precision 7530 Precision 7530 upgrade

[Jers6410]

Hi everyone!

This topic is for asking some help from you.

 

I'm the owner of a Precision 7530. Here are the specs:

-Intel Xeon E-2176M

-Heatsink Nv-128 model with Sunon fans

-RAM 16x2 Hynix DDR4-2666 PC4-21300 1333.3 Mhz

-Wifi/BT card Intel AX200

-Windows 11

 

The goal? Well like any tech enthusiast get the max from this machine. Here you can give me your recommendations, I'll be really thankful to read your suggestions.

 

Also this machine came with two problems:

1) Bluetooth seems to be blocked by BIOS

 I read in some forums that in some cases companies ask Dell to block bluetooth for security reasons, so in this machine the option in BIOS is grayed out...

Is there any way to unlock that by modding the BIOS or something like that? Also is that even possible? And if so, is there any other benefits from modding?

2) This machine includes a Quadro P1000 physically installed but it is not recognized

I already did the necessary maintenance to the machine and checked for any physical damage in the mainboard or the DGFF cable and the three GPU connectors but nothing seems to be broken... My guess is that the GPU is simply dead. Should I test anything else? I'm not an electronics expert so maybe there is something I'm not seeing but what do you think?

 

If you have any hardware upgrade recommendations I'll be happy to read your advices in terms of fans, RAM, GPU or any other. The main purpose for this topic is to know which upgrades can I do to this machine.

Thanks for your help.

 

Best regards to everyone!

[Chalybion]

Welcome!  Some thoughts on upgrades:

- CPU:  It is BGA of course.  The highest upgrade option is the Precision 7540 motherboard with a 9980HK or Xeon 2286M.  If you go this route, it is probably best to get a whole, working computer for cheap and swap out the mobo.  This would solve your BIOS issue too...

- RAM:  The memory controller isn't good.  The only upgrade is a lower latency.  I tried 3200 MHz RAM from the small list of 'officially supported' DIMMs, and it gave a bunch of errors no matter how I tweaked.  2933 MHz might be possible, but I didn't want to spend more time/money, and 2933 MHz DIMMs are rarer than 2666 or 3200.  128 GB of 2666 MHz is also possible, if you can use it.

- Delta fans are less whiny than Sunon, but harder to find.  Look for the white connector (instead of black):  eBay Delta Fan Listing

- GPU:  I have a spare Quadro T1000 if you want to double your P1000 performance for cheap.  It uses the same heat sink.  Midrange is the RTX 3000 (~$200 + 2nd heat sink design), high end is RTX 4000/5000 ($300-450 + third heatsink design - best to buy a complete machine)

- Screen:  The LG LP156QHG-SP(V1) is the best available option - 40 pin, 0.4mm pitch eDP connector, 1440P, 400 nits, 240 Hz.  Requires the UHD screen cable, which is only compatible with the silver lid and IR camera.

- PTM7950 is a super, stable thermal interface material

- Undervolting can be enabled via BIOS variables (see Precision 7540 thread); your 2176M should accept a healthy undervolt and run max all-core turbo speeds at <80°C

- Wi-fi:  Not sure if Wi-Fi 7 would work, if you find an A+E key module?  Otherwise, the only better Wi-fi modules are the AX210 and the Killer (Intel) AX1675

[Chalybion]

The 8950HK is an intriguing processor at a reasonable price:  eBay Link

The heatsink can dissipate a maximum of ~110W from the CPU; this limit is challenged by the octa-core CPUs.  However, the unlocked hex-core 8950HK should have plenty of headroom for tweaking and overclocking; it is potentially the most fun CPU in this computer model.  Extrapolating my 9980HK voltage frequency curve to the 8950HK - 4.8 GHz all-core should be do-able; the magic 5.0 GHz all-core might be possible if the CPU undervolts well and with a good cooling pad.

[nforce4max]

128gb at 2666 works as that was an stock option though very costly at the time, ended up with a complete kit from a scrap laptop and it worked in my 7740 without issue. You'll love the gpu upgrade once you are fortunate enough to get either a 4000 or 5000 as they are well behaved and don't put out too much heat while gaming.

[Jers6410]

20 hours ago, Chalybion said:

Welcome!  Some thoughts on upgrades:

- CPU:  It is BGA of course.  The highest upgrade option is the Precision 7540 motherboard with a 9980HK or Xeon 2286M.  If you go this route, it is probably best to get a whole, working computer for cheap and swap out the mobo.  This would solve your BIOS issue too...

- RAM:  The memory controller isn't good.  The only upgrade is a lower latency.  I tried 3200 MHz RAM from the small list of 'officially supported' DIMMs, and it gave a bunch of errors no matter how I tweaked.  2933 MHz might be possible, but I didn't want to spend more time/money, and 2933 MHz DIMMs are rarer than 2666 or 3200.  128 GB of 2666 MHz is also possible, if you can use it.

