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Lenovo X1 Extreme

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LindsayD

macrumors regular
Mar 7, 2019
141
93
England
I wouldn't have thought a bios update was included in the control center app update. I've just now recalled that something similar happened to my VAIO when I upgraded it to Win 10 from Win 7 - I lost the ability to install the Vaio app completely and the bios became very basic. However that was a major OS upgrade - all I've done on the Aero is update and reinstall the control center app and reinstall XTU (after trying and de-installing throttlestop).

With the Aero, any bios updates are listed separately in the section of GCC which contains available driver updates and updates for GCC itself, as is the case with my other machines. There hasn't been a new bios update listed since I first got it and I was already running the most recent one. The bland looking bios I saw yesterday is the same version.

I'll do as you suggest and contact gigabyte support (though from what I've been reading they don't always respond).
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,527
43,473
I can't say how Gigabyte handles bios updates, but as you know Lenovo does them in the vantage app. I've long since disabled automatic updates from that app since my laptop is running optimally.
 
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LindsayD

macrumors regular
Mar 7, 2019
141
93
England
Gigabyte's control center is similar to Lenovo vantage, but with more options for things like fan control and keyboard settings. On the updates page you have to manually select an update from a list and choose to apply it, so no chance of things getting automatically applied on the Aero. I updated the control center as I got the impression it had some new features - but I'm struggling to see any differences to the last one (unless the changes are hidden).

I do the same as you on my Lenovo, I disabled auto updates (after learning the hard way that it was set to automatic by default).
 
Queen6

Queen6

macrumors G4
Dec 11, 2008
10,882
10,915
Flying over the rainforest at dawn - Priceless
LindsayD said:
Thank you very much for the detailed reply @Queen6, it’s very helpful to have this discussion. Yesterday I did try to roll my system back to an earlier restore point (I make full system backup images for the desktop but always overlook the laptops). As with past attempts to use restore points over the years it was a complete failure and resulted in endless blue screens and start-up loops. I was able to roll forward to where I had been two days ago, so I gave up on that.

It appears that the version of XTU which accompanies GCC is the full version, at least when compared to how it looks on my other laptop. What is quite interesting is that when I deleted both GCC and XTU in order to cleanly reinstall GCC, XTU installed with my previous undervolt settings intact. It somehow remembered them. But still no watchdog feature.

My understanding is that Watchdog is apparently a BIOS feature. So XTU will only include it if that option is active/available in the BIOS. Here is where it gets interesting - when I last looked in my BIOS a couple of weeks ago (just out of interest, I have never changed any settings there) it was a nice fancy Gigabyte interface with graphics, dials, and a lot of options. When I looked in the BIOS yesterday it looked completely different and is now a bland grey and blue skeleton interface. I can only conclude that reinstalling a newer version of GCC introduced this change (I have not flashed the bios lately). So I’m also concluding that Gigabyte have deliberately disabled Watchdog by default through this latest GCC update. XTU was never visible in GCC itself, I only discovered it came bundled a couple of days ago when I was rummaging around in the folder. Anyway, it also appears that with the latest control centre update gigabyte’s XTU profiles are gone, which could in turn explain why my XTU undervolt now ‘sticks’ on reboot. All of this is guesswork because I’m certainly no expert.

With respect to XTU writing to the BIOS, since I can no longer see any such settings in the BIOS I have no idea what is or isn’t being applied, or maybe it’s hidden.

I’ve also noticed that XTU can appear to have set everything back to zero on reboots (if you look at it immediately on starting) but if you give it a couple of minutes it recovers the settings. On my Lenovo it’s more random – sometimes it keeps the settings and sometimes it doesn’t.

As things stand right now, it appears I can’t run TS and still have GCC installed. I did send a couple of questions to Gigabyte support yesterday so will await an answer.
Click to expand...

I'm on notebooks by default, as desktops don't generally fly well :p Therefore I systematically create full system images. I never rely on Restore Points, up to an including deleting all as to me a waste of disk space.

As ever it's very difficult even with the informed as each and every PC is so very specific, so very personal. That said let's try. Very reason why I avoid XTU as it's far too sensitive to "fault" TS own TS Bench is a better approach. XTU tripping to "zero" is really a poor approach, more a save ass feature than a usable tool. (Intel Dev's take note) GCC & XTU Settings are likely being pulled from the user account or the Registry, which is fine.

Again I know it's a last resort, equally back up the system with the W7 image routine in W10 then do a full reset and see where you stand. look at XTU and what it's doing, if any offsets, null them. Then head to TS, worst to worst you'll just need reload the backup image. It's reliable I've dome it hundreds of times as I have little mercy for SSD's :p

Me at this point I'd do a full rest and rebuild the system as I optimal stability & performance, without any drama. Just my opinion, however I find it pays off in the long term. Set XTU up to default (no undervolt etc,), then set up TS without any auto start and see how it goes...

