Graphics Card Stuck at 405Mhz!

[vkw619]

Hello all, I am pretty new to this forum and I've already tried numerous others to try helping with this problem and I haven't found a single solution.

 

I have an Alienware M14x (It was purchased long before I knew anything about PC gaming, mistake I know, don't worry have a nice desktop rig now but I digress) and it was a GT650M installed. And for the LIFE of me I can't get the core clock past 405Mhz. I have tried literally everything I can think of, every overclocking program, command prompts in Nvidia Inspector, setting everything to max performance in NCP, taking out the battery and running on just AC power, uninstalling ALL of the drivers from my pc, running driver wiper and reinstalling, trying various versions of Nvidia drivers, I have even gone so far to UNINSTALL WINDOWS AND REFORMAT! And I still can not get this past 405Mhz in core clock.

 

If anyone can provide any help please let me know. I've even gone as far to call Dell (out of warranty) and pay a fee to get some help. I normally wouldn't care as I don't game on this laptop anymore but, I currently have a new job where I can be on my laptop and do some gaming, even light gaming is pretty impossible right now so again any help would be EXTREMELY appreciated. I am not going to lie, I am quite desperate and no other forum has been able to help me.

 

I can provide any information needed just let me know! 

[miyabwah]

That's because it's giving you a second chance before you destroy your M14X. DON'T OVERCLOCK LAPTOPS. IT WILL LITERALLY DIE.

[Mo5]

Have you tried reseting the BIOS to defaults?

[ciprian97pop]

probably is something in bios or the laptop is overheating so it's underclocking the gpu to keep it cool

try to clean it

[vkw619]

probably is something in bios or the laptop is overheating so it's underclocking the gpu to keep it cool

try to clean it

 

I did a BIOS Update that should've reset everything, I wiped it. I don't think its an under clock because it doesn't fluctuate in numbers. From what I can tell its the card being locked to 2D clock speed (or as if the AC outlet isn't plugged in and running on battery). 

And for the person yelling at me about overclocking my laptop, it was a very modest overclock (like +25,+100) and people have sent the 650M to insane levels, its not that bad if its a decent grade gaming laptop. Again my opinion but don't assume its because I put a tiny overclock on it. I benched and ran tests like crazy to make sure it was okay. And I'm just trying to get it to run at STOCK clocks. Again not trying to come off like I'm ungrateful or a douche but the opinion isn't helping me here. I appreciate the suggestions but I don't think thats the problem. I def think its software related.

[Gunjob]

How are you monitoring the clocks? Since it won't run on full clocks while on desktop and might not while in windowed mode, are you using something like MSi OSD to monitor?

[vkw619]

How are you monitoring the clocks? Since it won't run on full clocks while on desktop and might not while in windowed mode, are you using something like MSi OSD to monitor?

Yes, I am using MSI afterburner and I've also used Nvidia Inspector to monitor clocks as well. Both stuck at 405Mhz

[Gunjob]

Yes, I am using MSI afterburner and I've also used Nvidia Inspector to monitor clocks as well. Both stuck at 405Mhz

Running anything that uses flash player? If so disable hardware acceleration. 

[vkw619]

Running anything that uses flash player? If so disable hardware acceleration. 

No, I've been running just games/steam when I've been troubleshooting. No other program active.

[Gunjob]

Any way of checking your 2D clock speeds? @vkw619

[vkw619]

Any way of checking your 2D clock speeds? @vkw619

Um, I'm not completely sure how to do that. Would that be one of the Performance levels as dictated in Nvidia Inspector? If so, I believe that my 2D clocks ARE 405Mhz but it is a laptop so it uses Intergrated for lower end tasks. So I'm confused as to how it would be stuck in 2D clock mode (but it seems that may be the overall issue).

[Gunjob]

Um, I'm not completely sure how to do that. Would that be one of the Performance levels as dictated in Nvidia Inspector? If so, I believe that my 2D clocks ARE 405Mhz but it is a laptop so it uses Intergrated for lower end tasks. So I'm confused as to how it would be stuck in 2D clock mode (but it seems that may be the overall issue).

I'm not too familiar with Nv inspector so I wouldn't know there chap, does this laptop run Nvidia optimus? 

[vkw619]

I'm not too familiar with Nv inspector so I wouldn't know there chap, does this laptop run Nvidia optimus? 

Yes it does.

 

Edit: I have the comp set to run using only the Nvidia chip when testing this, and I set all of the games I run with "High Performance Nvidia Graphics"

[vkw619]

Bump?

[DeathSentinels]

Is it Kepler based?

[Cwazywazy]

It might be overheating. Are you actually running a game when you read those clock speeds?

 

Run HWMonitor while playing a game and report the max temperatures.

[vkw619]

It might be overheating. Are you actually running a game when you read those clock speeds?

 

Run HWMonitor while playing a game and report the max temperatures.

Yes. Doesn't max over 65/67 degrees.

Temps are not the issue because they would at least ramp the clocks when the game boots. When I boot any game from basic low end to AAA titles, my clocks never go above the 405Mhz. So I feel like overheating can't be the issue? Because if it was, the fan would ramp up and it would show some signs of trying to hit those clocks before ramping down, problem is it never moves in the first place.

