Given there's a lot of threads with queries regarding this laptop I thought I would start a thread for us to share tips and experiences.
Fan/Power Profiles:
There are a couple of options with regards to fan profiles. I've dabbled around with them but I always settle on the "Overclock" option. This effectively takes the default fan curve and lowers it so that the fans come in earlier. During normal running they sit and quietly idle for me, when the CPU gets pushed they come on a little stronger and when the temperatures go above 60°C they start to really come on song. I've not had any temperature issues since undervolting and selecting the overclock fan profile. Completely vanilla would see 90-95°C performance bench temperatures. Undervolt and Overclock fan profile now sees 80°C in the same test. It's probably most beneficial to have the overclock setting automatically setup for when the laptop is in "performance" mode. To do this open up the Clevo Control panel, click on the "Performance" option then click "SYSTEM PROGRAM". Next to "FAN SPEED" simply click on the "OVERCLOCK" option and you are done. Now when "PERFORMANCE MODE" is selected the "OVERCLOCK" fan profile will be selected in tandem. I have the "QUIET", "POWER SAVING" and "ENTERTAINMENT" profiles set as "AUTOMATIC" with only the "PERFORMANCE" option set to "OVERCLOCK".
Clevo Control Panel Overclocking Facility Issues:
There seems to be a bit of a conflict with this software when first installed. It's fairly easy to fix it in that all you need to do is uninstall it and then re-install it to get it working. The latest version of the software should be available via your PCS downloads under "hotkey". It's also available directly from the Clevo website. Uninstall the control panel, reboot your laptop and then install the latest version. If you are still having issues with the control panel installation try changing your system language to US English.
Touchpad Disable Control not working:
As with the Clevo Control Centre software the Synaptics software seems to suffer the same issue. Again, the solution is to uninstall the Synaptics software (if it's installed, there is a default Windows download that doesn't quite do it all), reboot your PC and then install it again. You don't need to uninstall the driver via the Device Manager, via the control panel "Add/Remove Programs" is fine, reboot then install. I downloaded the software from the Clevo website for this.
Nvidia Drivers:
Unsurprisingly there are a few gotchas with the Nvidia drivers. At the time of writing the latest drivers do not work with the system. The current driver I'm using is 375.63 and it's working flawlessly. One other thing to bare in mind is that if you are using a bare install of Windows you need to be above version 1511 for the drivers to load. Otherwise you will be met with a "no compatible operating system" type message.
6700k Undervolt & CPU Temperature:
When pushed to the absolute limit, as stock, I'm confident that every Octane III with the 6700k will have high temperatures out of the box. There's a fairly straightforward way to sort this out and it's by undervolting the CPU. Almost every CPU should be stable around -200mv and every one should easily be stable at -150. To undervolt your CPU make sure everything is set to the default settings in the OC configurator. If you have any issues with the overclocking software see the Clevo Control Panel Overclocking Facility Issues notes. Open up the software, click "CPU" in the bottom right, click "Default" then click "Save". Scroll down to CPU Voltage and change the adaptive voltage to -150mv. Once this is set put your PC through its paces and make sure that everything is rock solid stable, it should all be fine. If you are happy, drop the voltage in -10mv increments until you notice the slightest of issues then add 10mv to ensure stability. You have now reached the minimum required voltage for stable use. Your PC should be running nice and cool now (around 85C absolute max).
GPU Temperature:
In my experience there are no GPU temperature issues. I've personally had no problems or issues in that regard and I'm yet to read of any that haven't been paste issues. If you are experiencing high GPU temperatures then it would point to the cooling hardware rather than any configuration issues. That's not to say it isn't a config problem, it's just unlikely. Post up any findings you have with regards to temperatures.
Maximum Temperatures & Ideal running temperatures:
The 6700k has a TJMax of 100°C. Obviously you don't want to be operating at/near this temperature for any length of time so to keep a safe margin I would recommend aiming for a maximum running temperature of 85°C. I personally don't mind brief spikes up to 95°C but I wouldn't be happy running at this level for any length of time. Thankfully the undervolt has actually kept me inside 80°C for the most part with the occasional spike to 85°C. Anything over this temperature is likely to affect the life of the CPU and the efficiency of which will eventually lead to even higher temperatures. The GTX1080 is a real enigma to me. No matter what I do with this GPU I can't get it to go over 70°C. To that end, if it's not broken don't fix it. Similar to the CPU you only need to raise an eyebrow when the temperatures are sustained over 85°C. From what I've read this GPU is actually more effective/efficient at the 80°C bracket which is a brilliant move from NVidia. If you are seeing high temperatures on the GPU (85°C+) then it's definitely worth investigating. Idle temps for me at switch on are high 20s, warm idle temps are low-mid 30s depending on ambient (currently 34°C on my knee).
