Alienware M18 undervolt protection won't disable

[win32asmguy]

On 6/21/2023 at 2:22 AM, TheShowX said:

I have read how to do this and did it but it still states undervolt protection is on maybe i missed something?

 

Here is how I modify those settings:

1. Get grubx64.efi from https://github.com/XDleader555/grub_setup_var/releases
2. On a small USB thumbdrive, formatted FAT32, change its file name placing that file in a folder location of drive:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi
3. In the bios, disable secure boot and enable overclocking
4. Reboot, selecting the thumbdrive
5. At the prompt, enter "setup_var CpuSetup 0x381" which should show a current value of 0x1 (undervolt protection enabled)
6. Again, enter "setup_var CpuSetup 0x381 0x0" which should update the value and confirm the operation succeeded
7. Ctrl-Alt-Delete, go back into Windows and now undervolting production should show disabled.

RU.efi also works but I have found it to randomly freeze or not actually apply changes so I prefer using the modified grub bootloader instead. It is also pretty easy to clone the github repo in linux and build it yourself if you are concerned about malware or such.

[MogRules]

On 6/22/2023 at 8:11 AM, win32asmguy said:

 

Here is how I modify those settings:

1. Get grubx64.efi from https://github.com/XDleader555/grub_setup_var/releases
2. On a small USB thumbdrive, formatted FAT32, change its file name placing that file in a folder location of drive:\EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi
3. In the bios, disable secure boot and enable overclocking
4. Reboot, selecting the thumbdrive
5. At the prompt, enter "setup_var CpuSetup 0x381" which should show a current value of 0x1 (undervolt protection enabled)
6. Again, enter "setup_var CpuSetup 0x381 0x0" which should update the value and confirm the operation succeeded
7. Ctrl-Alt-Delete, go back into Windows and now undervolting production should show disabled.

RU.efi also works but I have found it to randomly freeze or not actually apply changes so I prefer using the modified grub bootloader instead. It is also pretty easy to clone the github repo in linux and build it yourself if you are concerned about malware or such.

Did you do anything special to format the drive? I followed your instructions but it just loaded to OS recovery. 

[win32asmguy]

1 hour ago, MogRules said:

Did you do anything special to format the drive? I followed your instructions but it just loaded to OS recovery. 

The steps should be correct but maybe I missed something. Look at step 5 in this guide just in case.

 

https://brendangreenley.com/undervolting-2020-dell-laptops-like-the-vostro-7500-and-more-tips-to-improve-thermals-battery-life-and-speed/#cpu-undervolt

[MogRules]

12 hours ago, win32asmguy said:

The steps should be correct but maybe I missed something. Look at step 5 in this guide just in case.

 

https://brendangreenley.com/undervolting-2020-dell-laptops-like-the-vostro-7500-and-more-tips-to-improve-thermals-battery-life-and-speed/#cpu-undervolt

That did it.  The part about renaming wasn't super clear, so I still had it as grubx64 not bootx64.  

Changes applied and I can not undervolt from Windows.  Time to see if this has any difference over the BIOS UV 😊

Thanks again! 

[MogRules]

On 6/27/2023 at 8:47 AM, MogRules said:

That did it.  The part about renaming wasn't super clear, so I still had it as grubx64 not bootx64.  

Changes applied and I can not undervolt from Windows.  Time to see if this has any difference over the BIOS UV 😊

Thanks again! 

Yeah, so not really sure what the UV in the BIOS is doing, but based on my working Throttlestop results...not much.  Temps will still hil 99-100c in Cinebench, but the CPU package is drawing up to 197w at peak and sits around 171w sustained.  I am just over 35k now, where as I could barely get higher then 31k before.   That being said, the custom profile in AWCC now causes pretty much instant crashes and BSOD.  Not sure if that is related to the undervolt changes at all, still testing. 

[Popcan]

On 7/2/2023 at 7:24 PM, MogRules said:

Yeah, so not really sure what the UV in the BIOS is doing, but based on my working Throttlestop results...not much.  Temps will still hil 99-100c in Cinebench, but the CPU package is drawing up to 197w at peak and sits around 171w sustained.  I am just over 35k now, where as I could barely get higher then 31k before.   That being said, the custom profile in AWCC now causes pretty much instant crashes and BSOD.  Not sure if that is related to the undervolt changes at all, still testing. 

 

I think I'm out of the loop on this one.  Is the UV that you are adjusting different than the one in the bios?

