but that was 2-3 years ago and I haven't opened it up since.

EDIT: Here are also some new logs under gaming strain. It seems that those changes you mentioned have helped a lot with performance and temperatures under load, exactly what I needed!

EDIT 2: I tried running a 960M benchmark, and the Clock Mod dropped after around 1-2 mins of running.

 

[unclewebb]

For ThrottleStop to control Clock Modulation throttling, you have to press the Turn On button at the bottom of the main window. The title bar should not show the word Monitoring.

Another screenshot and it also shows 30W and 100°C.

I've only ever "cleaned" the laptop once

but that was 2-3 years ago and I haven't opened it up since.

As I said before, that is the problem. Your laptop is long overdue for a thorough cleaning. Some thermal pastes that are used in repair shops can fail in as little as two weeks. Doing zero regular maintenance on a laptop is a good way to create cooling problems like you are having. The 6700HQ was first released over 7 years ago. Maybe it has been longer than you realize since your laptop was last cleaned.

Your screenshot above shows a difference in the maximum core temperature of 16°C between the first core and the last core. All 4 cores are equally loaded and all running at the same speed. You should not be seeing a huge difference in their individual core temperatures. This is another sign that your laptop needs some maintenance.

Your Nvidia GPU is reaching up to 95°C before it starts thermal throttling and slowing down to a crawl. If you want better performance out of your laptop, fix the cooling problem. I never use the ThrottleStop Alarm feature. That is kind of like putting a Band-Aid on someone after they just had their arm torn off.

 

[AndersRv]

So i got the same laptop as you; and i can tell you;
You need an actual good thermal paste for This Laptop. Sadly i've gone past 3 different ones from Bequiet; only 1 seemed to work and only for a short period of time. My CPU has currently issues with throttling whereas the GPU can't even get past 80C. Dell be like.
With the voltage control; You can try and go for -125mv.
Myself i'm using -130mv. Should be fine, but that's always a 'Should'.

Also unclewebb; Dell has some kind of problems with ThrottleStops Clock mod, unless it's just me.
Regardless whether the Clock mod is ticked or not; the % would drop anyway. The only workaround i have found is to untick and tick again, having to do that roughly every 30 minutes to ensure it's at 100%.

 

[irlVector]

So i got the same laptop as you; and i can tell you;
You need an actual good thermal paste for This Laptop. Sadly i've gone past 3 different ones from Bequiet; only 1 seemed to work and only for a short period of time. My CPU has currently issues with throttling whereas the GPU can't even get past 80C. Dell be like.
With the voltage control; You can try and go for -125mv.
Myself i'm using -130mv. Should be fine, but that's always a 'Should'.

Also unclewebb; Dell has some kind of problems with ThrottleStops Clock mod, unless it's just me.
Regardless whether the Clock mod is ticked or not; the % would drop anyway. The only workaround i have found is to untick and tick again, having to do that roughly every 30 minutes to ensure it's at 100%.

I've only gotten up to -100mV. I'll try -125 and see how stable it is, thanks!

Do you think liquid metal paste would be useful in this laptop? I've heard that it can drastically cut down on the temps, as long as you are careful in the application.

The 6700HQ has a 45W TDP rating. The heatsink and fan are not able to keep your CPU from thermal throttling when the CPU is only running at 34W.
...
Another screenshot and it also shows 30W and 100°C.

I don't really understand this, sorry. Would the Watts not reaching 45 indicate a power brick issue? I have replaced the OEM brick with another I bought off amazon like a year ago after the cable got cut open from repeated folding/use.

As I said before, that is the problem. Your laptop is long overdue for a thorough cleaning. Some thermal pastes that are used in repair shops can fail in as little as two weeks. Doing zero regular maintenance on a laptop is a good way to create cooling problems like you are having. The 6700HQ was first released over 7 years ago. Maybe it has been longer than you realize since your laptop was last cleaned.

Your screenshot above shows a difference in the maximum core temperature of 16°C between the first core and the last core. All 4 cores are equally loaded and all running at the same speed. You should not be seeing a huge difference in their individual core temperatures. This is another sign that your laptop needs some maintenance.

Your Nvidia GPU is reaching up to 95°C before it starts thermal throttling and slowing down to a crawl. If you want better performance out of your laptop, fix the cooling problem. I never use the ThrottleStop Alarm feature. That is kind of like putting a Band-Aid on someone after they just had their arm torn off.

I shall search for a good pasτe then, although from videos I've watched on the web it seems pretty complicated to open this laptop up to repaste it. Thanks for the info!

 

[unclewebb]

I don't really understand this

What I am trying to say is that when a manufacturer builds a laptop and includes a CPU that has a 45W TDP rating, the laptop should be able to run at up to 45W without overheating. When your laptop is running at only 30W, the cooling system is already overwhelmed. Some of the CPU cores are already reaching 100°C. There could be something wrong with the heatsink and fan but most likely, it simply needs a thorough cleaning. When your CPU is only running at 30W, the CPU temperature should not be anywhere near 100°C.

Dell has some kind of problems with ThrottleStops Clock mod

If you have a problem, show me a screenshot of ThrottleStop while you are having this problem and include a log file that shows this problem. Enable Nvidia GPU monitoring in the Options window so I can see how your GPU is performing.

For the Clock Mod function to work properly, you have to press the Turn On button. It should not say Monitoring in the title bar. Do not use the Stop Data feature. This could interfere with the Clock Mod feature.

The 8th Gen and newer Dell laptops stopped using clock modulation throttling and switched to power limit throttling schemes. I gave up on buying any new Dell hardware years ago for development purposes. It is possible that the clock modulation scheme Dell is using becomes more aggressive over time and ThrottleStop cannot keep up.

 

[irlVector]

What I am trying to say is that when a manufacturer builds a laptop and includes a CPU that has a 45W TDP rating, the laptop should be able to run at up to 45W without overheating. When your laptop is running at only 30W, the cooling system is already overwhelmed. Some of the CPU cores are already reaching 100°C. There could be something wrong with the heatsink and fan but most likely, it simply needs a thorough cleaning. When your CPU is only running at 30W, the CPU temperature should not be anywhere near 100°C.

I see. I will be updating after I clean our the laptop. Thanks and Happy New Year

 

[AndersRv]

For the Clock Mod function to work properly, you have to press the Turn On button. It should not say Monitoring in the title bar. Do not use the Stop Data feature. This could interfere with the Clock Mod feature.

Ah This Explains a lot
I never really used "Turn On" Button. I'll see how Clock Mod behaves with it enabled.