What’s NVidia PowerMizer?

NVidia PowerMizer is the name of the technology included in most modern nvidia graphic cards, for both desktops and noteboks. PowerMizer makes your graphics card auto throttle on demand based on the applications you are running. If  PowerMizer detects a 3D application running, it will raise the graphics card clock speed to provide higher performance, while it will lower it while rendering only 2D content comsuming less engery and thus disipating less heat. It will even adapt your graphics card clock speed depending on how hot your GPU gets to prevent overheating. That sounds good, isn’t it?

Yeah, it is good, if it weren’t one of the most buggy features implemented in a graphics card. Known problems are:

• Some graphic cards suffer screen flickering (horizontal lines for a fraction of a second) each time the GPU clock speed changes. And…
• The algorithms for adaptive clock speed cause the GPU constantly change clock speed even without any 3D running.
• The overheat protection makes some cards to throttle down while playing games causing horrible performance even  in the first minutes of playing when the card temps are safe.
• The NVidia drivers does not provide a good control panel to change PowerMizer settings for most graphic cards.

PowerMizer Manager

The PowerMizer Manager is a simple Open Source application to manage the NVidia PowerMizer settings. The main features are:

• Override PowerMizer Control

  Configure your video card to behave as you want. Set up a fixed performance level or autothrottle as needed.

• Backup and restore video settings

  Make a backup of your video settings to avoid messing things up.

• Instant Apply!

  After selecting the PowerMizer behaviour, apply the settings inmediately. No reboot is required.(YMMV)

PowerMizer Manager 0.98 Screenshot

Upcoming features:

• PureVideo HD own speed profiles control?.
• Tested SLI/Hybrid Powermizer control?

Lastest Version Changelog (1.01):

• Experimental support for Nvidia SLI and Hybrid Systems. (See FAQ)
• Insane Instant Apply!. (See FAQ)
• Tested against newest NVIDIA drivers.
• Bugfix: Fixed values no longer interfere with Autothrottle values. Thanks Patrick, Jake!
• Bugfix: Alternate identification string bug prevented get the right key on some laptops.

Downloads

• PowerMizer Manager 1.01 Standalone Exe
• PowerMizer Manager 1.01 Windows Installer
• PowerMizer Manager 1.01 Source Code

FAQ (Please read before reporting problems)

• What is the Experimental SLI/Hybrid support?
  

  Until now Powermizer Manager rejected SLI and Hybrid systems. From version 0.98, Powermizer Manager should run on those systems. This however hasn’t been tested yet. The settings applied to this systems can be effective in one card, both cards or none of them at all. FEEDBACK IS NEEDED.

• What is the Insane Instant Apply! ?
  

  Several people requested “less clicks” to apply the settings, meaning that once they know the app is working for them, they do not want to be asked every time if the settings must be applied, or if a registry backup is adviced. From 0.98 and on, holding the Shift Key while clicking the “Instant Apply!” button will skip all the unnecessary checks.

• There are two executable files in the Windows Installer Version. Which one should I run?
  

  The Setup.exe file will check if all the prerequisites (.Net framework) is installed and install it otherwise prior to install the PowerMizer Manager. The NVPMMSetup.msi is the PowerMizer Manager itself.

• My video card gets hot when PowerMizer is disabled. Is this dangerous?
  

  It shouldn’t. Obviously if you set PowerMIzer disabled, or a fixed Max. Performace profile, it will get a bit hotter, but it should never be out of specs. PowerMizer is and Optional Feature, not a Harware security measure.

• My video card is still changing the clock speed/filickering the screen although PowerMizer is disabled.
  

  Some cards/driver versions will have a predefined behaviour when PowerMizer is disabled. Some of them will be at max speed. In some cards, even if a parameter in the registry is trying to disable PowerMizer, they will ignore it. If you want fixed speed levels, you should first enable PowerMizer, and then select Fixed Profiles for Battery and AC.

• The application says that nvidia key has not been found.
  

  This application only works with modern NVIDIA video cards. If you are sure you’re using a NVidia adapter, update the drivers to the last version you have available at your OEM vendor or the NVIDIA website. If it still fails, please send a bug report using the “Problems?” button, and do not forget the attachment.

• The application says something about UAC.
  

  This aplication need to be able to change some registry values. In recent versions of Windows, you will need administrative provileges to do so. If you have UAC (User Access Control) activated, you will need to run the executable through “right-click->Run as administrator…” .Alternatively you can right click the executable (not the shortcut) and under the “Compatibility tab” you can check the option “Run this program as Administrator”. NOTE that the executable is located in the install forlder you selected, usually Program Files/Powermizer Manager.

• I have a SLI setup and this app only works for the first video card.
  

  The normal behaviour in an SLI setup is that powermizer can only be disabled in the first video card. The second one will be on Max. performance profile always. Anyway more information is required from those with SLI setups. If it’s your case, please send a bug report with the “Problems?” button and don’t forget the attachment. Note that from version 0.98, your results may vary.

• I have a multimonitor setup and the video card is always at max speed even with PowerMizer disabled.
  

  When the graphic card detects two or more monitors, it will clock itself to Max. performance profile no matter what the PowerMizer parameters are. This is in the NVIDIA specs.

• What’s up with the powermizer profiles when playing 720p/1080p video content?
  

  When you video card is playing HD content, it uses a new NVIDIA technology called PureVideo HD. When PureVideo is running, it seems it has it’s own power/performance profiles to guarantee a good HD experience. As far as I know, this profiles can’t be controlled by registry parameters, so at the moment, the settings applied through Powermizer Manger will only have effect as long as no HD content is being played. We’re trying to figure out how to control this profiles, to implement this feature in next releases if that’s possible at all.

• How can I check the current clock speed, and see if it changes or not when “adaptive clock speed” is selected?
  

  A good GPU monitor program is GPU-Z.