Q-6
 
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LindsayD

macrumors regular
Mar 7, 2019
141
93
England
Thank you Q-6. Yes, it looks like a rebuild might be the next step. Annoying as it's not a quick build, given what I do. I've also noticed that since I tried TS and then swapped back to XTU my temps are higher than before by about 4 degrees - almost as if the undervolt isn't doing anything. It's set correctly, it's not removing itself on startup so it should be working, so it's odd.

My hope is that if I swipe the drive and do a completely clean rebuild that anything saved or hidden by XTU will be obviated, allowing a fresh start.

Edit: doing a completely clean install would force me into installing Windows 1903 (as was the case in a recent rebuld of my desktop). I've just been reading around and it seems it doesn't play nicely with a lot of laptops, leading to increased CPU usage and fan activity, even with the usual performance measures in place. I don't think I want to risk that, so maybe I should just try resetting the laptop to its factory defaults (if I still have that option) and taking it from there on win 1809. When I installed 1903 on my desktop I lost a few features and I find the machine slightly slower than before.

I'd be curious to know if anyone here has put 1903 on their X1E.
 
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Queen6

Queen6

macrumors G4
Dec 11, 2008
10,882
10,915
Flying over the rainforest at dawn - Priceless
LindsayD said:
Thank you Q-6. Yes, it looks like a rebuild might be the next step. Annoying as it's not a quick build, given what I do. I've also noticed that since I tried TS and then swapped back to XTU my temps are higher than before by about 4 degrees - almost as if the undervolt isn't doing anything. It's set correctly, it's not removing itself on startup so it should be working, so it's odd.

My hope is that if I swipe the drive and do a completely clean rebuild that anything saved or hidden by XTU will be obviated, allowing a fresh start.

Edit: doing a completely clean install would force me into installing Windows 1903 (as was the case in a recent rebuld of my desktop). I've just been reading around and it seems it doesn't play nicely with a lot of laptops, leading to increased CPU usage and fan activity, even with the usual performance measures in place. I don't think I want to risk that, so maybe I should just try resetting the laptop to its factory defaults (if I still have that option) and taking it from there on win 1809. When I installed 1903 on my desktop I lost a few features and I find the machine slightly slower than before.

I'd be curious to know if anyone here has put 1903 on their X1E.
Click to expand...

FYI, jump to where you want :) Agreed it's a really PIA to do a full system rebuild, that's why I use the W7 system image routine regularly as diskspace is cheaper than time :p

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/download-windows-10-th-rs.216164/

Q-6
 
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jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
Help! got a problem with my x1 extreme. I have been away for the last 4 days leaving my x1 extreme at home and upon booting it up i notie the 1050 ti gpu not working :(

i first noticed it when i tried connecting my laptop to my monitor via hdmi and thought it was my monitor o cable and so i tried another laptop and worked fine?

I then dived into the device manager and saw an error under the nvidia hardware saying "windows has stopped this device because t as reported problems(Code 43)

I then launched the lenvova vantage tool to check if there was any updates and found out there was a new bios update so i updated he bios and rebooted the system and no joy, same error.

I then tried uninstalling the nvidia driver and installing it again via nvidia experience and no joy :(

I then tried disabling the nvidia component from device manager and do a hard reboot by holding down the power button and again upon rebooting it says windows stopped the device because of code 43 :(

Any other suggestions i could try?

I barely play video games on this machine and only had it for like 3 months!
 
L

LindsayD

macrumors regular
Mar 7, 2019
141
93
England
At least with the X1E you get onsite service (for 3 years) - so should be hassle free, other than being there to let them in.
 
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jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
I went into bios and enabled it to use descrete graphics only and this what happened
cbc914524f2af3acf287fe07423b767f.jpg
 
H

hajime

macrumors 604
Jul 23, 2007
7,774
1,221
jrichards1408 said:
They have good customer service in London/Uk?
Click to expand...

I don’t know but when I lived in the UK, John Lewis had good customer services. How are they doing these days?

I am waiting for X1 Extreme Gen 2 to come out. It is such a long wait. Probably it will be as noisy as Gen 1.
 
J

jrichards1408

macrumors 6502a
Nov 4, 2016
615
194
hajime said:
I don’t know but when I lived in the UK, John Lewis had good customer services. How are they doing these days?

I am waiting for X1 Extreme Gen 2 to come out. It is such a long wait. Probably it will be as noisy as Gen 1.
Click to expand...
John Lewis? You can't buy an X1 from there. I got mine direct from lenovo
 
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