Ally forcing lower GPU power when plugged in
Version: 42.20250804
When unplugged, my Ally pulls ~12W on the GPU at an 18W TDP and hits ~1400MHz. Plugged in, it drops to ~10W and caps around 950MHz. I'm using SimpleDeckyTDP, but got the same results with HHD. Stock charger, everything's up to date.
After more testing, it looks like I need to bump the TDP by 2W when plugged in to match unplugged performance. Kind of annoying, since 20W triggers the Ally's high minimum fan speed (temps are great at ~62°C, but the noise isn’t). Forcing higher clocks without raising TDP just lowers GPU utilization, so there's no actual performance gain. I should mention that these results come from playing GoW Ragnarok, Batman Arkham Knight and Arkham Asylum.
TL;DR: Plugged in, the GPU pulls ~2W less than on battery.
When unplugged, my Ally pulls ~12W on the GPU at an 18W TDP and hits ~1400MHz. Plugged in, it drops to ~10W and caps around 950MHz. I'm using SimpleDeckyTDP, but got the same results with HHD. Stock charger, everything's up to date.
After more testing, it looks like I need to bump the TDP by 2W when plugged in to match unplugged performance. Kind of annoying, since 20W triggers the Ally's high minimum fan speed (temps are great at ~62°C, but the noise isn’t). Forcing higher clocks without raising TDP just lowers GPU utilization, so there's no actual performance gain. I should mention that these results come from playing GoW Ragnarok, Batman Arkham Knight and Arkham Asylum.
TL;DR: Plugged in, the GPU pulls ~2W less than on battery.
