what nvidia mx450 type do i have?

[femiarthur1]

I have a hp pavilion 14 laptop with a core i5 1155g7 and geforce mx450 and also 8gb ram. My gpu nvidia mx450 is a 25w gddr5 version of the mx450 but it has lower base and boost clocks. I do not find my version among the common four variants listed in notebookcheck.

N18S-G5-B: GBD-128 Package, 1395 - 1575 MHz, GDDR6 5001 MHz, 28.5 W
N18S-G5: GB2E-64 Package, 1395 - 1575 MHz, GDDR6 5001 MHz, 25 W
N18S-G5: GB2E-64 Package, 1395 - 1575 MHz, GDDR5 3501 MHz, 25 W
N18S-LP: GB2E-64 Package, 720 - 930 MHz, GDDR6 5001 MHz, 12 W

I have been searching for my gpu model and it is slightly different from variant 3. This is exact gpu model

And this is the actual variant 3 listed

Then, which model and what variant is my gpu, is it actually a 25w version? Are these gpus made from the same core variant and are they the same gpu chip being used?

My mx450 gpu only has slightly lower base and boost clock speed but still boost to around 1800mhz like the actual 3rd variant.

And also, are their bios versions compatible and are they of the same core variant. This other version of mx450 is in hp envy notebooks. Are they really different gpu variants?

[Elohi_NR]

Hi @femiarthur1,

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Splendid analysis and remarkable patience were shown. It is immensely appreciated. 

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[femiarthur1]

I couldn't accept the solution like that. I had the hp laptop featuring an nvidia mx450. But a strange variant was put in it. It is not actually among the 4 variants.

And my gpu is having some weird throttling issues where memory clock is reduced from 3500mhz to 3000mhz everytime I play game or do short benchmarks. Maybe it is problem with my strange variant mx450 gpu.

[Raj2111]

Hi @femiarthur1 

Welcome to the HP support community.

It sounds like you're investigating the details of your NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU and comparing it to other variants, specifically concerning the 25W GDDR5 version you're using in your HP Pavilion 14 laptop. Here's a breakdown of the situation based on your observations and questions.

Variants of the NVIDIA MX450

The NVIDIA GeForce MX450 has several variants based on their power usage (TDP) and memory type (GDDR5 or GDDR6). These variants are:

1. N18S-G5-B (28.5W, GDDR6, 5001 MHz, 1395-1575 MHz Boost Clock)
2. N18S-G5 (25W, GDDR6, 5001 MHz, 1395-1575 MHz Boost Clock)
3. N18S-G5 (25W, GDDR5, 3501 MHz, 1395-1575 MHz Boost Clock)
4. N18S-LP (12W, GDDR6, 5001 MHz, 720-930 MHz Boost Clock)

It seems that your laptop uses the 25W, GDDR5 variant (similar to the 3rd variant you referenced), but you are noticing that your GPU is operating with slightly lower base and boost clock speeds, while still managing to reach around 1800 MHz (a bit higher than the 1575 MHz typical for variant 3).

Key Observations:

• TDP and Memory: The 25W variant you are referring to uses GDDR5 memory with a lower memory clock (3501 MHz), which is typically a power-saving version compared to the 28.5W GDDR6 variant with a higher performance memory clock (5001 MHz).
• Base and Boost Clock: The clocks on your variant might not strictly match the listed specifications but can vary depending on specific laptop models, cooling solutions, and power configurations. The 1800 MHz boost you observe is higher than the typical 1575 MHz listed, indicating that your laptop's BIOS or GPU management system may allow for a slightly higher boost clock based on thermal and power constraints.

Are These Different Variants?

• TDP (Thermal Design Power): Higher TDP variants (28.5W and 25W) generally have better performance but consume more power and produce more heat, requiring more robust cooling. The 12W LP (low-power) version is optimized for ultra-thin laptops and has much lower performance.
• Memory Type (GDDR5 vs. GDDR6): GDDR6 offers higher bandwidth and better overall performance than GDDR5, which may contribute to the differences in performance between the models using these memory types.

Despite these differences, all variants of the MX450 are essentially the same GPU chip, just clocked and tuned differently for specific laptop needs.

BIOS Compatibility and Core Variant

Regarding BIOS compatibility, as long as your laptop’s BIOS version is specifically designed for the 25W, GDDR5 variant of the MX450 (which is likely the case, given that it’s an HP Pavilion laptop), the BIOS should be compatible with the chip in your laptop. BIOS updates are typically tailored to the power and thermal management needs of each variant, so the BIOS for your Pavilion laptop (which uses the 25W, GDDR5 variant) may not work well with a GDDR6 or 12W variant.

1. Your GPU is a 25W GDDR5 variant of the MX450, based on the TDP and memory configuration.
2. All variants of the MX450 use the same TU117 GPU chip, with different power and memory configurations (GDDR5 vs. GDDR6, and 12W vs. 28.5W TDP).
3. The slight variation in base and boost clocks between your laptop’s GPU and the listed specifications could be due to power management, thermal limits, or BIOS tuning specific to your laptop model.
4. BIOS compatibility: The BIOS designed for your laptop should be compatible with the 25W, GDDR5 variant of the MX450. If your laptop is using this GPU, it should be fine, as long as the laptop’s BIOS is tailored to this variant.

