Problems with Intel HD 620

[NNuti]

Hi I just purchased a Dell inspiron 13 2-in-1 5000 5378. The computer has: a kabylake i7-7500u @ 2.9 (base) - 3.5 (max), 4 gb DDR4 2133 MHz, and an intel HD 620.

I purchased this laptop mainly for school work and applications necessary for my EE major but I wanted to have the ability to lightly game from time to time. I purchased this laptop for the specs were decent enough to perform all of these tasks at exceptional rates even if it does have an APU (or so I was told).

The problem I came across was that whenever I would put a decent amount of load on the cpu it would cave and reduce its clock to 50% (1.65 GHz). I don't know if this is because I'm using Dell's custom drivers (because I have to) or if it's because a limiter has been put on this specific computer to stop it from overheating. I ran overwatch for over an hour and I was left with a fairly bad experience, quality-wise, but I noticed that my computer never got close to reaching a level where it was hot (was warm, but no where near hot). The part that made me laugh cynically at my despair was that the Dell XPS, that has the same Kaby-lake generation (but i3), could run at maximum frequency under a load (let's say overwatch) but my i7 couldn't. I looked at the service manuals for the XPS and my inspiron, and came to realize that both computers have the same exact cooling technology. Both of them have one fairly-small fan (unsure of size in mm) connected to a mini copper pipe that dissipates heat from the cpu.

So, I pose this question: why is my computer's power so limited yet it was created and sold to be somewhat powerful?

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but you don't buy an i7 for web-browsing... you buy it for the power and it just so happens that this i7's APU is powerful as well! Is there anything I can do at this point? Do I have to wait for Dell to release a new Intel GPU driver that doesn't completely wither my computer's capability?

Thank you,

Nick

[idata · Accepted solution]

Hello NNUTI,

Thank you for contacting the Intel community. Please bear in mind that Intel sells products to various OEM's (Original Equipment Manufacturers), who then integrate them, with other system components (power supplies, disk drives, add in cards, software, etc). These products may be customized to the OEM's specifications. At this point your best support is you computer manufacturer, as they are familiar with the total configuration of your integrated system and the way all the features interact with each other. You processor is suppose to work under the specifications shown http://ark.intel.com/products/95451/Intel-Core-i7-7500U-Processor-4M-Cache-up-to-3_50-GHz- here but this depends on your computer manufacturer, they can limit some features, you could try the latest graphics driver from the Intel website but I cannot guarantee that this will solve the issue. You can download the driver here:https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26563/Graphics-Intel-Graphics-Driver-for-Windows-15-45-?product=96551 Intel® Graphics Driver for Windows* [15.45] If you get an error installing this driver, try installing it manually, please check how to http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/graphics-drivers/000005629.html Manually Install an Intel® Graphics Driver in Windows® 10 and Windows 8*/8.1* I also sent you a private message. Best regards, Ivan.

[NNuti]

Hey Ivan, thank you for your reply I appreciate it.

I also was curious of another factor of the hd 620. What is the maximum amount of vram compatible with the i7-7500u's hd 620? I currently have a single channel stick of 8gb ddr4 (2133mhz frequency) with another slot open for dual channel. I know the hd 620 is stock with 1gb of vram but let's say I add another stick of ram that is of the same quantity and frequency... would this make my vram go up to 2gb? What is the rate at which the apu will take more ram for itself and what is the maximum?

Thank you

[idata]

The Intel® HD Graphics 620 can support up to 3840 MB, but increasing memory depends on hardware and software configurations set by your computer manufacturer. Check with your computer manufacturer for the actual maximum graphics memory supported before adding more physical memory. Your computer manufacturer can alter features, incorporate customizations, or make other changes that limit or reduce the actual maximum graphics memory.

Regards, Ivan.