Ictinike

**UPDATE 07/31/2009*************

Due to limitations on driver versions > 185.xx RivaTuner must be forced to use a specific driver version. To enable said force please see the updated post HERE first.

Cheers!

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Greets,

Had an issue recently where my new GTX 260 Core 216 card from EVGA would adjust it's frequencies during idle times or times the GPU was not under heavy load.

This in and of itself is not an issue because the nVidia GTX 200 series of cards (GTX 260/280 and future x2 versions) have a power savings feature built in to keep the cards cool while not necessarily needing the extra bandwidth of the GPU.

This does however cause an issue in some games that don't fully utilize or stress the GPU and in some occasions can lock your game up or other issues. As well the Folding@Home project will take a big PPD hit because while the card goes into power savings mode or in my case the Windows XP BLANK screensaver.

I noticed while monitoring my card would "down clock" to it's 2D Performance clocks while just idle at desktop even while running a full GPU2 Gromacs F@H core. Engaging the keyboard or mouse would ~instantly~ pop the clocks back up to the 3D Performance clocks, which are the highest, thus resulting in much more PPD even while idle at the desktop.

To remedy this I used RivaTuner 2.20 which has the ability, even with the latest beta 180.xx drivers, to ~force~ a selected mode regardless of the power savings mode. This has given me more stability in the games I was having issues with AS WELL a maintained F@H PPD in the upper 6-7k.

To enable these features you must download and install RivaTuner 2.20 which most already have or have used in the past. RivaTuner can be downloaded from it's official source Guru3D located at this address.

Once you've downloaded and installed RivaTuner we can now go through and enable the Power User settings to enable the `Force Profile` functions.


Step 1 - Setting The Power User Setting

• Navigate to the Power User tab on RivaTuner
• Find The Entry For `Rivatuner \ NVIDIA \ Overclocking` (Image 1, Item 1)
• Expand The Leaf By Pressing [+]
• Find The `EnablePerflevelForcing` Entry (Image 1, Item 2)
• Right Click The Entry and Toggle The Light Bulb ON (Image 1, Item 3)
• You Should Now Have The Value = 1
• Hit OK To Save The Setting
• If Prompted To Reboot At This Time, Do Not Yet
  

Image 1 - Power User Settings


Step 2 - Enable Overclock & Forced Performance

• Navigate Back To The Main Tab
• Locate The `Driver Settings` Area
• Down Click The Arrow To The Right Of Driver Name (Image 2)
• A FlyOut Menu Will Appear, Choose First Icon (Image 3)

Image 2 - Driver Settings


Image 3 - Driver Settings - System Tweaks

• Once in the `System Tweaks` Window Choose The `Overclocking` Tab
• Now Enable Overclocking Support (Image 4, Item 1)
• Optionally Choose To Unlink or Link Core and Shaders (Image 4, Item 2)
• If You Wish To Overclock The GPU You Can Do So Here As Well
  
• Drop Down Force Performance Level
• Choose `performance 3D` (Image 4, Item 3)
• Check `Apply Settings At Startup` and Save Button (Image 4, Item 4)

Image 4 - Overclock Tweaks

Once your done hit OK and you more than likely will get a PopUP about rebooting to enable these features. Do so now so they save and persist.

[Update #1]
You MUST also, if you wish for this to be transparent each time you run Windows, to make sure RivaTuner is running each startup.

Step 3 - Enable Automatic Startup

• Navigate to the `Settings` tab
• Check the `Send to tray on close` (Image 4, Item 1)
• Also Check `Run At Windows Startup` option and I choose Registry Entry (Image 4, Item 2)

Image 5 - Settings For Automatic Restart

Upon reboot you will, hopefully, never notice your GTX 200 series GPU "down clocking" in games and/or Folding@Home for that precious PPD!

!~fin~!

Attached Thumbnails

         

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kremtok

Thanks for the info! While I have taken note of the downclock feature, I've not experienced any problems because of it. That said, it's good to know that the feature can be controlled manually, and I'll probably disable the downclock before it starts to cause problems.

Ictinike

NP and thank you!

Does anyone know, to the general group, how to get these in the FAQ section now-a-days? I tried to post this in the FAQ Section but I see things changed since I last posted a FAQ.

Thanks again and any questions or need help let me know..

Cheers!

-Ictinike

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PizzaMan

This should be sticked or link from in a sticky.

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GTL testing and tweaking for all 7 series nVidia boards

Labombadog

Wow, great info! Repped

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"OCN Friends don't let Friends buy pre-built" Xavier1421

Abrajam

i must agree awsome info i know it was a power saving thing but good thing it can be solve thanks alot

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DuckieHo

FAQ system is broken and is no longer in use....

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To answer most of your questions: (1) a fridge cannot cool a PC (2) 64-bit OS for over 3.4GB (3) If a PCIe card fits, it should work (4) Resolution, not screen size (5) If you have a question, it is not news (6) Report, not respond to Spam (7) Single-Rail/Non-Modular PSUs are not always better than Multi-Rail/Modular

[FDG]Explosion

if i do this will it prevent the card from going into Low-Power 3D but still let it drop to 2D clocks on my desktop?

*EDIT*that was poorly worded, Is there a way to do this so i sticks in High-power 3D when under ANY load, but stays at 2D clocks on my desktop?

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Rest in peace D.Speed°TBAPb

skunksmash

im currently running windows 7 & RT wont work so im using EVGA precision, is there any way i can enable that setting without RT..??


in the few weeks i've had this card i never noticed till now that it downclocks itself....lol

cheers......

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kremtok

OK, I tried to do this yesterday, but it turns out that I'm far too much of a n00blar to figure out how RivaTuner works. If anyone finds an alternate method of preventing the automatic downclock, I'd love to hear it. Cheers!