If you're unsure about your exact GPU variant or whether your BIOS is optimized for it, you can check for BIOS updates from HP’s official support site for your specific model to ensure the optimal configuration for your system.

4o mini.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj-HP Support
 

[femiarthur1]

I had the hp laptop featuring an nvidia mx450.

And my gpu is having some weird throttling issues where memory clock is reduced from 3500mhz to 3000mhz everytime I play game or do short benchmarks within less than 5 minutes. It occurs at very low temperatures like around 65-70c rendering in blender for example. It does not protect my gpu from overheating since I disable cpu turbo boost. Maybe it is a problem of the firmware or vbios installed on my gpu.

[Raj2111]

Hi @femiarthur1 

Welcome to the HP support community.
 

I understand you're experiencing an issue with your HP device, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. I'm here to help you today.

Here's how you can approach the issue and determine what specific MX450 variant you have:

Identifying Your Specific MX450 Model

System Information or GPU-Z:

• Use GPU-Z (a popular tool to gather detailed GPU specs). It will tell you whether your MX450 has GDDR5 or GDDR6 memory and display the exact model number and memory clock speeds.
• Steps:
  1. Download and install GPU-Z.
  2. Launch the program and look at the "GPU" section.
  3. Under "Memory Type," it will tell you whether it's GDDR5 or GDDR6.
  4. You can also see the base and boost clock speeds, as well as other performance details.

Check with NVIDIA Control Panel or Device Manager:

• Open NVIDIA Control Panel on your laptop.
• Look for your GPU details in the System Information section.
• Alternatively, you can check Device Manager under Display Adapters to see the exact model listed.

Using the Laptop Model:

• You can also check the laptop’s specifications on the manufacturer’s website. Sometimes they list the specific GPU variant (e.g., GDDR5 or GDDR6, TDP variants) in the detailed technical specs of the device.

Addressing the Throttling Issue

Thermal Throttling:

• Although you’ve mentioned that the GPU temperature stays low (around 65-70°C), some GPUs throttle at lower temperatures if they are encountering power or performance limits. To rule out this possibility:
  • Ensure that your laptop’s cooling system (fans, heatsinks) is working optimally.
  • Monitor GPU temperature and power consumption while gaming to see if there’s an unexpected increase that could trigger throttling.

Power Limiting or TDP Settings:

• The NVIDIA MX450 is available in different power configurations: 25W and 35W. It's possible that your system is using a 25W variant, which may be more prone to throttling when higher loads are applied. The 25W variant has lower base and boost clocks compared to the 35W variant.
  • Check if your laptop is using the 25W or 35W version by using GPU-Z (under the "Bus Interface" or "Memory Clock" sections).

Firmware or vBIOS Issues:

• Update vBIOS: Visit your laptop manufacturer’s website or NVIDIA's support page to see if there's a newer vBIOS version or firmware update for your MX450.
• Restore Default Settings: Sometimes, resetting the vBIOS settings or flashing it with a stock version may resolve the throttling issue.

GPU Driver Update:

• Download the latest drivers from the official NVIDIA website or through GeForce Experience.
• Ensure that the NVIDIA Control Panel settings are optimized for performance, and check the Power Management settings in the Control Panel. You can set it to "Maximum Performance" under power settings to avoid any unnecessary throttling due to power saving features.

Use MSI Afterburner (for custom tuning):

• MSI Afterburner is a popular tool for adjusting clock speeds, fan curves, and power limits on GPUs. If you’re comfortable with tweaking settings:
  • Install MSI Afterburner and monitor the GPU clock speeds and memory clocks during gaming.
  • You can also adjust the Power Limit slider to see if increasing it helps reduce throttling.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj-HP Support

[Raj2111]

Hi @femiarthur1 

Welcome to the HP support community.
 

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj-HP Support

[femiarthur1]

I tried every possible methods like undervolting in msi afterburner, updating my drivers, monitoring my temperatures using hwinfo64 and some registry tweaks to remove pstates and nothing worked. The throttling issues occurs unpredictable at around 65 to 75c. Before my gpu thermal throttles at 75c, it sometimes throttle down at some instant even before I finish the benchmark. Through monitoring my gpu, I discovered that my gpu runs at around 25w for a short time before stabilising at 11-12w with reduced core and memory clock of 1400mhz and 3000mhz respectively(default clock is core of 1800mhz and 3500mhz on memory). My gpu automatically throttles from p1 to p3 state. I am very sure it is a firmware or vbios issue.

I am so worried about this because my gpu is weak and I am trying to improve it's performance. When it throttles like this, I loss like a third of performance from overclocking and my benchmark result significantly drop to terrible scores. Now my gpu performance is less than half of gtx 1650, less than a third of rtx 3050 and worse than the gtx 1050 resembling the performance of mx350. So, I am very worried.

[Raj2111]

Hi @femiarthur1 

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to assist you.

I've sent you a private message with the instructions. In order to access your private messages, Click the Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link

Take care and have a good day.

-Regards

Raj-HP Support

[femiarthur1]

This throttling issue happens on all hp pavillion laptops including 14 and 15 inch models that feature the nvidia geforce mx450 only.

I just wanted to know if this was a nvidia gpu vbios issue or if it is related to motherboard bios.