Help Optimizing Undervolt Settings for Dell G15 (i5 10200H + GTX 1650)

[Alejandro]

Hello forum, this is my first post here. I need some opinions on my undervolting settings. I mainly use my laptop for gaming, it's a Dell G15 5510 with an i5 10200H (with the BIOS unlocked for overclocking) and a GTX 1650 (also undervolted with MSI Afterburner). I'm hoping someone can take a look and tell me what I could tweak to get the best balance between low temperatures and performance.

P.S.: I don’t know if it makes a big difference, but both the CPU and GPU currently have Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut thermal paste.

 

[unclewebb]

Your undervolt settings look fine and are likely at or very near the max you can reliably use. It is OK to undervolt the System Agent but most people never do. The risk of instability this can cause is usually greater than any power savings.

I like checking the MMIO Lock box which is near the top right of the TPL window.

PROCHOT Offset that is set to 7 in the ThrottleStop Options window tells the CPU to thermal throttle prematurely at 93°C instead of the Intel recommended 100°C. Lower the Offset value if you want to run your CPU hotter before it starts to throttle. Many laptops set the offset to 2 or 3.

Check the Task Manager Details tab. Too many useless background tasks can interfere with maximum performance and can interfere with smooth game play. Exit and do not run anything you do not need. Autoruns can help you find and disable any background tasks that do not need to start up when Windows starts.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

It is possible to have the cores averaging 99% of their idle time in core C7. You are a long ways from that.

@Alejandro

Use English when posting questions.

 

[Alejandro]

Your undervolt settings look fine and are likely at or very near the max you can reliably use. It is OK to undervolt the System Agent but most people never do. The risk of instability this can cause is usually greater than any power savings.

I like checking the MMIO Lock box which is near the top right of the TPL window.

PROCHOT Offset that is set to 7 in the ThrottleStop Options window tells the CPU to thermal throttle prematurely at 93°C instead of the Intel recommended 100°C. Lower the Offset value if you want to run your CPU hotter before it starts to throttle. Many laptops set the offset to 2 or 3.

Check the Task Manager Details tab. Too many useless background tasks can interfere with maximum performance and can interfere with smooth game play. Exit and do not run anything you do not need. Autoruns can help you find and disable any background tasks that do not need to start up when Windows starts.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

It is possible to have the cores averaging 99% of their idle time in core C7. You are a long ways from that.

View attachment 371036

@Alejandro

Use English when posting questions.

sorry
Thank you for taking the time to reply. Can I send you a private message to clarify a couple of questions I have about your observations? Later, I'll share the final adjustments in case they might help someone else.

 

[unclewebb]

Just post questions in the forum so everyone can learn.

 

[Alejandro]

Could you explain what function the MMIO Lock serves?

And what does this part mean? "It is possible to have the cores averaging 99% of their idle time in core C7. You are a long ways from that."

I’m also wondering why my laptop is draining the battery faster after undervolting than it did on stock settings.

 

[unclewebb]

Could you explain what function the MMIO Lock serves?

Have you tried using Perplexity?

https://www.perplexity.ai/

I entered the question, "What does ThrottleStop MMIO do?" The answer was immediate and very thorough. The future is AI. Learn how to use it.

ThrottleStop MMIO (Memory Mapped I/O) refers to power limit settings stored in memory that can affect CPU performance. Here are the key points about MMIO in ThrottleStop:

1. MMIO power limits are separate from MSR (Model Specific Register) power limits, which are stored directly on the CPU
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2. The lower of the MMIO or MSR power limits will take precedence in controlling the CPU's power
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3. Checking the "MMIO Lock" box in ThrottleStop is generally recommended, as it disables the secondary set of turbo power limits (MMIO limits)
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4. Using "Sync MMIO" or "Lock MMIO" in ThrottleStop allows you to set desired power limit values that will be enforced
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5. MMIO values can change frequently (multiple times per second) on some systems, which is why locking them can be helpful for maintaining consistent settings
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6. On some laptops, MMIO settings may be controlled by manufacturer-specific software or firmware, making it difficult to change them directly through ThrottleStop
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7. For users trying to limit CPU power or adjust performance, properly configuring MMIO settings in ThrottleStop can be crucial for achieving the desired results
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In summary, MMIO in ThrottleStop relates to managing CPU power limits stored in memory, and properly configuring these settings can help users achieve more consistent and desired CPU performance characteristics.

The Lock option prevents any software on your computer from changing the MMIO power limits.

why my laptop is draining the battery faster after undervolting

Your undervolt is not causing the battery drain problem. You have too much stuff running in the background on your computer. If the cores are always busy working on unnecessary background tasks, the battery will drain much quicker. You need to find out what is running in the background on your computer.

Open the ThrottleStop C States window. You want to see all of the cores spending as much time as possible in the low power core C7 state. Look at the C States screenshot I posted. I am borderline crazy when it comes to stopping and deleting any useless background tasks. The cores in my screenshot are averaging over 99% of the time in core C7. In this state the cores are disconnected from the internal clock and they are disconnected from the voltage rail. That is how a CPU saves power. Cores in C7 consume almost zero power.

Improve the efficiency of your computer and battery run time will improve. An efficient computer will also have lower idle temperatures and less fan noise.