Aorus 15 9KF - I5-12500h

[S0G00D]

Hello everyone, I have been using this aours since January, especially for FPS games like CS2 and Valorant. For a long time I have noticed that the processor clocks do not keep the same level, but jump from time to time, which prompted me to install ThrottleStop. I set everything as in the screenshot below, with SpeedShift set to 50, the clocks run up to a maximum of 3.9Ghz, but it is not a constant value. Sometimes there may be various jumps to 3.7-3.4Ghz, which causes sudden frame drops. Is it possible to force a constant value without these jumps? By lowering the power? In CS2 I noticed that even if I have 4.2Ghz, I have a higher frame rate.
I will also add that the temperatures are ok because with the current setting in the game I usually do not exceed 75 degrees. The screenshot shows the highest temperature recorded when running the benchmark in Throttlestop.

Thank you for any help and suggestions, I'm new in this and I also looked for other threads of this type on the forum, but each case is different.

Regards!

 

[unclewebb]

the processor clocks do not keep the same level, but jump from time to time

Most Intel CPUs are designed to vary their clock speed based on how many cores are active. When more cores become active the CPU slows down and when less cores are needed the CPU speeds back up. This is happening hundreds of times per second. Mobile CPUs also use various C states which are constantly dropping the MHz of individual cores down to 0 MHz. Running your mobile H series CPU at a fixed speed might be possible but you will need to disable all of the low power C states which can cause your laptop to run 20°C hotter than it needs to. Most users with laptops prefer to leave all of the low power C states enabled.

Sometimes there may be various jumps to 3.7-3.4Ghz, which causes sudden frame drops.

Are you watching ThrottleStop when this happens or are you watching some on screen MHz data from a different monitoring program that shows this? Try checking the Log File box on the main screen of ThrottleStop before you start playing a game. Try to play for at least 15 minutes. Make sure the log file is running while you are having throttling problems. When finished testing, exit the game and exit ThrottleStop so it can finalize the log file. This file will be in your ThrottleStop / Logs folder. Attach this file to your next post so I can get a better understanding of the problem you are having.

The big problem with 12th Gen and newer mobile H series CPUs is Intel removed access to the FIVR adjustments from these CPUs. Try posting a screenshot of the FIVR window so I can see what your turbo ratios are set to. I am guessing that ThrottleStop is going to show Not Available at the top middle of the FIVR screenshot.

The problem with some Aorus laptops is that Gigabyte seems to have set a low ball current limit. This can cause massive EDP throttling. That seems to be the main reason for throttling that Limit Reasons is showing. A log file will help confirm how serious this problem is. With the FIVR deliberately disabled by Intel, there is usually no way to fix this current throttling problem. The IccMax current limit cannot be increased. Next time you buy a laptop, make sure it has an unlocked HX processor which are a lot more adjustable. If a manufacturer decides to lock down a laptop with a HX processor, bring the laptop back to the store and tell them they can keep it.

Post a log file and we can go from there.

 

[S0G00D]

I use MSI Afterburner to check in-game. I have added a log and a screenshot from the FIVR tab in the attachment. Let me tell you this, the price made me buy this laptop because in Poland it cost PLN 4,500 and in USD it was $1,150. I couldn't find anything better for this money. So for the RTX 4060 with such a TGP it was a great deal, only later I read about 12th generation mobile processors. I want to get the most out of it, of course taking into account the temperatures, although when it comes to this, Aorus solved it quite well.

 

[unclewebb]

The main problem is exactly what I suspected. At around 19:05:53 there is one second of PL2 power limit throttling followed by almost constant EDP current throttling. This is caused by your laptop reducing one of the current limits. The IccMax current limit is set to 120. This could be the source of the EDP throttling problem. With FIVR adjustment Not Available on your H series CPU, ThrottleStop cannot be used to increase this limit so there is no way to test if this is causing the problem or not.

The other possibility is that Gigabyte is using an embedded controller which is programmed to decrease one of the current limits for whatever reason it chooses. There is no easy fix for this problem either.

which causes sudden frame drops

The CPU is only throttling about 200 MHz which is about 5% less CPU performance. I do not think a small reduction in CPU MHz is the primary cause of sudden frame drops.

EDP throttling begins within a couple of seconds of the Nvidia GPU reaching 69°C. It might be the Nvidia GPU temperature that is being used to trigger the throttling. The reported GPU MHz might be misleading if the GPU is throttling internally. Large FPS drops are more likely to be caused by the GPU than the CPU. The drop in the GPU temperature when the EDP throttling starts is another clue of a GPU possibly throttling internally.

If you want to try slowing your CPU down, lower the Speed Shift Max value in the TPL window. Perhaps setting the Max to 32 or 30 can help reduce the overall heat and power consumption of your laptop. Less CPU performance is not good but if it helps you avoid the throttling scheme that seems to randomly start, perhaps a slower CPU will help keep the GPU at full speed longer giving a better overall gaming experience.

Other than that, there is little else you can do. H series processors and Gigabyte laptops tend to both be well locked down. When they work, great. When they do not perform properly, there is little or nothing you can do about it.

Try running another log file with a slower CPU speed. I am curious if that will make any difference.

 

[S0G00D]

I am sending new logs. I noticed a drastic drop in frames in the game. On the previous setting I averaged over 200, with Speed Shift set to 32 I didn't exceed 120 - the game was terrible Do you think I could contact Gigabyte about this? Do they put aside such trivial matters?

 

[unclewebb]

Do some more experimenting. Maybe setting Speed Shift Max to 40 or 45 might be a better compromise. This could prove to be a completely fruitless adventure. What you previously had might be as good as it is ever going to get. Set Speed Shift Max to the recommended value, 58, when you are finished testing.

Do you think I could contact Gigabyte about this?

Your laptop is running exactly as Gigabyte designed it to run. If you want a more capable gaming laptop, you need to buy a higher end laptop from Gigabyte or you need to buy a laptop from a different company that does not use the same amount of throttling that Gigabyte is using. Gigabyte is not going to change anything because one user is not happy with the frame drops and overall poor gaming performance that they are getting.

Gaming oriented laptops tend to be a bit of a joke. It is not unusual when they over promise and under deliver.

 

[S0G00D]

Thank you for your time and help. I will also check the GPU, do undervolting, if the topic is still open, I will send the logs after that. As for Speed Shift, I tested at setting 49, i.e. about 3.8Ghz, and the drops were less and less frequent while maintaining good frames.

@EDIT

Hello again, I managed to find the perfect settings for this laptop. I made a UV GPU, during tests it worked at 2490MHz and 1000mV. I lowered the power by 100mV while maintaining the above clocks. Then I tested different Speed Shift settings until I finally reached 58 (4.2Ghz). Now I have stable clocks that lasted practically the entire game. At the peak moment the GPU was at 59 degrees, which is an absolutely phenomenal result (average 53-56). The highest CPU temperature is 75 degrees. There were no cuts in the game, I had clean frames all the time. I am attaching the LOGS. Thanks again for the GPU tip.

I hope this will also help others who are struggling with a similar problem.