B580: power consumption and temperatures when idle

[de_Gruyter]

Dear Intel,
I'm just a regular customer, who recently bought the "ASRock B580 Steel Legend OC"
But what I saved in € for not buying a pricier GPU, I payed in hours to getting this thing to work.
At least I got it cheaper, someone didn't like it. Now I know why.

Context (as of importance)
MB ASRock B650M RS Pro WiFi, BIOS 3.210 (latest)
RAM 2x16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 CL36
CPU (sorry Intel) AMD Ryzen 5 8600G with 760M iGPU

And because of the latter I was looking for a PCIe x8 GPU.

I'm used to an idle power consumption of around 25W (Wallplug, Wattmeter). I put my new Intel GPU in my computer and it sucked incredible 90W from the power line. I've heard about some issues, but nothing a proper driver installation or some BIOS settings shouldn't fix, or so I thought.

To make a long story short (I really try my best), nothing on the internet prepared me for this - I had to use my own brain.
I can only speak for my experience with my setup, but from what I've read, it seems to be more common. And they all sing the same old song: latest drivers/BIOS, remove concurrent drivers, make sure ReBar is enabled, PCIe power savings to max. But nothing helped!

A disproportionate high idle power draw, here's what really makes the difference:

RAM 6000MHz CL36 (EXPO activated) consumes 90 W vs. 4800 MHz CL40 with 65 W.
A 25 W difference because of a different RAM mode - c'mon Intel, you can do better.
Without the dGPU the W difference was neglectable (sic!), the difference in performance was not.
So please, please, please, take a deep dive into that.

AND ... one last thing!

I could decrease the idle power consumption from
90 W to 60 W to 52 W in EXPO mode, and from
65 W to 43 W to 33 W in normal mode.

After installing the Intel driver, there's still a unknown device in the device manager. Looking up the ID I found some A770 RGB Controller and the advise to install the ASRock PolychromeSYNC software. This replaces the ASRock PolychromeRGB software provided for the motherboard and takes total control of the RGB-header.

Point is, as soon as I start PolychromeSYNC, the power draw of the GPU drops drastically. And it stays low! Which leads to the conclusion, that if there's a obscure power draw out of nowhere, there should be an increase in the temps somewhere. Which could be proven by just running HWInfo64 and monitoring GPU global/core/memory temps. It's amazing how fast the GPU temps rise by just idling. It should be clear to see when the RGB software starts and how it hits GPU power draw and temps.

Sarcastic solution to high idle power draw of Intel Arc B580: run ASRock RGB software at start.
Please, fix this in a driver update. Would make this piece of hardware so much cooler.

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi de_Gruyter,

Thank you for posting in the Community.

Based on your observations, it seems that RAM settings and the use of ASRock PolychromeSYNC software significantly impact the GPU's idle power draw.

Additionally, I wanted to share an article that might provide further insights into managing power consumption: Managing Power Consumption with Intel® Graphics. After trying the steps here, let me know if there are changes within the system.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[de_Gruyter]

Thanks you for your response.

I'd love to try whatever there is in the article, but I can't open the link.

Nor do I find the article by its title. Link just opens Intel Support

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi de_Gruyter,

Apologies for this, here's the ink for reference: High Power Consumption when Intel® Arc™ Graphics Card is Idle.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[de_Gruyter]

Thank you for making sure, that I did activate max power saving in Windows settings. Of course are the BIOS ASPM settings set accordingly. Nevertheless, the problems are persistent. Which are 

a) a remarkable difference in power consumption with higher RAM frequency

b) a higher power draw after reboot, waking up from stand-by or switching user.

The RGB-SYNC-Software scanning the System for RGB Headers, or, if already running, touching the GPU's LEDs decreases the GPU's power consumption again. And if this is not a bug, then it's really bad design. 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi de_Gruyter,

Thank you for sharing your detailed observations and feedback regarding the power consumption issues with your Intel Arc B580 GPU.

I want to assure you that I will be checking this issue internally to gather more information and insights. I will get back to you as soon as I have more information. Your patience and cooperation during this process are greatly appreciated.

If you have any further questions or need additional assistance in the meantime, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi de_Gruyter,

Based on the tests conducted with two different Arc B580 GPUs—the Intel Arc B580 GPU (Gunnir Photon) and the Intel Arc B580 Limited Edition. I have some recommendations that might help improve your setup.

1. I suggest using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to remove any remnants of previous drivers and uninstall the RGB controller for Intel Arc A770. You can find detailed steps on how to use DDU: How to Use the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to Uninstall an.... Afterward, reinstall the latest driver 32.0.101.6653, available for download here. This can help ensure a clean slate for your system.
2. Please refer to the video for ideal BIOS settings for ASPM and Windows configuration. Additionally, check the number of monitors you are using, their resolution, and refresh rate, as more displays and higher refresh rates can lead to increased power draw.

Video for reference: YouTube Video

If the issue persists, you may need to consult directly with ASRock, as they have customized the B580 and might have set a more aggressive power target.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hi de_Gruyter,

I'm checking in to see if you've had a chance to review the recommendations provided by my colleague. Please let me know if these suggestions have improved your setup.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DhannielM_Intel]

Hi de_Gruyter,

As I haven't received a response, I will proceed to close this case. As my colleague mentioned, if the issue persists after following the recommended steps, please contact ASRock for further assistance. If you need additional help, please feel free to submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Dhanniel M.

Intel Customer Support Technician