Is undervolting worth it?

[Guest]

I just saw this thread http/forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/235824-undervolting-guide.html and it seems like undervolting makes your laptop run cooler with no perfomance cost, is it true? are there any disadvantages? do you guys use it? it just seems so good and I hadn't heard about it a lot (maybe once or twice)

 

[turkey3_scratch]

There would likely be some performance loss, I can't see how there would be no loss.

 

[leeb2013]

I think it's worth it. The stock voltage is generally overly cautious to ensure all CPU's work reliably. However depending on the silicon lottery, lots of CPUs will run at a lower voltage, whilst still maintaining performance. Mine is a desktop, but I still shaved of 0.14v from the stock voltage (1.0v) of my Xeon and it dropped a few degrees when pushed hard. So in a laptop it will definitely be worth it, with the caveat that it depends on the silicon, so some CPUs will accept lower voltage and some won't, so make sure you thoroughly check its stability afterwards.

 

[Guest]

Same here, less voltage means less work it does, doesn't it?

 

[Guest]

I think it's worth it. The stock voltage is generally overly cautious to ensure all CPU's work reliably. However depending on the silicon lottery, lots of CPUs will run at a lower voltage, whilst still maintaining performance. Mine is a desktop, but I still shaved of 0.14v from the stock voltage (1.0v) of my Xeon and it dropped a few degrees when pushed hard. So in a laptop it will definitely be worth it, with the caveat that it depends on the silicon, so some CPUs will accept lower voltage and some won't, so make sure you thoroughly check its stability afterwards.

have you noticed any perfomance loss? is the software in the post I linked good or I guess there must be new tools as it was posted back in 2008, this is an i7 4810mq I am talking about

 

[JackNaylorPE]

BIOSs set voltages based upon the norm ....what works for 98% of the systems out there.... so it suffices to say that if left on Auto, a good number of units are using more voltage than they need to .... is it going to save you money / Is it going to increase battery life ..... ? perhaps.... measurably so, It's doubtful to be anything life changing.

 

[caqde]

There is a possibility that it could cause the system to become unstable. Voltage itself will not create performance. The system needs enough voltage to allow for the system to be stable when at a certain clockspeed. Hence overclockers will gradually increase voltage to the processor when overclocking a system to insure the system is stable. So when doing the opposite you will need to gradually drop voltage and test the system to insure that it stays stable. You shouldn't notice any performance penalties unless you decide to drop the clockspeed with it but it could cause stability issues.

 

[Beezy]

Same here, less voltage means less work it does, doesn't it?

not quite..voltage is power. The clock cycles set in the BIOS will be the same, so performance is the same. If its prime95 stable at stock settings but lower voltage then its worth it. I say go for it.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

It's kinda like reverse overclocking procedure..... I was stable at 4.6 Ghz / 1600 RAM speed ... when I selected XMP, was no longer stable so boosted to 1.70 volts. So yes, I probably could go back and try 1.69 and stress test for 2 hours, then go to 1.68 and so on but I just don't find it worth the T & E

 

[Guest]

Same here, less voltage means less work it does, doesn't it?

not quite..voltage is power. The clock cycles set in the BIOS will be the same, so performance is the same. If its prime95 stable at stock settings but lower voltage then its worth it. I say go for it.

oh, I think I got it. As long as the voltage is enough to power the Cycles set in the BIOS it should then perform the same and still work (although not stable if going too low). Well, I might try later. I am a bit sleepy already . but I might end up not doing it either if it's not worth the time and effort

 

[Guest]

double comment, sorry

 

[Beezy]

Same here, less voltage means less work it does, doesn't it?

not quite..voltage is power. The clock cycles set in the BIOS will be the same, so performance is the same. If its prime95 stable at stock settings but lower voltage then its worth it. I say go for it.

oh, I think I got it. As long as the voltage is enough to power the Cycles set in the BIOS it should then perform the same and still work (although not stable if going too low). Well, I might try later. I am a bit sleepy already . but I might end up not doing it either if it's not worth the time and effort

thats exactly right. alternatively you could clock MORE cycles if the temperature permits the extra voltage. two way street of optimization. :]

 

[Guest]

Thanks guys, I think all my doubts are now cleared