T400 - GPU Overclock with Switchable!

[Colonel O'Neill]

I have successfully overclocked the HD3470 in the T400 (which is rather weak for games) whilst keeping the ability to switch graphics.

My setup is as follows:
- Windows 7 (32-bit) SP0
- Installed Lenovo's latest 8.752.4 switchable drivers.
- Updated the ATI HD3470 driver to 11.1a via Have Disk in Device Manager to 8.820.2.0
- Used GPUTool to overclock. (ATITool, AMD GPU Clock Tool, MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner don't work.)
- Optional: MSI Afterburner is the only one I found that reports GPU load as well as correct GPU frequencies. All other tools (including GPUTool) report only half of what it's supposed to be.

It seems to be stable at 860/894 for me so far while using the GPUTool stability test and IntelBurnTest simultaneously.

EDIT: Here's what my setup looks like:
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/734/37979067.png

In addition, the switchable graphics seems to offer a nice benefit: If the ATI card crashes during stress testing, Windows seems to freeze for a few seconds then reverts to the Intel card for a moment before switching back to the HD3470.

Also, 860/894 seems to have an occasional error on GPUTool and an occasional momentary freeze.

EDIT2: Also, avoid the "Default" button on GPUTool; it causes mine to blackscreen and freeze. The stock clocks for the HD3470 are 680/800, which only MSI Afterburner seems to recognize properly. AIDA64 (Computer > Overclock) reports proper GPU clock, but apparently double memory clock.

EDIT3: WinSAT indicates Gaming Graphics is now 5.8, and Graphics is 5.0:
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/7231/52905801.png

[Colonel O'Neill]

My stable clock is now 850/899, although it seems to be prone to freezing when not under load.

I thought I'd post the performance improvements here:

Audiosurf: ~45FPS to ~49FPS
   - 1440x900 fullscreen, Enhanced at 8xAA.
   - Comments: Audiosurf is more CPU intensive; a ULV CPU with a 210M can't run it.

Left4Dead 2: 30.45 (±8.29) to 37.27 (±7.40)
   - 1440x900 fullscreen, 0xAA, 16xAF, Shader: Medium, Effect: High, Model/Texture: High
   - Comments: Nice improvement here; stock clocks maxed around 48FPS, max under OC hit 60.
                       A fair bit smoother during intensive scenes. Turning on AA kills framerates though.

CS:Source: 37.83 (±4.31) to 41.63 (±6.46)
   - 1440x900 fullscreen, 4xMSAA, 16xAF, all settings max, HDR off, Vsync on.
   - Comments: Performance increase statistically uncertain. CSS is more CPU dependent than GPU.

Winamp/Milkdrop (martin - crystal palace): 25FPS to 37FPS
   - 1440x900 Desktop mode
   - Comments: This is fairly GPU intensive; it's not very smooth at all on the integrated chip.

Crysis: 14.4 (±1.81) to 17.9 (±2.24)
   - 960x600 Windowed mode, custom config.
   - Comments: Although the framerates seem low, the game is playable around 18FPS.
                       My settings are a smidge high for this machine, which explains the low framerate.
                       The HD3470 seems to suck with smoke particles.

Dead Space 2: 31.1 (±7.61) to 40.0 (±10.3)
   - 800x600 Fullscreen
   - Glow, AA, Post-Processing, Flares ON
   - Bloom, Depth-of-Field, Blur, Motion Blur, Distort OFF
   - Light High, Shader Medium, Shadow Normal
   - Comments: A fair increase in fluidity with overclocking, although the card is a bit weak to turn up the settings.
                       Game can do 848x480 which gets around 50FPS, and 1280x800 which gets around 20FPS.
                       11.1 seems to have removed the optimal 960x600 from games, unless there's console commands.

[Colonel O'Neill]

It looks like the reason it freezes occasionally is when the drivers decide to feed it 0.9V instead of 1.2V.
Disabling PowerPlay locks in the voltages at 1.2V, but GPUTool refuses to set clocks.

Anyone have a solution? Flashing a modded VBIOS?

[gsl]

EDIT: Here's what my setup looks like:
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/734/37979067.png

Completely OT (my apologies), but what's the window theme and start orb you're using in this shot?

[Colonel O'Neill]

Lol, np. The theme is Glow Air Final: http://katz93.deviantart.com/art/Glow-A ... -150685992
The Start Orb is a personal creation. I'll upload it if anyone wants it.

On-topic: The Radeon BIOS Editor only seems to pick up on the Intel card when I ask it to acquire a VBIOS. The online index has a Mobility HD3470 but for a different brand.

[Edbert]

Has anyone found a workaround for the voltage issue?

