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README reduced to essentials: install, quick start, and links to docs/. New docs/ covers Overview, Installation, Usage Guide, and Tips and Tricks.
145 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
145 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
# Tips and Tricks
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Practical tips, workflows, and techniques for getting the most out of NVCurve.
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## Understanding the V/F Curve
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The voltage-frequency curve defines how your GPU clocks at different voltage levels. Each point on the curve represents a (frequency, voltage) pair. NVCurve lets you add a frequency offset to each point, effectively shifting where your GPU operates.
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- **Positive offsets** increase clock speed at a given voltage (overclocking).
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- **Negative offsets** reduce clock speed at a given voltage, which can enable undervolting (lower voltage for the same performance, or same voltage at lower clocks for efficiency).
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## Start Small, Test Often
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When experimenting with offsets:
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1. Use `--dry-run` to preview changes before applying them:
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```bash
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nvcurve write --global --delta 25 --dry-run
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```
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2. Apply small increments (10–25 MHz) and test stability between each step.
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3. Use snapshots to roll back: `nvcurve snapshot restore`.
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## The Global Offset Shortcut
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If all active points share the same delta, the **Global Offset** slider appears in the web UI toolbar. This is equivalent to `nvcurve write --global` but gives you interactive control. Drag the slider to stage a uniform offset across every point, then click Apply.
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## Curve Flattening for Efficiency
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Curve flattening is a powerful technique for efficiency-oriented tuning:
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1. Select a group of points in the upper voltage range.
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2. Click **Flatten to [anchor]** in the toolbar.
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3. This sets each selected point to land on the same effective frequency as your anchor point.
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The result is a "step" in your curve where multiple voltage points map to the same clock — useful for finding the sweet spot where your GPU delivers peak frequency with minimal voltage.
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## Keyboard-Driven Workflow
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For precise tuning, the keyboard shortcuts in the curve editor are your friend:
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- **Arrow keys** nudge selected point(s) by ±1 MHz.
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- **Ctrl/Cmd + arrow keys** nudge by ±10 MHz.
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- **Tab / Shift+Tab** steps selection through points one by one.
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- **Enter** opens inline input for exact values.
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This lets you make surgical adjustments without reaching for the mouse.
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## Profile Strategy
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A good profile setup covers your common use cases:
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| Profile | Purpose |
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|---|---|
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| `gaming` | Aggressive positive offsets for maximum performance |
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| `balanced` | Mild offsets for a good performance/temperature tradeoff |
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| `efficient` | Negative offsets or flattened curve for low power usage |
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| `stock` | Zero offsets (baseline for comparison) |
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Set your preferred profile as the default so it auto-applies on boot:
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```bash
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nvcurve profile default gaming
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```
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## LACT Conflict
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If you use LACT (Linux Auto-Clock Tuner) or similar tools, they will conflict with NVCurve because both write to the same hardware registers.
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**Before using NVCurve with a default profile:**
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```bash
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sudo systemctl disable --now lactd
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```
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Otherwise, `lactd` will apply its own curve on startup and overwrite NVCurve's auto-applied profile.
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## Multi-GPU Considerations
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In multi-GPU setups:
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- Each GPU maintains its own isolated state (write lock, active profile, monitoring).
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- Use `--gpu N` to target a specific GPU from the CLI.
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- In the web UI, switch GPUs using the dropdown in the status bar.
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- Set per-GPU default profiles:
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```bash
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nvcurve --gpu 0 profile default gaming
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nvcurve --gpu 1 profile default efficient
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```
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## Diagnostics Before Troubleshooting
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When something isn't working right, run diagnostics first:
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```bash
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nvcurve read --diag
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```
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This shows:
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- GPU name and driver version
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- VRAM totals
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- All NvAPI function probe results
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- Current clock offsets and memory offset ranges
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- Power limits
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Use `nvcurve inspect` to examine raw ClockBoostTable fields for specific points:
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```bash
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nvcurve inspect --point 80
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nvcurve inspect --range 78-82
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```
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## Headless / Scripting Workflow
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For headless systems or automation, the CLI is fully self-contained:
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```bash
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#!/bin/bash
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# Example: Apply a profile, run a benchmark, then restore
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nvcurve profile apply gaming
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./my-benchmark.sh
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nvcurve snapshot restore
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```
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All CLI commands that interact with hardware automatically escalate to root via `sudo`. The `--json` flag on `nvcurve read` makes it easy to parse output in scripts.
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## Safety Limits
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NVCurve enforces safety limits to prevent damage:
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- **Max delta cap**: ±3000 MHz hard limit per point.
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- **Auto-snapshot**: A snapshot is saved before every write (configurable).
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- **Negative frequency warnings**: The tool warns if an offset would result in a negative effective frequency.
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These safeguards are in place, but remember — you're writing to undocumented hardware registers. Always test stability after applying changes and monitor temperatures.
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## Background Daemon vs. Web Server
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NVCurve has two running components to understand:
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- **Daemon** (`nvcurve daemon`) — Lightweight Unix socket daemon that handles auto-loading profiles on boot. Managed via `nvcurve service`.
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- **Web server** (`nvcurve serve`) — FastAPI REST + WebSocket server for the web UI. Starts on demand.
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The systemd service (`nvcurve service install`) manages the daemon. The web server is optional and starts separately. Use `--auto-serve` at service install time if you want the web server to auto-start on boot as well.
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