Repaired laptop, processor still limiting performance. Suggestions? Zephyrus M GU502GV (i7-9750h, RTX 2060)
Repaired laptop, processor still limiting performance. Suggestions? Zephyrus M GU502GV (i7-9750h, RTX 2060)
My sibling is experiencing problems with his laptop that have gotten worse over time. Recently, it hit a critical point so I began running diagnostics to pinpoint the problem. It seems the graphics card is throttling randomly, dropping its frequency down to about 960mhz and reducing power consumption to roughly 40 watts. This clearly impacts performance, yet I've tried numerous solutions without success. The issue has been observed in several games—COD Warzone (2019, Black Ops Cold War, Cold War Zombies, Vanguard), Apex Legends—and also while streaming from his machine.
I had him install MSI Afterburner and set up an overlay to monitor the situation in real time. I also noted that OBS Studio was configured for Windows graphics with High Performance mode enabled (targeting the 2060 model) and the preview window turned off. Here’s a video showing the behavior before, during, and after adjustments: https://clips.twitch.tv/ObedientVainPlum...pvm4kebI0U
Several steps were attempted: driver reinstalls, DDU cleanup, full Windows 10 reinstall, game-specific settings, enabling GPU acceleration in NVIDIA controls, adjusting ASUS Armory Crate to prioritize performance, tweaking graphics profiles, and even changing power plans. I also added extra thermal paste to the CPU, GPU, VRAM, and VRMs, following recommendations from online forums.
After cleaning the fans, heatsinks, and reapplying thermal paste, the problem appeared resolved. The original throttling issue vanished, though temperatures still rose into the mid-80s for the GPU and mid-90s for the CPU. During a live stream with MSI Afterburner active, I observed the CPU dropping from around 4GHz to 2.6GHz, fluctuating noticeably.
Some suggestions: consider using thicker thermal pads for non-CPU/non-GPU components, or even revisiting the KPx CPU/GPU setup. I’m open to feedback on further tweaks. Thanks ahead of time.