[Colonel O'Neill]

I don't quite want to risk reflashing my VBIOS and bricking it just yet. Maybe once I get my T520/W520 .

I now have two profiles in GPUTool; one that is slightly higher than stock that doesn't seem to crash at lower voltages, and one for in-game. As soon as I exit or temporarily alt+tab out of a game, I switch to the lower profile ASAP to prevent freezing.

[Edbert]

Ok, tried dumping the Radeon 3470 BIOS using:

GPU-z: failed

ATIWInflash: failed. (can't find an ATI card).

ATIFlash using boot disk: failed (doesn't seem able to find a way to dump the VBIOS).


So I am pretty much stuck. I wonder if there's a way to fiddle with the PowerPlay voltages, perhaps in the registry?

[Colonel O'Neill]

Yeah, the Radeon BIOS Editor says it finds an Intel card instead, but I'm fairly certain switching the BIOS to discrete while running it would work.

Not sure if PowerPlay is registry controlled. Disabling PowerPlay prevents GPUTool from setting clocks.

[Edbert]

Also tried what you said, still no dice.

[Colonel O'Neill]

I set mine to discrete, and the alternate BIOS extract works and gets a file.
WinFlash 2.0.14 doesn't detect the card, and WinFlash 2.0.12 tries to flash but causes a BSOD (fortunately, no permanent damage AFAICT).

Maybe using a DOS bootdisk and atiflash might work.

EDIT: Got it to boot to DOS, atiflash sees an M82 adapter but doesn't work with it. It also won't flash to it.

EDIT2: FUUUUU- Moment: Never replace the switchable drivers when it works. NEVER. Took about four hours of fiddling to get the switchable driver package to re-install without BSODing with a 0x7E. Sadly, I'd done this a few times before in the early days of T400'ing.

[Edbert]

Ok, so I managed to get a stable overclock at 820 (core)/ 850 (memory). Any higher core frequency and it will eventually crash (due to powerplay supplying 0.9V).

[Colonel O'Neill]

I can sustain something like that on 0.9V as well. Ingame I can use my 850/900 clocks. I think I might be able to go higher, but haven't had much time recently to test it out.

[Edbert]

You are lucky, mine crashes in-game

[Colonel O'Neill]

Do you have CCC set to Maximum Performance?

EDIT: It should supply 1.20V under load.
Which game are you using? It might not be GPU-bound enough to trigger the 1.20V.

[Edbert]

Yes, I have set CCC to Max Performace. I tried using Left 4 Dead 2 (which I must say became playable with the overclock). It will run fine for a while, but then the ATI driver crashes. Once I lower the overclock to 820 core, the crashes dissappear.

[Colonel O'Neill]

Run it in Windowed mode, and load up HWMonitor. HWMonitor reads the voltage. Ingame it should be able to stay at 1.20V.

Also consider going to the 11.4 Mjolnir drivers.

[Edbert]

I will try it after work. Do you have a link to the 11.4 drivers?

[Edbert]

Ok so I got the drivers, and tried installing it using the "have disk" option, but the mobility radeon HD 3400 series is not listed. Which adapter did you choose?

[Colonel O'Neill]

Mine is listed as "ATI Radeon HD 3400 Series".

Getting around 22FPS in Crysis 2 at all low, 848x480, Physics/Sound medium.

[Colonel O'Neill]

Bumpity-bump.

Now running SP1 and the 11.4 Release 8.841 drivers, so I'm going to post new results.
Still using 850/900 clocks ingame, and WinSAT now states 5.0 graphics, 5.9 gaming graphics.

Audiosurf: 54.21 (±4.85) to 54.51 (±5.13)
   - 1440x900, 75Hz fullscreen, Enhanced at 8xAA.
   - Comments: Still looks like I'm CPU limited here.

Audiosurf: 36.75 (±2.25) to 37.51 (±1.54)
   - 1440x900, 75Hz fullscreen, Premium at 0xAA
   - Comments: Playable, but not as smooth as the above. AA makes it 19FPS, which is unplayable for this game.

CS:Source: 37.33 (±5.82) to 45.65 (±5.55)
   - 1440x900 fullscreen, 4xMSAA, 16xAF, all settings max, HDR off, Vsync on.
   - Comments: A fair increase in fluidity.

Winamp/Milkdrop (martin - crystal palace): 41FPS to 52FPS
   - 1440x900 Desktop mode
   - Comments: Massive increase here with the 11.4 drivers regardless of overclocking.

Dead Space 2: Seems to be glitched.

*more in progress*

Stumbled upon RaBiT Radeon Bios editor. Nogo there either.