- Delta fans are less whiny than Sunon, but harder to find.  Look for the white connector (instead of black):  eBay Delta Fan Listing

- GPU:  I have a spare Quadro T1000 if you want to double your P1000 performance for cheap.  It uses the same heat sink.  Midrange is the RTX 3000 (~$200 + 2nd heat sink design), high end is RTX 4000/5000 ($300-450 + third heatsink design - best to buy a complete machine)

- Screen:  The LG LP156QHG-SP(V1) is the best available option - 40 pin, 0.4mm pitch eDP connector, 1440P, 400 nits, 240 Hz.  Requires the UHD screen cable, which is only compatible with the silver lid and IR camera.

- PTM7950 is a super, stable thermal interface material

- Undervolting can be enabled via BIOS variables (see Precision 7540 thread); your 2176M should accept a healthy undervolt and run max all-core turbo speeds at <80°C

- Wi-fi:  Not sure if Wi-Fi 7 would work, if you find an A+E key module?  Otherwise, the only better Wi-fi modules are the AX210 and the Killer (Intel) AX1675

That's a lot info! Thanks!

 

Well, first I would like to focus on undervolting via BIOS, right now I was able to undervolt with throttlestop -168 for the core and -126 for cache, I don't know if the BIOS option will be better you can tell me. With those settings the sustained CPU frequency is 3.7 Ghz in all cores, kinda slow I think.

 

RAM, fans and screen will be a project for the future, but thanks for sharing me that.

For the GPU it sounds interesting, maybe we can talk about that, send me a message and we'll see.

My goal for the GPU is a RTX 4000 or 3000, for the future of course, but tell me is it worth to get a 4000?

[Chalybion]

A few corrections/notes:

The Precision 7530 didn't have the silver aluminum lid.  It does have a UHD-specific carbon fiber lid; the importance is that UHD screen lids only fit the IR camera, and as a result don't have space for the WWAN antennae

 

I disable two cores of my 9980HK in the BIOS, and then was able to overclock to 4.7 GHz all-core (six cores) with an undervolt (-185 mV core, -85 mV cache) and full fan speed.  Based on that, 4.4-4.5 GHz seems a reasonable speed for the 8950HK in daily usage.

 

You have a good undervolt!  The BIOS variables are useful to: 1) Enable undervolting if currently disabled, 2) Enable a persistent undervolt if using virtualization in Windows 11, or 3) reducing IMON slope to enable CPU power to exceed the PL1/PL2, which are normally limited by Dell's embedded controller

 

The RTX 4000 is the Max-Q variant, power-limited to 80 or 90W, so it always runs cool.  It is worth it if you want more than 4 GB VRAM, more speed, or a similar feature set to modern nvidia cards (ray tracing, etc) - it is equivalent to an RTX 2070, and in the realm of an RTX 4050.

[Jers6410]

I didn't know that it was possible to disable cores. Is it possible to get some more power from this CPU? 3.7 GHz isn't bad but a bit more will be great. 

This machine came with a LG model 156WF6 display.

[PHVM_BR]

1 hour ago, Jers6410 said:

I didn't know that it was possible to disable cores. Is it possible to get some more power from this CPU? 3.7 GHz isn't bad but a bit more will be great. 

This machine came with a LG model 156WF6 display.

If I'm not mistaken, this Xeon can go up to 4.1GHz on all cores at full load.

 

Limited to 3.7GHz at full load it is certainly suffering from throttling due to insufficient power limit or thermal throttling.

 

If your undervolt is actually applied it is probably limited to 3.7GHz due to the thermal limit.

 

With a good thermal compound and undervolt you will get the full performance of this CPU easily.

[Jers6410]

On 11/1/2024 at 12:50 PM, PHVM_BR said:

If I'm not mistaken, this Xeon can go up to 4.1GHz on all cores at full load.

 

Limited to 3.7GHz at full load it is certainly suffering from throttling due to insufficient power limit or thermal throttling.

 

If your undervolt is actually applied it is probably limited to 3.7GHz due to the thermal limit.

 

With a good thermal compound and undervolt you will get the full performance of this CPU easily.

By checking Hwinfo I noticed that the temps are around 88-90 °C so they are kinda high, that must be the problem.

Is PTM7950 that good? You can share your experience here please. I found that thermal compound in Aliexpress for 16$ with size 80x80mm and 0.25mm thickness. It comes with all additional tools included and in sealed original Honeywell packaging.

Thinking about RTX3000 upgrade which brand of thermal pads do you recommend? And what thickness should I get?

[PHVM_BR]

1 hour ago, Jers6410 said:

By checking Hwinfo I noticed that the temps are around 88-90 °C so they are kinda high, that must be the problem.

Is PTM7950 that good? You can share your experience here please. I found that thermal compound in Aliexpress for 16$ with size 80x80mm and 0.25mm thickness. It comes with all additional tools included and in sealed original Honeywell packaging.

Thinking about RTX3000 upgrade which brand of thermal pads do you recommend? And what thickness should I get?

