Ionico 17' RTX 3070 Laptop GPU / Ryzen 9 5900HX - Worth upgrading Ram from 32gb 2400mhz to 32gb 3200mhz?

[alex1996967]

Hey all,

Looking for advise for a potential upgrade on the below:

I've been noticing what I believe to be more CPU bottlenecks when gaming, maybe I'm just picky - Would it be worthwhile to swap the 32gb 2400MHz 2x16 to 32gb 3200mhz 2x16 gb?

Any previous experience or recommendations would be great, can buy the parts directly from PCS for around £60 so happy to spend and fit it myself, just wanted to see if it'd be worth it.

Chassis & Display	Ionico Series: 17.3" Matte QHD 165Hz sRGB 100% LED Widescreen (2560x1440)
Processor (CPU)	AMD Ryzen™ 9 Eight Core Processor 5900HX (3.3GHz, 4.6GHz Turbo)
Memory (RAM)	32GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card	NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 3070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st M.2 SSD Drive	1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader	Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor	1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable	1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery	Ionico Series Integrated 91WH Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste	STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card	2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC/Headphone Jack
Bluetooth & Wireless	GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0

 

[Bhuna50]

What sort of temperatures are you seeing in game?

How long have you had the laptop and have you done any servicing on it - eg dust clearance, re-paste?

These are all things that could effect your CPU throttling

 

[alex1996967]

Neither GPU not CPU exceed 86 degrees in game, cleaned the dust out but yet to thermal paste as got no clue how to do so, i've taken the back off and dust cleaned but a bit lost on the heatsink. Had the laptop for just under 2 years but had it sent back as an RMA due to faulty GPU, which they replaced i'd assume they repasted the CPU and GPU when they did this in march this year.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Neither GPU not CPU exceed 86 degrees in game, cleaned the dust out but yet to thermal paste as got no clue how to do so, i've taken the back off and dust cleaned but a bit lost on the heatsink. Had the laptop for just under 2 years but had it sent back as an RMA due to faulty GPU, which they replaced i'd assume they repasted the CPU and GPU when they did this in march this year.

Can you just run a prime95 stress for 10 minutes and take a screenshot of the CPU readouts on HWMonitor WHILE the test is still running?

GIMPS - Free Prime95 software downloads - PrimeNet

GIMPS has free software available for Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OSX. Contribute to the effort by using your computer's spare processing power.

www.mersenne.org

https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html - use the free version, not pro trial

 

[alex1996967]

Sure will do so in the morning, thanks !

 

[SpyderTracks]

Sure will do so in the morning, thanks !

If it’s 86 on the gpu, that’s far too high, 84 is the target temp, so suggests the gpu is thermal throttling, but we need to know if that’s due to the cpu running hot too, or down to software misconfiguration

 

[Bhuna50]

Had the laptop for just under 2 years

Did you get Gold warranty - ie 2 years.

If so, how close are you to it running out?

 

[alex1996967]

Hey, apologies for the mistake, GPU doesn't exceed 80 degrees usually in game, i've got a photo of the stress test 9mins in using HW monitor and then for reference in game for total war warhammer 3 for their benchmark, GPu got to 80 degrees max in the test.

 

[alex1996967]

Only Silver Warranty unfortunately so parts no longer covered.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Hey, apologies for the mistake, GPU doesn't exceed 80 degrees usually in game, i've got a photo of the stress test 9mins in using HW monitor and then for reference in game for total war warhammer 3 for their benchmark, GPu got to 80 degrees max in the test.

You can’t measure gpu temps in a game, only a stress test.

The CPU is thermal throttling, you can see your clocks are right down because it’s hitting the 95c limit.

Can you now run a 10 minute stress with furmark and take a similar screenshot on the gpu after 10 mins while the test is still running?

FurMark Homepage

FurMark - GPU stress test and graphics card benchmark

geeks3d.com

 

[alex1996967]

You can’t measure gpu temps in a game, only a stress test.

The CPU is thermal throttling, you can see your clocks are right down because it’s hitting the 95c limit.

Can you now run a 10 minute stress with furmark and take a similar screenshot on the gpu after 10 mins while the test is still running?

FurMark Homepage

FurMark - GPU stress test and graphics card benchmark

geeks3d.com

Beginning to think there may be a temperature issue on this laptop haha

 

[SpyderTracks]

Beginning to think there may be a temperature issue on this laptop haha

Yep, that's thermal throttling across the board.

The first thing you want to do is replace the paste, but don't bother with more paste, there's a new product out by Thermal Grizzly which is a carbon fibre sheet, I've used the first iteration of it which was a graphite pad, wasn't quite as good as something like Kryonaut, but this new stuff is genuinely better than even Kryonaut, it's in between Kryonaut and a decent liquid metal.

The huge benefit of it is that it doesn't degrade, ever (unless you rip it), so you just apply it once and never have to worry about it again. I had my one on my laptop from 2019, I've only just retired it a few weeks ago (it was 10 years old) but after applying the thermal sheet, temps never moved once.

I would apply one of these for the CPU: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermal-Grizzly-Conductivity-Alternative-Performance/dp/B0C61QGH5Z?th=1

Make sure it's as close to the right size if you can't find the exact size. Be aware it's conductive, but so long as it's within a few mm of the actual size of the die, that will never be a problem.

