Dedicated GPU being downclocked while Integrated GPU is being overclocked?

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Lexlikely

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May 26, 2016
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My AMD Radeon R9 M290X is capped at 450MHz/300MHz regardless of what settings I change in any OC utilites or on CCC.

The clock is set to 903/1256 (currently using TRIXX) but the card is ALWAYS capped at 450/300 in reality.

For whatever reason, my integrated card that is set to 400/800 is actually running at 1150/800.

I have absolutely no clue what to do or how to fix this.

I've tried clean uninstalling and reinstalling every driver available.
I've installed and uninstalled every OC utility making sure they aren't affecting each other.
I've reset BIOS.
I've taken the laptop (Alienware 17) apart to make sure the GPU is installed properly.

Is the GPU/Power Supply (or wiring) malfunctioning?

Or can it be solved with a few clicks?

Either way, I'm at a complete loss. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Solution
terry4536
That is a possibility. The R9 M290X is almost certainly drawing more watts than the integrated graphics. If the laptop power supply (or battery) is degraded, the performance of the R9 M290X would be most effected in performance. That would explain much of the situation.

But it would require switching out the power brick to test that.
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terry4536

terry4536

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Mar 28, 2010
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If you can specify the R9 M290X in the BIOS do so (under graphics). If not , you may able to disable the integrated graphics in the Windows Device Manger under Display Adapter. Click on the integrated adapter, and then select Disable under the Driver menu.
 
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Lexlikely

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May 26, 2016
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Just tried this.

Oddly, after disabling the integrated card, it still appears in GPU-Z running at a lower clock of 600/800. I am completely unable to open any games however and the M290X reads 0/0 on both clock speeds.
 
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terry4536

terry4536

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Mar 28, 2010
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Desktop BIOS allows the graphics to be forced to the PCI Express x 16 slot (as well as auto detect). Laptop BIOS generally don't have the feature because the graphics is usually integrated only. But gaming laptops may support mobile graphics cards, so they may allow you to specify the graphics source. I can only suggest that you look in the BIOS on your laptop.
 
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Lexlikely

Commendable
May 26, 2016
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This is true. I have tried disabling the IGPU entirely.

The issue isn't getting it to run on the DGPU - it's getting the DGPU to somehow run above 450/300MHz. I can't, for the life of me, figure out what is causing it to throttle/downclock.
 
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terry4536

terry4536

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Mar 28, 2010
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But from your description, you said that the R9 M290X was running slow and the integrated graphics was running fast. Unless I'm missing something you are saying that you are trying to overclock the R9 M290X , but the performance of the R9 M290X slows while the integrated graphics speeds up. It sounds to me that somehow the integrated graphics is being overclocked instead of the R9 M290X .

That is why I suggested disabling the integrated graphics, that way when the overclock is applied that the R9 M290X will be overclocked. The only other thing I can think of is to uninstall the integrated graphics driver. Leaving the R9 M290X as the only installed graphics adapter. Windows may reapply the integrated graphics driver, ,but it is worth a try.

I know this all sounds odd, the R9 M290X should be the only graphics running.
But from your description both seem to be running.

 
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L

Lexlikely

Commendable
May 26, 2016
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It's running on switchable graphics. The IGPU is certainly running higher than I expected it to but all games that I play are running exclusively on the M290X.

When I disable the M290X, the IGPU can barely run games (~6 FPS) yet the DGPU, despite being underclocked, can run them at a respectable 30 FPS.

I was confused as to why the IGPU was running at such high clock speeds, but as you said, this is normal for many cards when they are being used.

The only issue that remains is the downclocking/throttling of the DGPU at all times. I have a suspicion that there is some covert program (OC utility that I can't find anywhere perhaps) or some rogue setting that is causing the DGPU to be limited to 450/300 MHz.

Another theory is that the power being supplied to the DGPU is insufficient or perhaps the DGPU is just toast.

Anyway, I was hoping for a way to reset the DGPU settings entirely. I've already reset to default through BIOS and uninstalled all OC utilities and reinstalled TRIXX/Afterburner to no avail.
 
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terry4536

terry4536

Glorious
Mar 28, 2010
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That is a possibility. The R9 M290X is almost certainly drawing more watts than the integrated graphics. If the laptop power supply (or battery) is degraded, the performance of the R9 M290X would be most effected in performance. That would explain much of the situation.

But it would require switching out the power brick to test that.
 
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