topic Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000) in Graphics

Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

SGuha1 — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 12:16:08 GMT

My laptop is having the following specs

Intel Core i3 3217u

4GB DDR3 1600 RAM

Intel HD 4000

Windows 8.1

Its running the newest Windows 8.1 x64 driver from Intel's site.

The problem is , whenever I game, the GPU clock fluctuates a lot.

For eg, the game is running smooth, at say 30fps. The GPU clock is stable at 1050MHz (monitoring using GPU-Z). Suddenly for 4-5 secs, fps drops to 8-9 fps. Then it goes back up. And this goes on and on.

GPU-Z logs say that in the time when the fps drops, the GPU is sitting at 350MHz, while GPU load is still 95+ %.

Why is the GPU dipping so low frequently ? Its hampering the performance a lot, in an otherwise capable system. My power settings are all set to give Maximum Performance option in Intel HD Graphics, so thats not it.

EDIT: Its probably not throttling due to temperature, as the GPU is mostly around 65-70C.

Re: Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

Jose_H_Intel1 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:58:53 GMT

Hi ts1506, may I ask for the game title and if the system is running on AC or battery power?

Is the game running with default settings?

Re: Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

SGuha1 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:00:59 GMT

Tested happening on Tomb Raider (2013), GTA 4, Sleeping Dogs and NFS The Run

All games are usually running in the lowest graphics, all achieve smooth playback in times when GPU is at 1050MHz, but lag terribly in those 5-6 secs 350Mhz periods.

Its running on AC Power.

EDIT: I tested on battery, and the occurence is there in battery too, but less. It runs much better on battery (around 3-4 clock drop cycle per minute, compared to 10-12 on AC). But a lot of battery is eaten while gaming, so its not practical to play on battery/

Re: Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

Jose_H_Intel1 — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 21:40:39 GMT

Have you tried any of the games listed in the article below and updating to the latest BIOS?

http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-033387.htm Graphics — Sample of popular games playable with Intel® HD Graphics 4000/2500

You may run the Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool.

http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-031726.htm Processors — What is the Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool?

Re: Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

SGuha1 — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 08:00:58 GMT

I am already using the latest BIOS.

I will try COD MW3 and DiRT 3 today. But I dont think its a question of playability, for eg, in settings at which I play GTA4, when the GPU is clocked at 1050MHz, it easily touches 55-60fps, and when it dips, it goes down to 25fps or so.

Will try the diagnostic tool

Re: Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

SGuha1 — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 08:20:07 GMT

Diagnostic passed everything fine.

Re: Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

Jose_H_Intel1 — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 21:10:48 GMT

This behavior is probably expected since it is a low power processor (TDP= 17W) and I also see most of those games recommend a higher clock speed processor. Perhaps it will work better after disabling Intel® SpeedStep™ (EIST) in BIOS; this option allows the processor to decrease the clock speed to save power.

Re: Fluctuating clock speeds (Intel HD 4000)

SGuha1 — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 07:06:31 GMT

There is no EIST option in my BIOS. I guess there is no solution to this then. Seems that the CPU+IGP cannot hold up at high clock speed for long time.