RTX 2070 (Mobile) performance cap problem.

[BCN1000]

I have an MSI GE75 with a RTX 2070 GPU. I've had the laptop a while but don't do much gaming so never noticed I'm getting crappy performance from the dGPU. When I benchmarked it it and looked into the bad performance I saw it gets hit with a perfcap (performance cap) when the load gets over 39%, and it just repeatedly disables and enables itself after that. Not sure if it's the load or the frequency or what that causes the perfcap and have no idea what the underlying issue is. I've tried with 2 other vBIOSes already and get the same result with one, whereas with the other vBIOS it just stays idle after the first perfcap.

Seems like something hardware related. Same behavior when using another OS in the same machine.

Any tests I can do on it to diagnose the problem?

I attach two MSI Afterburner monitor outputs. As can be seen, the perfcaps are for POWER and additionally for TEMPERATURE (same results/output with GPU-Z render test monitor). However, as one can see from the temperature data, temperature doesn't seem to be the actual cause, as there are moments where the temperature perfcap is triggered around 50 degrees, and it goes idle momentarily, but then after that the temperature keeps going up and there is no temperature perfcap. I had it running with a low load on a 2d for example up to 79 degrees degrees and it didn't disable itself. However, it's also noticeable that the load never gets above 39% for some reason. Not sure if that reveals anything in particular. Anytime it reaches 39% it spikes and you get the perfcap and it goes into on/off pattern, so normal activity doesn't trigger it, but benchmarks and heavy games and the like do.

 

[eidairaman1]

With the amount of trouble you are having with this laptop, go to a shop and get it fixed or go buy a real laptop by sagem/eurocom...

 

[BCN1000]

Forgot to mention a couple of other things. I'm using an underpowered charger. Never had any trouble with it charging the battery though, and benchmarking results are otherwise excellent. CPU and memory above average for the same hardware.

However, I notice that according the specs, the power draw of the dGPU is around double that of the CPU. Could this possibly be a weak battery + charger issue which only appears under the highest loads, and only with the dGPU?

 

[eidairaman1]

Forgot to mention a couple of other things. I'm using an underpowered charger. Never had any trouble with it charging the battery though, and benchmarking results are otherwise excellent. CPU and memory above average for the same hardware.

However, I notice that according the specs, the power draw of the dGPU is around double that of the CPU. Could this possibly be a weak battery + charger issue which only appears under the highest loads, and only with the dGPU?

Yes

 

[BCN1000]

It would have to be both though right? I mean, it should be able to get through a benchmark test on battery without this issue if the battery were in proper working order, regardless whether a charger is connected or not?

 

[eidairaman1]

It would have to be both though right? I mean, it should be able to get through a benchmark test on battery without this issue if the battery were in proper working order, regardless whether a charger is connected or not?

Battery obviously will discharge, since you are in doubt get both of them.

Bear in mind the motherboard power circuits may be screwed up too

 

[BCN1000]

Battery obviously will discharge, since you are in doubt get both of them.

Bear in mind the motherboard power circuits may be screwed up too

I've ordered a 260 watt charger. Not going to get a battery unless I have to. Are you saying that both a laptop and charger would be needed to ensure a proper benchmark test? I thought that laptops could do benchmarking without even having a battery connected.

 

[eidairaman1]

I've ordered a 260 watt charger. Not going to get a battery unless I have to. Are you saying that both a laptop and charger would be needed to ensure a proper benchmark test? I thought that laptops could do benchmarking without even having a battery connected.

Try it and find out

 

[BCN1000]

Sorry that was supposed to be 'laptop battery' not 'laptop'.

Anyone know if the quality of the battery in a laptop has any impact on the performance when a suitably powered charger is also connected?

Time is an issue for me and I'd like to know the above before the charger arrives. Information surrounding possible causes of the problem and opinions on the Afterburner monitor data would also be helpful.

 

[eidairaman1]

Sorry that was supposed to be 'laptop battery' not 'laptop'.

Anyone know if the quality of the battery in a laptop has any impact on the performance when a suitably powered charger is also connected?

Time is an issue for me and I'd like to know the above before the charger arrives. Information surrounding possible causes of the problem and opinions on the Afterburner monitor data would also be helpful.

Stick with the oem battery specified by the laptop maker and you wont have a problem, example, surefire batteries vs chinesium units.

 

[purecain]

The battery will have no impact you'll notice when you've got it plugged in. There is a setting in the MSI software that lets you use both the battery and the socket power together. But that doesn't work for a long time before the battery stops assisting.

This problem is definitely caused by the power cable, your pc looks like its always working in low power mode.

I own one of the notebooks a few years newer than yours. Good luck with the new charger. I look forward to hearing your problems have disappeared.

 

[BCN1000]

Happy to report that this was indeed an underpowered charger and possibly battery issue.

Summary of symptoms:
Dedicated GPU underperforming, with POWER and TEMPERATURE perfcaps (performance caps) revealed in MSI afterburner and GPU-Z monitor data when running tests.
Dedicated GPU continuously switching between running and idle state, with load never getting above 39%.

Cause:
Underpowered charger + possibly slightly aged battery not delivering necessary power to dedicated GPU.

 

[eidairaman1]

Happy to report that this was indeed an underpowered charger and possibly battery issue.

Summary of symptoms:
Dedicated GPU underperforming, with POWER and TEMPERATURE perfcaps (performance caps) revealed in MSI afterburner and GPU-Z montir data when running tests.
Dedicated GPU continuously switching between running and idle state, with load never getting above 39%.

Cause:
Underpowered charger + possibly slightly aged battery not delivering necessary power to dedicated GPU.

Yup the battery was aged due to the charger being overrated.

Make sure to calibrate the battery, if there is duch a setting in the bios

 

[BCN1000]

Overrated? You mean under spec/ under-powered? It was the right voltage but only able to put out 98 watts, whereas the original charger for this model is 150w I think, and there are different model battieres going right up to 280w.

 

[eidairaman1]

Overrated? You mean under spec/ under-powered? It was the right voltage but only able to put out 98 watts, whereas the original charger for this model is 150w I think, and there are different model battieres going right up to 280w.

Secret is, good units are underrated meaning they can handle more than they are rated for, bad units are overrated.

Since the fix was getting the right brick it will push more than the bad unit

 

[BCN1000]

OK yes I see what you mean. No it said 98watts on the adapter. I just had the wrong adapter.