HOT Laptop: how to modulate clockspeed only above SET Core Temp ?

[QuEP]

I do 3D custom equipment design, using Solidworks for equipment design, simulation and rendering. The equipment Layout assemblies are huge (10 000 to 50 000 components opened during rendering). Unfortunately I need to take the computer to clients often, so just now I bought the fastest laptop I could find.
This Clevo X7200 based luggable has a Xeon X5690 and a Nvidia Quadro 5010M crammed inside ! I will not complaint that this rocket runs hot (consumption Xeon = 130W, and nVidia = 100W). I need its turbo power when modeling for many long days, because then it uses only one core. The potential problem arrises when a project is finished and I start to render.

When I bought it, I knew I could not run it full throttle for many hours like on my big (and slow) desktop workstation. During initial Full load test drives the hottest Core reached 97° C within 10 minutes (distance to TjMax shown as 4°C), and from that point on the CPU Clock multiplier started to be controlled in an alternating pattern.
Once every minute the Clock Multiplier was dropped from its default 26x 133.32 MHz down to 12x for about 4 seconds. As far as I can see that seems to be enough to drop the core temp down to 80° C right at the end of such 4 second modulation. Naturally the core temp races back up within seconds to about a degree under its prior temp, and after maybe 15 sec to about the same temp again. But it did slow down the climbing rate though ! After 15 min of full load the fan noise picked up distinctively (around 98°C). It hit 99° C a couple of times (around 25 minutes), but after that kept running max 98° up to the finish in 45 minutes. Strange enough on another 80 minute full load test, the system managed to stay at 91° without any multiplier modulation. this was achieved by running the Airco full throttle and pointing it at the laptop (caught a cold in the process, but hey it worked).

I guess the system can work close to full load for many hours after all (and it needs to be able to do that unattended). HOWEVER : I do not want to run it so close to Tj Max before the modulation of intel (or is it Clevo) kicks in. I only want to use that safety as a last resort safety option (this speed monster is too expensive to risk for a few minutes gain).

UNFORTUNATELY I DO NEED TO RUN MOST OF MY 3D MODELLING WORK ON ONE CORE USING ITS TURBO BOOST MULTIPLIER.
The clock modulation feature of your excellent Real Temp 3.60 seems to be ON full time.
Can you recommend a similar executable to be activated by your Alarm EXE function ?
( It would be nice if it could reset itself after a given time )

P.s. real Temp only shows the temperature of 3 of the 6 cores !
Does the alarm react to the other 3 cores ?

[QuEP]

Originally Posted by QuEP

IP.s. real Temp only shows the temperature of 3 of the 6 cores !

I just noticed that RealTempGT.exe shows 6 cores afterall !
The first time I used RealTemp.exe, and then it only shows 3 cores !

[silkstone]

you could try something likethis

I haven;t used one, but extra airflow is always a bonus.

[QuEP]

Thanks Silkstone, but I was already using a similar aluminum stand with a big fan in it.
I do agree that a bit of airflow can make a difference, but haven't dared to run without yet, to see what difference it actually makes.

In the mean time I have run another test with the clock modulation fixed on 87.5%.
This test indeed lasted 92 instead of 80 minutes ( makes sence 1 / 0.875= 91.4 ).
It kept the temperature on max 89° instead of 97° C, so that is better !!
During a shorter test it seems to run 83° on a 75% multiplier (maybe better for all night runs).

The reason why I'm still looking for a similar executable, is the preperation work:
Even with a fresh rendering run without any need for modelling, there still is at least 45 minutes of preperation work to be done, using turbo on one core only (opening and rebuilding hundreds of files, adjusting rendering lights and views and so on ). Upon finalisation of a project you go back and forth many times between these adjustments and short test renderings (+ at least 4 full blown render sessions). This usually means that a project ends with 1 or 2 hectic days and nights (I guess I should have chosen a better trade for a living).
AFTER A WHILE ONE WILL START FORGETTING TO ADJUST OR RESET THE CLOCK MULTIPLIER MANUALLY !

Let me not forget to thank this team for the already EXCELLENT REAL TEMP PROGRAM !!!

[erixx]

I cannot help you but an amazing read!

Just a very very humble sugestion: why not build a small LAN-box with full power components? that you can walk around in a rucksack, car or motorcycle? A laptop is just not for this use, imho.

[QuEP]

You hit the nail right on the hat Erixx !
That has been my struggle since I started to use Solidworks 3D back in 1996.
Actually used to have one of those 20 kg lunchbox computers for that exactly that reason.
Have been towing that heavy beast around to clients in the USA and Japan.
The nVidia ultra high end cards are huge, and will not fit a small form factor.

The problem is that airlines will not allow you to carry such a beast on board in a backpack.
So I had to use a bulky flight case and check into the belly (that was already the case before the 911 disaster). Meaning lower backpane, expensive overweight flight tickets and regular headaches of arriving at client with loose connections.

The last 2 years I was ready to built my own luggable based on a Dell Rack Workstation.
http://www.dell.com/us/enterprise/p/precision-r5400/pd

But back in May of this year nVidia finally came out with a "mobile" 4GB DDR 5 Ram solution in a smaller footprint that even fits bulky laptops. This Clevo X7200 laptop is 7.5 kg and has a trafo which takes up almost the same space. The combination bearily fits in the biggest XXL Targus backpack. But hell it beats the old flight case, so I don't complaint !

[silkstone]

in the power saving options there is a throttle limit on the CPU. Maybe that would be useful instead of manually setting the cpu multiplier each time?