Benchmarks:
Using Firestrike in 3DMARK with the default settings and with the Laptop running in the "OVERCLOCK" fan profile with the -150mv setting I will get scores between 16700-16800. Temperatures don't go over 80°C on the CPU and don't go over 67°C on the GPU. This is with the 6700k and the GTX1080. Anything in or around this score with the same setup should be spot on.
Battery Performance:
I genuinely don't take my laptop out of "PERFORMANCE MODE". I've never seen a benefit to be honest, it feels like performance mode would net you around 10 minutes from my tests... even that might have been a fluke. So, with that in mind I don't see the point in gimping the system for the sake of a few minutes. In performance mode with the screen at minimum I'll get a maximum of 3hrs of usage doing normal day to day typing/browsing/etc. If you start pushing the CPU or using the GPU expect to see that drop massively. I've had it as low as 45 minutes during heavy usage. One thing to bare in mind is that you won't be able to use the GPU to anywhere near its potential when on the battery. The output of ANY battery isn't going to power a 6700k and a GTX1080. I don't think there is any gaming laptop on the market that will give you full utilisation of the hardware on the battery. I've changed my performance settings to NOT drop the CPU/GPU core clocks etc which means I get the maximum allowed outside power constraints. In this mode I can still only manage 30fps in Tomb Raider Anniversary edition so it doesn't really have proper gaming power on the go.
Software Recommendations:
3DMARK - Used to run Firestrike tests/comparisons along with other various benchmarks. The default option for most.
HWMonitor - Used to monitor the temperatures of the various components. I have this running minimised at startup.
Clevo Control Centre - This setup is fine when you get it working. I've read of other users opting for XTU, I did have a look but Clevo is absolutely fine and very user friendly.
3DMARK11 - The only reason I recommend giving this a go is that I found the Skydiver benchmark to really push my CPU temps up. I'm not sure why that's the case but I knew things were fine when I passed this sub 85°C.
GTA V - Even with the undervolt I could hit 90°C on this game with every setting at max (not just ultra, ever slider maxed). Before tuning the undervolt and repasting I hit 95°C with this game. This is not a true reflection of the laptop's performance as the settings I chose were completely unrealistic and added nothing at all to the game. It's a GREAT stress test though and shows exactly how high your temperatures can get. This pushed way harder than any bench/stress test I ran.
Fan/Power Profiles:
There are a couple of options with regards to fan profiles. I've dabbled around with them but I always settle on the "Overclock" option. This effectively takes the default fan curve and lowers it so that the fans come in earlier. During normal running they sit and quietly idle for me, when the CPU gets pushed they come on a little stronger and when the temperatures go above 60°C they start to really come on song. I've not had any temperature issues since undervolting and selecting the overclock fan profile. Completely vanilla would see 90-95°C performance bench temperatures. Undervolt and Overclock fan profile now sees 80°C in the same test. It's probably most beneficial to have the overclock setting automatically setup for when the laptop is in "performance" mode. To do this open up the Clevo Control panel, click on the "Performance" option then click "SYSTEM PROGRAM". Next to "FAN SPEED" simply click on the "OVERCLOCK" option and you are done. Now when "PERFORMANCE MODE" is selected the "OVERCLOCK" fan profile will be selected in tandem. I have the "QUIET", "POWER SAVING" and "ENTERTAINMENT" profiles set as "AUTOMATIC" with only the "PERFORMANCE" option set to "OVERCLOCK".
Clevo Control Panel Overclocking Facility Issues:
There seems to be a bit of a conflict with this software when first installed. It's fairly easy to fix it in that all you need to do is uninstall it and then re-install it to get it working. The latest version of the software should be available via your PCS downloads under "hotkey". It's also available directly from the Clevo website. Uninstall the control panel, reboot your laptop and then install the latest version. If you are still having issues with the control panel installation try changing your system language to US English.
Touchpad Disable Control not working:
As with the Clevo Control Centre software the Synaptics software seems to suffer the same issue. Again, the solution is to uninstall the Synaptics software (if it's installed, there is a default Windows download that doesn't quite do it all), reboot your PC and then install it again. You don't need to uninstall the driver via the Device Manager, via the control panel "Add/Remove Programs" is fine, reboot then install. I downloaded the software from the Clevo website for this.
Nvidia Drivers:
Unsurprisingly there are a few gotchas with the Nvidia drivers. At the time of writing the latest drivers do not work with the system. The current driver I'm using is 375.63 and it's working flawlessly. One other thing to bare in mind is that if you are using a bare install of Windows you need to be above version 1511 for the drivers to load. Otherwise you will be met with a "no compatible operating system" type message.
