Lenovo Y50 Weird Frame Rate Drop

[coolishan69]

So i have been playing games on my Y50 such as far cry 4, metal gear solid etc. i have noticed that when start the game the fps are normal but after playing for few minutes it drops from 45-60 to 25-30 fps and then after some time, it again goes back to normal (But its not normal most of the time). What do i do.!!

 

[Rit_86]

Track your laptop's temperature and CPU / GPU frequency while gaming using a free tool (like Speccy), and see if there are any co-occurance of high temperature and / or low CPU/GPU frequency. If it is so, it is due to thermal throttling and there is very little you can do (except maybe use a laptop cooler to see if it helps).
Also try to perform some stress tests by using MSI Kombustor (free). It will give you a good idea whether your laptop is having throttling issues.

 

[coolishan69]

I do use a laptop cooler but it dosen;t have any effect

 

[Rit_86]

It is most surely due to thermal throttling on load. Check it like I described above using MSI Kombustor. Perform the stress test just to be sure.

 

[coolishan69]

i had a stress test but how do i make sure it is due to thermal throttling? i mean that what should i keep eye on during the stress test

 

[Rit_86]

Keep an eye on the temperature and the subsequent frequency of your CPU/GPU. If you see a temperature spike during the test and simultaneously the CPU/GPU going to a lower frequency and staying at the lower frequency for some time, you have identified the culprit. Also note the maximum temperature reached by the pair and how long the frequency stays low, before it goes up again.

 

[coolishan69]

there were no fps drop and everything looked normal

 

[Rit_86]

Run the test for at least 10 minutes to get a good result. What was the maximum temperature reached by your GPU ?
Also how much was the variance of the GPU load (the maximum will be 99%, tell me the minimum).
Also, which GPU does your laptop have? Is it Nvidia 860m?

 

[coolishan69]

the maximum temperature was around 80 degrees and i had big fps drop in the between. i didn't check the variance of the GPU sorry and yeah i have the gtx 860m 4gb

 

[Rit_86]

the maximum temperature was around 80 degrees and i had big fps drop in the between. i didn't check the variance of the GPU sorry and yeah i have the gtx 860m 4gb

As I had told you before, I can now say for sure, that the frame drops are due to thermal throttling.
It happens when, the component (in this case the GPU), reaches a certain high temperature (because it is working at a high frequency). To prevent damage to the component, the frequency drops (consequently your frames drop too) and so does the temperature. Again when the GPU reaches a certain safe lower temperature, the frequency increases (your frame rate increases again) till again it reaches the higher limit. This goes on in a cycle.
How cool your GPU remains under load depends on the design of the cooling system your laptop. But, unlike a desktop, there is very little you can do to cool your laptop. Laptop coolers have very marginal effects on their own. However, since it places the laptop slightly higher from the surface and sends a bit more cool air from below, it allows the laptops own cooling system to function a bit better.
I hope I have explained your laptop's condition to you, and sorry again to say, there is nothing you can do about it, except maybe drop your game graphics a bit to ensure a more consistent frame rate 🙁

 

[coolishan69]

ok thanks for your help atleast i have got to know what is the problem and i have done some research about throttling and i have found a software called throttle stop. i would appreciate if you would take a look at it

 

[Rit_86]

I will say a big no to the software. In its website, it states
"When using ThrottleStop, it is strongly recommended to monitor power consumption at the wall with a Kill-a-Watt meter or similar device and make sure that you don't exceed the power capabilities of your power adapter. Use of ThrottleStop to bypass these throttling schemes is at your own risk and can result in permanent damage to your power adapter or computer or both which may not be covered by your warranty."
Laptop components are extremely sensitive and unforgiving (unlike desktops) and one power / temperature surge would mean all your laptop components like mobo, cpu, gpu may fail and a very costly repair, if any.
It is not a problem of your laptop, but a generic problem of the Y50 series. Here are two links that shows it in tests performed by the professionals
http/www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-IdeaPad-Y50-Notebook-Review.120215.0.html
www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-IdeaPad-Y50-70-59424712-Notebook-Review-Update.124754.0.html
However, you don't have to despair also. Most laptops other than the super expensive ones throttle to some extent and you should be happy for the fact that your components are strong enough to give you good gaming experience even under throttling. Just shut the throttling fact out of your mind and game on

 

[coolishan69]

ok thanks

 

[unclewebb]

The Lenovo Y50 has some known throttling problems that can be completely fixed by using ThrottleStop. I have been using this program on my Lenovo Y510P for the last year without any issues. Lots of Y50 owners are also using ThrottleStop without any problems.

Intel controls thermal throttling of their CPUs at the hardware level. No software can interfere with your CPU protecting itself if it is overheating. It does not matter how you have ThrottleStop setup. An Intel CPU will always do what it needs to do to protect itself.

The warning in ThrottleStop was directed at users with Extreme CPUs. The CPU in the Y50 cannot be overclocked to those kind of extreme levels and the maximum power consumption of the CPU is also locked and can not be adjusted higher. The problem in the Y50 is the throttling that goes on when the CPU is nowhere near its maximum Intel rated temperature or anywhere near its maximum Intel rated power consumption.

Do a Google search for Notebook Review and you will find users with first hand experience successfully using ThrottleStop so they can run their CPUs at the speed that Intel intended them to run at.