High idle power consumption

[ExalyThor]

Hello! I'd like to fix the high idle consumption on my GTX 980 Ti. The only solution (if you can call it that) is crashing the driver by pushing memory or core to an idiotic frequency for ambient temps and voltages. Is there any real solution to this? Possibly changing a line of code in the driver or modding the bios (since it is possible on Maxwell cards). Please no indian tech support (telling me to update the drivers/windows etc) as this problem is not windows related (has been a thing in both Windows 7 and 10) and no driver in the last 2 years since I own this card has fixed this issue. From what I read the internet, this has always been a problem with most Nvidia cars.

 

[nasky]

Maybe these measurements are incorrect, do you have a watt-meter ?

edit: just saw that temperature also drops so unlikely a sensor issue, weird issue you got there :/

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

in the high idle there is something running causing it to throttle up.

next time you get a high idle, use ctrl+shift+winkey+B to do a reset of sorts, and check of the idle goes low.

 

[ExalyThor]

in the high idle there is something running causing it to throttle up.

next time you get a high idle, use ctrl+shift+winkey+B to do a reset of sorts, and check of the idle goes low.

I have tried it, doesn't work, the driver has to crash, not just restart.

 

[thesmokingman]

The clocks in the high idle pic shows mem clocks at max for ex. Use afterburner to show what is calling for hw acceleration. Click the "i" button and scroll down to active 3d process. Then use rtss to create a profile for said process and set app detection level to none. Then close rtss and when it auto restarts it will not allow that offending app to get hw acceleration.

 

[ExalyThor]

Maybe these measurements are incorrect, do you have a watt-meter ?

edit: just saw that temperature also drops so unlikely a sensor issue, weird issue you got there :/

just like in a car; if it doesn't heat up properly, it's the thermostat and not the gauge

The clocks in the high idle pic shows mem clocks at max for ex. Use afterburner to show what is calling for hw acceleration. Click the "i" button and scroll down to active 3d process. Then use rtss to create a profile for said process and set app detection level to none. Then close rtss and when it auto restarts it will not allow that offending app to get hw acceleration.

I have closed all 3d apps (i'm gonna nuke windows gaym bar for good) but still the high idle plagues me. Vram usage dropped by 500mb though.

 

[thesmokingman]

What is your refresh rate? Over 120hz forces 3D clocks btw...

 

[ExalyThor]

I play on a 60hz tv . It is most likely driver related, since crashing it solves the issue. But I plan to turn this pc into a HTPC soon and I cannot teach my parents to pop up afterburner then launch kombustor with an idiotic core offset every time they power the pc up.

 

[pavl3]

To what is your "Power management mode" set? To "Optimal performance"?
I have achieved somewhat smaller idle consumption (instead of ~15W now ~13W - as reported by GPU-Z) through BIOS editing on my MSI GTX 970...

 

[ExalyThor]

To what is your "Power management mode" set? To "Optimal performance"?
I have achieved somewhat smaller idle consumption (instead of ~15W now ~13W - as reported by GPU-Z) through BIOS editing on my MSI GTX 970...

2w is margin of error my dude. If you were to have this problem you'd have your card consume 30-40w

 

[nasky]

just like in a car; if it doesn't heat up properly, it's the thermostat and not the gauge

Man those camshaft sensors are nasty

On a side note did you try booting into a live linux on usb key just to check if you experience the same issue ?

 

[Vya Domus]

Something is preventing the card from going in idle, I suspect that when you crash the driver whatever it is that prevents it from going into a lower power state crashes as well.

 

[ExalyThor]

Man those camshaft sensors are nasty

On a side note did you try booting into a live linux on usb key just to check if you experience the same issue ?

I use windows only. Even if I won't experience this issue on linux, what's the point?

Something is preventing the card from going in idle, I suspect that when you crash the driver whatever it is that prevents it from going into a lower power state crashes as well.

Good idea. I'm planning to reinstall windows in the near future, and I'll test with a fresh install if the problem is still present. Unless you know a trick I can do to make the graphics driver work in safe mode? I could test that right now.

 

[pavl3]

2w is margin of error my dude. If you were to have this problem you'd have your card consume 30-40w

2 W out of 15 W is 13.33%, my dude. Were they teaching you 13.33% is a margin of error?

However, yeah you're right about the second part - with such a problem as thread starter, I'd surely have 30-40 W idle draw.

 

[Deleted member 193596]

your card sits in 3D Mode.

let me guess.. Nvidia Settings are set to maximum performance?

 

[ExalyThor]

your card sits in 3D Mode.

let me guess.. Nvidia Settings are set to maximum performance?

Thank you. I hope it won't act idiotic in games now though.

I guess when the driver was crashing the settings were reset.

 

[thesmokingman]

Max performance is not default though...

 

[pavl3]

To what is your "Power management mode" set? To "Optimal performance"?
I have achieved somewhat smaller idle consumption (instead of ~15W now ~13W - as reported by GPU-Z) through BIOS editing on my MSI GTX 970...

Thank you. I hope it won't act idiotic in games now though.View attachment 184165

I guess when the driver was crashing the settings were reset.

Didn't I ask you to what is your Power management mode set?
With Optimal power there will be no problems whatsoever. Tested it with my GTX 470 up to my GTX 980. Lowest power consumption for high framerates.

 

[ExalyThor]

Didn't I ask you to what is your Power management mode set?
With Optimal power there will be no problems whatsoever. Tested it with my GTX 470 up to my GTX 980. Lowest power consumption for high framerates.

Sorry, "Power management mode" didn't ring a bell to go to the nvidia control panel. But the 2w reduction you told be about wasn't particularly impressive either. Your card would be pulling in the 30-40w range if it was to be in the same situation as mine.

 

[pavl3]

Tell me - how come you had it set on "Prefer maximum performance" mode?
Try and reduce idle consumption with your 22W card, see how much more impressive result you can achieve (in %). I'm curious.