[MogRules]

20 hours ago, Popcan said:

 

I think I'm out of the loop on this one.  Is the UV that you are adjusting different than the one in the bios?

Yes, it appears so that they are very different.  I honestly don't know what the undervolt in the BIOS is doing, because on my system at least, it never seemed to change anything.  Now that I have unlocked the undervolting in the BIOS and can use throttlestop I am 100% seeing a reduction in overall system temps and far higher Cinebench scores, so it's pretty clearly working.  I won't go as far as to say the BIOS UV does nothing, but if it's working it's def not doing as much as the Throttlestop UV.  

[Popcan]

 New Bios released today.

[MogRules]

10 hours ago, Popcan said:

 New Bios released today.

I installed it last night.  Cinebench scores seem to have gone up a bit.  35.4k now.  Not sure what reducing electrical noise means 🤔

Some people have a bug where once the BIOS has been applied it will turn the storage config off, so Windows won't load properly, it goes to boot from HTTP.  This can be fixed by changing the storage option back to AHCI, or Raid, where ever it was set before. 

 

[Popcan]

4 hours ago, MogRules said:

I installed it last night.  Cinebench scores seem to have gone up a bit.  35.4k now.  Not sure what reducing electrical noise means 🤔

Some people have a bug where once the BIOS has been applied it will turn the storage config off, so Windows won't load properly, it goes to boot from HTTP.  This can be fixed by changing the storage option back to AHCI, or Raid, where ever it was set before. 

 

After my post last night, I ran into that as well. just clicked factory defaults and then reloaded my custom settings after boot.  I feel like with all of this nonsense Dell is putting us early adopters through, they should have at least given us the better charger... -_-*

 

Since the bios update to 1.9 I have had a BSOD for CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT as well as Chrome has started crashing for STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION.  I do not know if this is the bios or windows or something else. The only thing I changed was the Bios.

 

Could be totally unrelated, I am running a debloated version of windows 11. 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Popcan
Update

[MogRules]

5 hours ago, Popcan said:

After my post last night, I ran into that as well. just clicked factory defaults and then reloaded my custom settings after boot.  I feel like with all of this nonsense Dell is putting us early adopters through, they should have at least given us the better charger... -_-*

 

Since the bios update to 1.9 I have had a BSOD for CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT as well as Chrome has started crashing for STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION.  I do not know if this is the bios or windows or something else. The only thing I changed was the Bios.

 

Could be totally unrelated, I am running a debloated version of windows 11. 

Interesting...I have not noticed that.  Did you hex edit your BIOS to unlock undervolting? I know if I undervolt to far at all I get the same BSOD errors A LOT.  It's possible that a newer BIOS may change what the undervolt is stable at as well, so if your doing that I would knock it down a bit and see if it helps. 

 

[Popcan]

1 hour ago, MogRules said:

Interesting...I have not noticed that.  Did you hex edit your BIOS to unlock undervolting? I know if I undervolt to far at all I get the same BSOD errors A LOT.  It's possible that a newer BIOS may change what the undervolt is stable at as well, so if your doing that I would knock it down a bit and see if it helps. 

 

That's what it was. I was trying out OCLV2 and it had been fine for a while now getting 31000 on cinebench with tcc set to 15.  But after the bios update I started blue screening.

[Popcan]

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/servicetag/0-M2N5QjU2WHVhZWE2L3RFYmV1WmdZUT090/drivers

 

Another Bios.   I have not installed it yet.  Says it can't be downgraded once installed.

[MogRules]

XTU won't launch anymore because I disabled the undervolt protection lol.....Ok Intel....

[Popcan]

Interesting.  It's almost like they want their high end mobile chips to underperfom.

[MogRules]

8 hours ago, Popcan said:

Interesting.  It's almost like they want their high end mobile chips to underperfom.

They sure seem to be hellbent on getting rid of undervolting, that's for sure. 

 

[MogRules]

On 8/12/2023 at 8:49 AM, MogRules said:

XTU won't launch anymore because I disabled the undervolt protection lol.....Ok Intel....

Update.  Disabling core isolation allows XTU to run again, but it re-introduces the Throttlestop bug that has the CPU getting stuck below 1000mhz, so the whole laptop turns into a slug. 

 

[MogRules]

I have a serious love hate relationship with this laptop right now.  I don't know why, but Throttlestop can't run anymore without tanking the CPU frequency.  Even re-installing Windows has zero effect.  Sometimes I really REALLY hate computers. 