6700k Undervolt & CPU Temperature:
When pushed to the absolute limit, as stock, I'm confident that every Octane III with the 6700k will have high temperatures out of the box. There's a fairly straightforward way to sort this out and it's by undervolting the CPU. Almost every CPU should be stable around -200mv and every one should easily be stable at -150. To undervolt your CPU make sure everything is set to the default settings in the OC configurator. If you have any issues with the overclocking software see the Clevo Control Panel Overclocking Facility Issues notes. Open up the software, click "CPU" in the bottom right, click "Default" then click "Save". Scroll down to CPU Voltage and change the adaptive voltage to -150mv. Once this is set put your PC through its paces and make sure that everything is rock solid stable, it should all be fine. If you are happy, drop the voltage in -10mv increments until you notice the slightest of issues then add 10mv to ensure stability. You have now reached the minimum required voltage for stable use. Your PC should be running nice and cool now (around 85C absolute max).
GPU Temperature:
In my experience there are no GPU temperature issues. I've personally had no problems or issues in that regard and I'm yet to read of any that haven't been paste issues. If you are experiencing high GPU temperatures then it would point to the cooling hardware rather than any configuration issues. That's not to say it isn't a config problem, it's just unlikely. Post up any findings you have with regards to temperatures.
Maximum Temperatures & Ideal running temperatures:
The 6700k has a TJMax of 100°C. Obviously you don't want to be operating at/near this temperature for any length of time so to keep a safe margin I would recommend aiming for a maximum running temperature of 85°C. I personally don't mind brief spikes up to 95°C but I wouldn't be happy running at this level for any length of time. Thankfully the undervolt has actually kept me inside 80°C for the most part with the occasional spike to 85°C. Anything over this temperature is likely to affect the life of the CPU and the efficiency of which will eventually lead to even higher temperatures. The GTX1080 is a real enigma to me. No matter what I do with this GPU I can't get it to go over 70°C. To that end, if it's not broken don't fix it. Similar to the CPU you only need to raise an eyebrow when the temperatures are sustained over 85°C. From what I've read this GPU is actually more effective/efficient at the 80°C bracket which is a brilliant move from NVidia. If you are seeing high temperatures on the GPU (85°C+) then it's definitely worth investigating. Idle temps for me at switch on are high 20s, warm idle temps are low-mid 30s depending on ambient (currently 34°C on my knee).
Benchmarks:
Using Firestrike in 3DMARK with the default settings and with the Laptop running in the "OVERCLOCK" fan profile with the -150mv setting I will get scores between 16700-16800. Temperatures don't go over 80°C on the CPU and don't go over 67°C on the GPU. This is with the 6700k and the GTX1080. Anything in or around this score with the same setup should be spot on.
Battery Performance:
I genuinely don't take my laptop out of "PERFORMANCE MODE". I've never seen a benefit to be honest, it feels like performance mode would net you around 10 minutes from my tests... even that might have been a fluke. So, with that in mind I don't see the point in gimping the system for the sake of a few minutes. In performance mode with the screen at minimum I'll get a maximum of 3hrs of usage doing normal day to day typing/browsing/etc. If you start pushing the CPU or using the GPU expect to see that drop massively. I've had it as low as 45 minutes during heavy usage. One thing to bare in mind is that you won't be able to use the GPU to anywhere near its potential when on the battery. The output of ANY battery isn't going to power a 6700k and a GTX1080. I don't think there is any gaming laptop on the market that will give you full utilisation of the hardware on the battery. I've changed my performance settings to NOT drop the CPU/GPU core clocks etc which means I get the maximum allowed outside power constraints. In this mode I can still only manage 30fps in Tomb Raider Anniversary edition so it doesn't really have proper gaming power on the go.
Software Recommendations:
3DMARK - Used to run Firestrike tests/comparisons along with other various benchmarks. The default option for most.
HWMonitor - Used to monitor the temperatures of the various components. I have this running minimised at startup.
Clevo Control Centre - This setup is fine when you get it working. I've read of other users opting for XTU, I did have a look but Clevo is absolutely fine and very user friendly.
3DMARK11 - The only reason I recommend giving this a go is that I found the Skydiver benchmark to really push my CPU temps up. I'm not sure why that's the case but I knew things were fine when I passed this sub 85°C.
GTA V - Even with the undervolt I could hit 90°C on this game with every setting at max (not just ultra, ever slider maxed). Before tuning the undervolt and repasting I hit 95°C with this game. This is not a true reflection of the laptop's performance as the settings I chose were completely unrealistic and added nothing at all to the game. It's a GREAT stress test though and shows exactly how high your temperatures can get. This pushed way harder than any bench/stress test I ran.
Last edited:
