Take Full Control of your Razer Blade w/no PL Throttling

Originally Posted in the Razer Blade 15 RTX Thread, posting here too for others with 2017+ Razer Blade models.

***This is entirely at your own risk. By doing any of the BIOS section mods, YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO BRICK YOUR BIOS. I am not responsible if you brick your BIOS. If you're unsure about any step in the process, ask. Be careful and check everything twice.***

Razer uses the AMI BIOS, pretty generic version. Razer also is using a modified version of Windows 10. Before we modify the BIOS to unlock the hidden menu system, we must first get around what "Razer Central" and modified Windows 10 has added to the registry. This includes multiple registry edits and you'll need to add a new register to the registry. It will allow you to adjust "core parking", that will solve the 99% throttle by windows. Every edit will only work when in "Balanced Mode" in Synapse because of Razers Firmware setup. Also, be sure before you begin that your Blade can thermally handle this. Anything above 85c, probably reconsider? Or; laptop cooling pad, repaste?

Disable/delete ThrottleStop and/or Intel XTU before proceeding with BIOS tweaks and mods. You’ll BSOD due to lack of voltage after completing them quote from Hackness, “ThrottleStop's Core and cache's undervolt offset and the BIOS undervolt offset need to be cleared before setting the AC and DC loadline to 1, only very little undervolt is allowed on the cache with AC and DC loadline to 1, around -43mV~-65mV, otherwise it'll crash straight away with voltage offset like -165mV on the cache.”

Registry Edits

1. Windows + R, "regedit" hit Enter.
2. (Copy and Paste after 'Computer') \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Power
   
3. Power should be highlighted and open.
4. Click on CsEnabled and change the hexidecimal value from 1 to 0. (This allows other performance options to be shown after we point the registry to it).
5. We have to edit another register. (Copy and Paste after 'Computer') \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\0cc5b647-c1df-4637-891a-dec35c318583
6. Click 'Attributes' and change the hexidecimal value to 2.
7. Exit Regedit.
8. Open CMD, Run as Administrator.
9. We are going to add two new performance modes, High Performance and Ultimate Performance to the registry via CMD. Copy and Paste 8 and 9 into CMD.
10. High Performance. powercfg -duplicatescheme 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c hit enter.
11. Ultimate Performance. powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61 hit enter.
12. Restart your computer for changes to take affect.

Power Options Bypass of Razer Central

Now since your computer is restarted, we have to trick Windows and Razer Central/Synapse.

1. Right-click Battery Icon and select 'Power Options'.
2. Open 'Show additional Plans'. There should be High Performance and Ultimate Performance. For both plans the steps 3-7 are the same.
3. Click 'Change plan settings'
4. Click 'Change advanced power settings'
5. In the drop down, click the "+" for Processor power management.
6. Click the '+' for Processor performance core parking min cores'.
7. Change "Plugged in" from 100% to 0%. Leave it at 100% for battery or your battery life will crash so hard.

Using either, High Performance or Ultimate Performance power plan modes in conjunction with "Balance Mode" in Synapse, you'll have a slight performance gain across all aspects, GPU, CPU, R/W of SSD (~.1v increase, yeah, really Razer?) On Battery power I recommend you keep your Windows power option to "Balanced'.

BIOS IMAGE Mods/Tweaks/Changes

*** Warning, these changes have the potential to brick your system. If you don't know what you're doing, DO NOT DO THIS. I am not liable or responsible for any outside changes you make to your own BIOS. You make these changes at your own risk.***

Please ensure ThrottleStop and Intel XTU are Deleted/disabled before continuing.

This first step, you are going to have to dive to google and google these programs, (licensing issues and I do not know the policy for uploading them here). The programs you will need to find are:

1. AMIBCP
2. AfuWinGuix64 5.x or higher.

As Razer doesn't key unlock or encrypt their BIOS, they "hide" the options from us. Using those programs, you'll be able to download your BIOS from memory, Edit your BIOS, and reflash your BIOS in windows.

After you have both downloaded and in a single folder:

1. Open AFUWINGUIx64.
2. Click 'Save' and give your .rom a file name or use the option it gives you.
3. Once your BIOS image is saved, make a copy of it, call it "Original_BIOS" and save it.
4. Open AMIBCP.
5. Click 'File" -> Open, select your BIOS image.
6. Once your BIOS image is loaded, make sure you're in the "Setup Configuration" tab.
7. In the left pane, click the '+' next to the un-name folder.
8. Click the '+' for Setup -> Advanced -> Power & Performance.
9. Click 'CPU - Power Management'.
10. In the right pane, you'll changeable options in "Access/Use" clicking on a line will give you options to change. Copy the option changes from my screenshot to match yours. View attachment 171129
11. Click 'Power & Performance' copy my screenshot. View attachment 171130
12. Click 'CPU VR Settings' copy my screenshot. View attachment 171131
13. Click 'File' and Save.
14. Close AMIBCP.

The BIOS image has been edited and modified to show additional settings in BIOS. Now its time to take the modified BIOS version and reflash it to the BIOS chip.

***Before proceeding make sure you are on AC power, not battery.***

1. Open AFUWINGUIx64.
   
2. Click 'Open'.
3. Select your edited BIOS you just made and open it.
4. You should be in the 'Setup' tab of AFUWUNGUIx64.
5. The ONLY thing that should be check marked is "Main BIOS Image".
6. Click 'Flash", let it read, write and verify. Can take a minute or two.
7. Once it's finished. Reboot to BIOS.

BIOS Changes

F1 to enter your BIOS.

Changing the IMON settings solve automatic overvolting and also tricking the computer into thinking you're half the wattage you really are. Technically in theory you could do 80-90 watts to the 8750H all while the computer thinks its really 32ish watts but your CPU voltage at load will be 1.180-1.2v.

1. Navigate to Advanced -> Power & Performance -> CPU - Power Management Control -> CPU VR Settings -> Core/IA VR Settings.
2. AC and DC Loadline change value to 1. This change prohibits Balanced Mode in Synapse to effect voltage throttling in the background.
3. IMON Slope value change to 50.
4. IMON Offset value change to 31999.
5. IMON Prefix to [-] (negative) MUST DO.
6. VR Current Limit value change to 800.
7. TDC Enable set the value to Disabled.
8. F4 save and restart.

It will take about 30 seconds for the computer to boot up after saving.

Once booted into Windows, Set your Synapse to "Balanced Mode", Windows Power option to High or Ultimate Performance. Enjoy the full capabilities of your Razer Blade!

***EDIT: Added ThrottleStop and Intel XTU Warnings of BSOD from @hackness comment. Thank you!

 

Nice

 

First try failed Blade 15 gtx. I mean it’s done as the guide but there’s still Power Limit throttling, BSOD (unstableness, since idle cpu temperature is better before with undervolting), and overclocking menu still doesn’t show.
But there’s some other some interesting find, they seems set too many guard on bios Blade 15 2018 compared 2019 tried multiple flashing that damn OC menu on Bios still doesn’t appear.
Okay today enough tomorrow or later later will try again, won’t stop me, there’s still games to finish, today have to be satisfied with default 1200+ Cinebench aiming extra 50+ or more

 

You forgot to add a warning for that the ThrottleStop's Core and cache's undervolt offset and the BIOS undervolt offset need to be cleared before setting the AC and DC loadline to 1, only very little undervolt is allowed on the cache with AC and DC loadline to 1, around -43mV~-65mV, otherwise it'll crash straight away with voltage offset like -165mV on the cache.

 

This, yes please add it @David Kirchik it gave me bsod even on -100mV, usually mine on -140mV.

 

Thank you for the catch. I've never truly used TS or XTU outside of pre-planning overclocks. I completely spaced on it and thank you Hackness!

 

There’s a new cinebench r20 on the windows store. CPU only, more intense. I PM’d you as well about your bios

 

3 situations if you didn't clear the undervolt offset before setting Ac and DC loadline to 1:

1. If it is undervolted using XTU, once it BSOD it revert all back to 0.
2. If it is undervolted using ThrottleStop, and if the program is set to load on start up, Windows will BSOD or Freeze when the ThrottleStop is loaded. Way to fix it is to get into Safe mode and delete the .ini file in the ThrottleStop folder.
3. If the undervolt is done in the BIOS, and if the full CMOS clear procedure on your laptop doesn't clear all settings back to default, your laptop becomes a brick as you don't have anyway to get into the BIOS menu unless you reflash the BIOS chip using your full BIOS backup file.

No.3 is generally not recommended.

 

if you found a way to get the oc menu in bios to appear on the gtx models of the blade 15, i would like to know how i dont want to rely on throttle stop for undervolting .. -.- and razer completly removed the entry for OCmenu in Bios so you cant easily set it to user editable

 

I’ve actually been working on exactly that for the GTX models. Fingers crossed haha