[vkw619]

Bump?

Another day at work. Another day of troubleshooting ><

[gabriel_batata]

Hello there!

 

Have you found a solution yet?

 

I ran into the EXACT same problem here, except with me it's an GT 750M

 

I was playing Skyrim directly from AC (without the battery, i take it off for playing to avoid heating it and losing lifespan) when i needed to change the charger from one wallplug to another.

Then I put on the battery, take the charger off the wall, put it again, take the battery off and voilà! Huge FPS drop, out of nowhere. 

 

I then reinstalled the driver, and was just the same.

Because the notebook it's just 1 month old, I formatted and reinstalled Windows, and again, sh**ty FPS.

Then I ran GPU-Z and found that the clock, that was supposed to be 941MHz at max, was stuck @405MHz when playing.

 

I spent the last two days searching for an solution but couldn't solve.

It's not the temperatures, the temp stays around 55~56ºC 

It's not the driver, besides that I was using it before it happened, I tried an old version of the driver and yet it's stuck @405

I tried the "Prefer maximum performance" setting.

Also tried over and downclocking a bit (+15 / -2) to see if changing the default clock changed something but no, still 405MHz max.

 

I'm getting crazy here, don't know what else to do... I'm thinking of trying to reflash the VBIOS because it seems to me that it's the only thing I haven't tried so far, just din't do it yet cause i haven't found one.

 

So if anyone ever ran into this and was able to solve it please shed some light on me...

 

Thanks!

[gabriel_batata]

Ok, solved it

as seen on https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/759870/geforce-mobile-gpus/gt-750m-clock-stuck-405mhz-after-changing-wall-plug-/

 

I turned off the system,

Plugged the cable off

Took off the battery

Let it rest for a few minutes

Plugged the cable again (without the battery)

Turned the system on

 

You will have to play without the battery, but that's actually encouraged because the heat shorten the battery life anyway.

[vkw619]

Sorry to necrobump and old thread but I'm still dealing with this

 

I take my laptop to work and use it for class so leaving the battery out is not an option (and I tested it and it didn't always work)

 

I've come to the conclusion is has to be Optimus related. I don't see what else it could be.

Also something I've realized, my core clock stays at 405mhz when it does this what we will call "glitch" even when its plugged in and I have rebooted multiple times, try locking clocks with Nvidia inspector, and a variety of other tests I have done (and no people it ISN'T TEMP RELATED sorry for caps but trust me I've run enough stress tests at both the "glitched" 405 and the proper 745 or so and temps are only a few degrees off and none breaking 67-69 degrees) when I unplug the charger and monitor the GPU Memory clock goes from 2015 (the normal number) down to 405Mhz however the core clock (in or out of game) never moves from 405Mhz...

I'm ripping my hair out. I've been trying to fix this for OVER a year and I just want to be able to play games when I'm at work or waiting on people or wanting to game at all away from my desktop. Just counter strike and skyrim or diablo nothing demanding but demanding enough that I would really like the 650m to WORK PROPERLY. I have even moved to windows 8.1 from windows 7. Still no dice. 

Someone please throw some incite, maybe someone better versed in Nvidia Opt. than me? I have even called Alienware support and spent money hoping for some help.. they had nothing. And we've determined it isn't a hardware flaw because sometiems it will work just fine. I've even underclocked and monitored temps. I've ran benchmarks to see if I can just get the number to flip to 3d clocks and it will stay at 2d clocks even when nothing else is running. 

Why must this be so frustrating!

I am begging you wonderful people of the LTT forum, Help me!

[TaBandit87]

I have even moved to windows 8.1 from windows 7. Still no dice. 

 

When you did that, did you just use a key in Windows upgrade anytime, or a complete uninstall and reinstall?

[vkw619]

When you did that, did you just use a key in Windows upgrade anytime, or a complete uninstall and reinstall?

 

Full uninstall. Reformatted HDD then installed from a USB key with a purchased copy of W 8.1 from microsoft website (love discounts for being a student!  )

[TaBandit87]

Full uninstall. Reformatted HDD then installed from a USB key with a purchased copy of W 8.1 from microsoft website (love discounts for being a student!  )

And your clock speed is still stuck, hrm. Install EVGA Precision X and then enable Kboost, just to see if that will raise the clock speed. Kboost forces the GPU in your case a MGPU to run at full clock speed, Worth a shot at this point. (assuming you haven't tried that before)

[Imakuni]

Well, I have a somewhat similar problem with my gtx 970.

 

Whenever I fired one particular game, the card would stuck itself at 405. If found out that removing OC before playing would solve the issue. Also, rebooting would, as well; albeit it would stuck at 405 when launching the game.

 

Try:

1. Booting windows into safe mode. If that solves the issue, then it's something you have installed.
2. Go to nvidia inspector. Open OC options, and change the "profile" from P3 to P2. It helped me solve some memory issues, it might solve yours, or at least allow you to "oc" to the correct speed.