Thursday, February 12th 2015
NVIDIA Disables GeForce GTX 900M Mobile GPU Overclocking with Driver Update
With GeForce R347 drivers (version 347.29), NVIDIA disabled overclocking on its GeForce GTX 900M series mobile GPUs. Buyers of new notebooks, and using older drivers, with the chips fell under the impression that like their desktop counterparts, the GTX 900M series support overclocking, until they updated their drivers to 347.29, to find that their overclocks were wiped back to reference clocks, and overclocking using third-party tools was disabled.
When angry users took to the official GeForce forums to report the bug, NVIDIA explained that overclocking on the GTX 900M series was enabled by accident, and has since been disabled with the recent driver updates. This explanation was met by angry reactions by users who argued that they should be allowed to use the hardware as they want, even if it voids their warranties. Historically, overclocking was allowed on NVIDIA GPUs.
Source:
NVIDIA GeForce Forums
When angry users took to the official GeForce forums to report the bug, NVIDIA explained that overclocking on the GTX 900M series was enabled by accident, and has since been disabled with the recent driver updates. This explanation was met by angry reactions by users who argued that they should be allowed to use the hardware as they want, even if it voids their warranties. Historically, overclocking was allowed on NVIDIA GPUs.
160 Comments on NVIDIA Disables GeForce GTX 900M Mobile GPU Overclocking with Driver Update
My point is that it's most likely the OEMs forcing NVIDIA to remove the overclocking functionality to save on RMAs and repair fraud. I know how great it is to overclock a laptop since I have an ASUS K43SV with an older 2nd gen. i5 + GT 540M combo in it myself. I'm not sure why AMD hasn't done the same.
For the majority of these "normal" OEMs like Toshiba, DELL, HP, ASUS, MSI, Acer, etc., overclocking is a business risk to them in terms of aftersales repairs. Yes, some of those brands have high-end models that scream gaming/enthusiast, but in the end they don't want to be doing returns or RMAs because it costs them, especially if its due to overclocking which is not easily traced. They do not want to take the risk regardless if throttling or safety nets are in place.
It sucks that they have to do this, but then again they invested in NVIDIA for their mobile graphics so they get to tell them what to do with their drivers on mobile parts and pre-built OEM systems.
I would like to see approval for overclocking on models that can handle it.. much more responsible and it would be respectful to manufactures that really know how to make the best laptop.
Begone troll! I won't bother replying any more.
NVIDIA has never sold "overclocking" as a feature. NVIDIA is right in regard to safety considerations. NVIDIA is not a charity and it's their right to sell faster clocked chips for more money.
And it's your right to never buy laptops with NVIDIA GPUs ever again. I hardly understand what all the fuss is about.
Doh!
EDIT: Img fixed. Fluffmeister, I think you thanked too soon. I'm usually rooting for the green team :)
www.nvidia.com/object/ntune_5.05.54.00.html
and what about this GPU Boost software provided by Nvidia on a NVidia website,?
www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/gpu-boost-2
..and why do Nvidia partners "sell" overclocking Nvidia cards as a feature??
Why do Asus supply "GPU tweak" with NVidia based products? and why does MSI provide "afterburner" with their Nvidia products? and why does EVGA supply "Precision" software with their NVidia products? This software comes with Asus Rog notebooks and MSI gaming notebooks.
If you just spent $1500-$2000+ on a gaming notebook and have been happily overclocking, you would understand what the fuss is about.
GPU Boost is a built-in feature of modern NVIDIA cards to automatically increase clocks on load, much like AMD's Turbo Core. It's not really "overclocking" because it's part of the specification.
GPU Tweak, Afterburner, Precision and all the other tuning tools while very useful, are used by those OEMs as marketing stunts to sell their desktop cards.
You may have misunderstood birdie's rant.
ASUS ROGs, MSI GT/GS-series, Clevo's x-series and other desktop replacement laptops are the exception, particularly because the OEMs themselves allow it or it falls within their warranty, which is why their support usually tell you to use their drivers instead of the stock NVIDIA/AMD ones (albeit OEM drivers are slightly modified and/or outdated).
Fire strike benchmark... HEAVENLY, lol...
www.3dmark.com/fs/3715676
The score is 6666...
No reason not to overclock a decent laptop for benching... been doing it for years now without consequence. No need to overclock for simple gameplay, but life would be far too boring if all there was to do was play games. If you cut corners and buy a junky laptop to save a few bucks, it might get too hot, but thermals are never an issue with a good machine.
It sure did take them a LONG time to discover and fix that "bug" LOL. If they are going to be liars, they should at least try harder. They're not very good at it.
980M SLI - www.3dmark.com/3dm11/9405275
780M SLI - www.3dmark.com/3dm11/8291584
680M SLI - www.3dmark.com/3dm11/6924868
580M SLI - www.3dmark.com/3dm11/3497119
2. GPU boost is not overclocking. Maybe you have to read again what it does and how it works.
3. I don't care what OEMs provide - NVIDIA doesn't mention "overclocking" on their website.
4. Spending $2K on a gaming laptop sounds like a bad joke. $2K could/should be spent on a much better gaming PC (much better cooling, upgradability, acoustics and you can use up to five monitors).
Sigh.
P.S. Why don't you blame Intel and AMD for not providing the means to overclock mobile CPUs. Huh?
Like their desktop counterparts, you have to pay extra for an unlocked CPU. The crappy average processors don't do much in a desktop or a laptop. If you're an average Joe that buys a "gaming laptop" from BestBuy or NewEgg you do not get solid hardware. You get cheap gamer-boy garbage. Pay for average, get average. Pay for awesome, get awesome. There are no free rides in desktop or laptop world. $2,000 doesn't get you anything worth having in a desktop or a laptop. Good stuff begins to happen at about twice that budget.
AW18: Intel Core i7 4930MX @ 5.0GHz: valid.canardpc.com/nqhu1p
M18xR2: Intel Core i7 Extreme 3920XM @ 4.9GHz: valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2833018
M18xR1: Intel Core i7 Extreme 2920XM @ 4.9GHz: valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2469131
And, my laptop with a desktop CPU installed in it...
P570WM: Intel Core i7 4930K @ 4.6GHz: valid.canardpc.com/qbn00c
NVIDIA has not fabricated any technical excuses for their arbitrary and baseless new Gestapo policy against laptop overclocking. See post above... solder isn't a problem. 580M, 680M, 780M have taken tons of overclocking in my machines without issue. Too many highly successful and extremely reliable laptop overclockers exist for their current policy to be viewed as valid.
Truth be told, there is potentially an engineering defect in the new Maxwell MXM cards that they want to deflect responsibility for just as they did in the Bumpgate Class Action suit already mentioned. This unexpected stance they are taking now smacks of something sneaky and underhanded lurking in the shadows.
But I just didn't know that there are SO MANY!