 

[Popcan]

10 hours ago, MogRules said:

I have a serious love hate relationship with this laptop right now.  I don't know why, but Throttlestop can't run anymore without tanking the CPU frequency.  Even re-installing Windows has zero effect.  Sometimes I really REALLY hate computers. 

 

I totally agree. It’s one awesome performing machine… when it’s operating correctly. It has taken a lot of messing around to get it “stable.” Way more than someone paying 3k for a laptop should have to. 
 

but when it’s good it’s great. Haha……. 😂…😢 

 

I finally got my m18 to about where it should be and was hesitant to install the latest bios.

I used that guide you posted to get the uv capabilities back.  This cpu undervolts differently than any other cpu I have messed with…

 

Have you tried going back to 1.9?

[MogRules]

19 minutes ago, Popcan said:

I totally agree. It’s one awesome performing machine… when it’s operating correctly. It has taken a lot of messing around to get it “stable.” Way more than someone paying 3k for a laptop should have to. 
 

but when it’s good it’s great. Haha……. 😂…😢 

 

I finally got my m18 to about where it should be and was hesitant to install the latest bios.

I used that guide you posted to get the uv capabilities back.  This cpu undervolts differently than any other cpu I have messed with…

 

Have you tried going back to 1.9?

Yep, same issue unfortunately.  I don't think it was a BIOS change.  It's like the CPU just does not want to turbo anymore at all as soon as it enables.  I also went back in and confirmed the UV edit was still there, so I honestly have no ideas anymore. 

 

 

[Popcan]

1 hour ago, MogRules said:

Yep, same issue unfortunately.  I don't think it was a BIOS change.  It's like the CPU just does not want to turbo anymore at all as soon as it enables.  I also went back in and confirmed the UV edit was still there, so I honestly have no ideas anymore. 

 

 

I wonder if it’s a issue with throttle stop and whatever they changed?

 

I just used the uv unlock and xtu only.  It seems to do something.  I still get 31000 with tcc set to 85.  But I’m still on 1.9

 

Have you also tried turning off all of the virtualization settings?  Unless you use them, then that wouldn’t help either way.

[MogRules]

1 hour ago, Popcan said:

I wonder if it’s a issue with throttle stop and whatever they changed?

 

I just used the uv unlock and xtu only.  It seems to do something.  I still get 31000 with tcc set to 85.  But I’m still on 1.9

 

Have you also tried turning off all of the virtualization settings?  Unless you use them, then that wouldn’t help either way.

I have not, but then I never had them off to begin with.  I think XTU was the problem TBH.  I didn't have ANY problems until I installed that the other day, so I guess I will try XTU again and see if that works, but for now Throttlestop is out for me again 😞 

I asked my Alienware contacts and they think Intel is screwing with stuff, it wasn't anything on their side that was changed.  What I can't figure out is how it's persisting through a format....

[MogRules]

Ok, so....I think it's fixed.  I don't know if the Windows re-install has anything to do with it, but I think it's an Intel driver specific issue.  As of now, 32 hours and 4 Windows re-installs later, Thorottlestop is working again and not causing the system to slow to a crawl after rebooting with auto start on.  I honestly don't know if my troubles began when I reloaded Windows to get rid of the Dell stock image and go to the Windows image, or if it was a driver I was either missing , or maybe one that Windows update wants me to install.  I know Windows update has a whole slew of crap I don't want to install, and there are a few intel ones in the list, but I am avoiding them for now.  For now I am running JUST the intel ones off the Dell support site, and I am back on the AW OS image...see if that stays stable for a few days now. 

 

[Popcan]

59 minutes ago, MogRules said:

Ok, so....I think it's fixed.  I don't know if the Windows re-install has anything to do with it, but I think it's an Intel driver specific issue.  As of now, 32 hours and 4 Windows re-installs later, Thorottlestop is working again and not causing the system to slow to a crawl after rebooting with auto start on.  I honestly don't know if my troubles began when I reloaded Windows to get rid of the Dell stock image and go to the Windows image, or if it was a driver I was either missing , or maybe one that Windows update wants me to install.  I know Windows update has a whole slew of crap I don't want to install, and there are a few intel ones in the list, but I am avoiding them for now.  For now I am running JUST the intel ones off the Dell support site, and I am back on the AW OS image...see if that stays stable for a few days now. 

 

Glad to hear you got that sorted out… hope it stays that way.

[ssj92]

Does the older XTU versions still work? I'm on older XTU and 1.6.0 bios still