BUT for the GPU (assuming it's a shared cooling lane on that chassis), people will tell me I'm crazy but in my experience, thermal paste isn't suitable, simply because the tolerance height differential is far greater on the GPU heatsink. I would personally suggest a cooling pad is a much better solution for any GPU. Again, be sure it's big enough to cover the die.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermal-Grizzly-Minus-Pad-Extreme/dp/B09RQW3P63

 

[alex1996967]

Yep, that's thermal throttling across the board.

The first thing you want to do is replace the paste, but don't bother with more paste, there's a new product out by Thermal Grizzly which is a carbon fibre sheet, I've used the first iteration of it which was a graphite pad, wasn't quite as good as something like Kryonaut, but this new stuff is genuinely better than even Kryonaut, it's in between Kryonaut and a decent liquid metal.

The huge benefit of it is that it doesn't degrade, ever (unless you rip it), so you just apply it once and never have to worry about it again. I had my one on my laptop from 2019, I've only just retired it a few weeks ago (it was 10 years old) but after applying the thermal sheet, temps never moved once.

I would apply one of these for the CPU: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermal-Grizzly-Conductivity-Alternative-Performance/dp/B0C61QGH5Z?th=1

Make sure it's as close to the right size if you can't find the exact size. Be aware it's conductive, but so long as it's within a few mm of the actual size of the die, that will never be a problem.

BUT for the GPU (assuming it's a shared cooling lane on that chassis), people will tell me I'm crazy but in my experience, thermal paste isn't suitable, simply because the tolerance height differential is far greater on the GPU heatsink. I would personally suggest a cooling pad is a much better solution for any GPU. Again, be sure it's big enough to cover the die.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thermal-Grizzly-Minus-Pad-Extreme/dp/B09RQW3P63

Perfect appreciate it! Don’t suppose the forums have a video tutorial for replacing the heat sink etc? I’ve looked around but haven’t found one yet

 

[SpyderTracks]

Perfect appreciate it! Don’t suppose the forums have a video tutorial for replacing the heat sink etc? I’ve looked around but haven’t found one yet

It's the same on any laptop, there are numbered screws for the heatsink, you take them off in the reverse numbered order to keep even pressure.

The clean both dies with some isopropyl alcohol and cotton buds (just normal ones from chemist or Amazon (other shops are available): https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B079YVPZDF/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=8a5ebb2d5fd152b9d7317233f1ab779b&hsa_cr_id=3553379560402&qid=1696800412&sr=1-1-e0fa1fdd-d857-4087-adda-5bd576b25987&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_title&pd_rd_w=SjMdQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.25f7c301-a223-4ff8-91c9-accfeab9fda8:amzn1.sym.25f7c301-a223-4ff8-91c9-accfeab9fda8&pf_rd_p=25f7c301-a223-4ff8-91c9-accfeab9fda8&pf_rd_r=72XWB0MGWV9XMXK6JG1T&pd_rd_wg=sfXcv&pd_rd_r=8bb20342-e360-4949-95e8-c456537a641b&th=1

When you're tightening them, you tighten them just finger tight so just to the point where it's offering resistance, in order, then tighten them finger tight (again in order) but they don't need to be tight tight at all, just finger tight.

The pads just lay on the die, just be careful with the Kryosheet as it's very fragile and don't handle it with your fingers as you'll transfer finger grease, I'd suggest some quite wide tipped plastic tweezers so as not to risk ripping it.

While you're at it, take the fans off and fully clean them out and give them a proper seeing to, all the heatsinks, those are the points where dust tends to solidify.

If you don't have any decent tools to hand, I strongly recommend picking some up, this kit may seem expensive, but after years of picking up kit after kit (I work in the field so often need precision tools), since I bought these in about 2015, I've never had to buy another kit, the tips are such high quality, they don't shear like most, and the plastic prying tools and tweezers are absolute lifesavers. Anyone that owns a laptop should have this set!

Pro Tech Toolkit

Stop wasting your time frantically searching for the right tool. With our Pro Tech Toolkit you’re ready for any electronic or hardware repair that comes your way!

store.ifixit.co.uk

 

[SpyderTracks]

If you apply that correctly, I feel confident in saying you won't have to worry about thermals for the lifetime of the laptop, it's worth taking the time and doing it slowly and not rushing, get it spot on and that's you done in that regard, all you have to worry about is cleaning heatsinks and fans once a year or so.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Just lastly, it's important to have the right size screw heads, otherwise you run the risk of stripping the screws which is the last thing you want to do. This is where a decent precision toolkit comes in so handy because they cater for a wide range of sizes so you can get it just right.

 

[alex1996967]

Thanks mate appreciate it! Silly questions as I expect the answer already, to determine the thickness I’ll need for the pads etc I’m guessing I’ll need a calliper?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks mate appreciate it! Silly questions as I expect the answer already, to determine the thickness I’ll need for the pads etc I’m guessing I’ll need a calliper?

Easy way is to grab a bit of bluetak, flatten it as much as possible and put it on the GPU die, then fit the heatsink fully, then you should be able to measure it once you take it off, that's going to be the most precise way.

You want a good .5mm over what the bluetak reads.

But the heatpads are like a clay, they just give way under pressure, so it shouldn't really make a difference if it's too thick, it will just spread out the sides more. But they're non conductive so doesn't matter if they do.