If the clock is at 3.7GHz at full load at 90°C, your problem is not thermal limitation but power limit.

 

In Dell Power Manager are there different performance profiles?

 

On the Precision 7540 there is the Ultra Performance option that increases the power limit and fan rotation, making it possible to achieve more performance.

 

Post a screenshot of the Throttlestop FIVR window here.

 

With the undervolt you mentioned you should be reaching the maximum performance of this Xeon.

 

With PTM 7950 you will get another level in the performance / temperature ratio.

 

I have a Precision that had an i7-9750H, similar to the Xeon in your laptop, and with PTM 7950 I could run Cinebench R23 at maximum performance (4.0GHz on all cores) without undervolt consuming ~100W at ~95°C with the fans at maximum.

 

With -125mV in the cache and -210mV in the core, consumption decreased to ~60W under the same conditions and the temperature was ~78°C with the fans at 75%.

 

You will not need to change the thermal pads because if you buy an RTX 3000 you will need a new heatsink assembly and the thermal pads are already applied.

 

In my experience these machines do not require replacement thermal pads to obtain maximum hardware performance.

[Jers6410]

19 hours ago, PHVM_BR said:

If the clock is at 3.7GHz at full load at 90°C, your problem is not thermal limitation but power limit.

 

In Dell Power Manager are there different performance profiles?

 

On the Precision 7540 there is the Ultra Performance option that increases the power limit and fan rotation, making it possible to achieve more performance.

 

Post a screenshot of the Throttlestop FIVR window here.

 

With the undervolt you mentioned you should be reaching the maximum performance of this Xeon.

 

With PTM 7950 you will get another level in the performance / temperature ratio.

 

I have a Precision that had an i7-9750H, similar to the Xeon in your laptop, and with PTM 7950 I could run Cinebench R23 at maximum performance (4.0GHz on all cores) without undervolt consuming ~100W at ~95°C with the fans at maximum.

 

With -125mV in the cache and -210mV in the core, consumption decreased to ~60W under the same conditions and the temperature was ~78°C with the fans at 75%.

 

You will not need to change the thermal pads because if you buy an RTX 3000 you will need a new heatsink assembly and the thermal pads are already applied.

 

In my experience these machines do not require replacement thermal pads to obtain maximum hardware performance.

I installed the the application an set it to Ultra Performance but nothing changed.

But after reading this I noticed that Throttlestop shows PL1 and EDP other as limit reasons.

[PHVM_BR]

Try lowering it to -210mV in core while keeping the -126mV in cache.

 

This should allow the CPU to increase clock speed during Cinebench.

 

It makes a big difference to move the air intake away from the table top.

A simple laptop stand solves the problem.

 

The Precisions have the power limits locked in the EC, so if selecting Ultra Performance in the power manager does not increase PL1 you are limited to 60W.

 

On the Precision 7540 this limit is 75W.

 

You can try to increase PL1 and check Lock MMIO to confirm.

 

Your Speedshift is at 84 which is not ideal for pure processor performance.

 

If it's Windows 11, select performance mode and Speedshift goes to 63 and this makes a small difference.

 

I personally don't use High Performance mode (Speedshift 0) by checking the option in the main Throttlestop window.

[Jers6410]

Ok I tried the -210 setting and it reduced the temps a bit more that's actually great but the PL1 keeps the power limited to 60W after a seconds on full load.

Increasing the PL1 limit didn't work, I guess that for this to be achieved a mod to the BIOS may be the solution.

If you have another suggestions let me know and will keep trying.

I really appreciate for your help!

[PHVM_BR]

9 hours ago, Jers6410 said:

Ok I tried the -210 setting and it reduced the temps a bit more that's actually great but the PL1 keeps the power limited to 60W after a seconds on full load.

Increasing the PL1 limit didn't work, I guess that for this to be achieved a mod to the BIOS may be the solution.

If you have another suggestions let me know and will keep trying.

I really appreciate for your help!

In Cinebench reducing it to -210mV you should see the clock increase with the temperature remaining the same as it will continue to consume 60W.

 

Generally with Speedshift at 0 with high performance selected in the Throttlestop main window it is possible to increase the undervoltage.

 

This occurs because the voltage x clock curve varies and generally at higher clocks it is possible to reduce the voltage a little more.

 

With Speedshift at 0, the processor will always try to keep clocks at maximum, thus allowing greater undervoltage.

 

Try setting High Performance in Throttlestop with -135mV in cache and -225mV in core.

 

This will allow reaching higher clocks in Cinebench, probably close to the maximum clock possible on all CPU cores (4.1GHz) but probably still limited by the PL1 of 60W.

 

The only way I know of getting around the EC power limit is by changing the IMON slope/IMON offset, but on the Precision 7540 I found that forcing the CPU for about 2 minutes at 92°C or more causes the power limit decrease even when changing IMON slope.

 

 

[Jers6410]

Really thanks for your suggestions. Temps improved a little bit, allowing the CPU to achieve 4.1 GHz for a bit longer than before but it always triggers PL1.