Slow maximum frequency on processor

mystere9 · 10-28-2009, 03:40 PM

I'm a complete newbie at tech stuff so please be patient with me and tell me any additional information you need to help me.

I'm using Vista SP1 and I've recently noticed that the maximum frequency in the resource monitor flatlines at 54%. As I'm a bit of a gamer and have spent countless hours tweaking Vista in other respects, this is completely unacceptable to me. To make sure that it wasn't just resource monitor freaking out I installed several other applications including Everest and they tell me that my processor is clocked to about 998 MHZ for both cores. It should be 1828 MHZ, according to Everest. Any time I've tried using Notebook Hardware Control to switch my max processor state to more than 5% it simply says 'Error changing the processor state'.

*I'm using Vista SP1 with a Mobile Dualcore Intel Core2 Duo T5550, 1.83 GHZ.
*My chipset according to Everest is an Intel Crestline-GM GM965
*On booting, the BIOS menu gives me two options: A. Low Frequency, and B. dynamic processing. Choosing Low Frequency makes no difference. I have not found any other options in my BIOS relating to the processor.
*Again, according to Everest, my CPU power is 997.6 MHZ at an FSB of 166.3 MHZ and a multiplier of 6.
*When I go into vista power options, the option that says something like, 'when CPU starts to heat up, A. Turn down the CPU B. Turn up the fan' is no longer there. Also in vista power options, changing the max and min processor frequencies makes no difference, as my maximum frequency stays at 54%.
*My fan is running fine, but my temperature stays around 56 degrees Celsius so it seems like it runs pretty quiet generally.
*I have done a complete reinstall using Vista lite, disabling many different programs, disabled many services including system restore, and generally tweaking the computer to death. I've also repeatedly run CCleaner, Startup Inspector, and I've defragged the HDD, page file, and registry(I can not verify whether or not the reinstall was the exact point at which this problem occurred. I know that when I first got the computer it was loaded with all sorts of OEM crap, which prompted me to buy a new Vista CD, which I promptly used with Vista lite. I feel like I had this problem at least once before reinstalling though).

Code:

Belarc Profile:
Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1 (build 6001)
Install Language: English (United States)
System Locale: Japanese (Japan) 	  	
TOSHIBA Satellite A305 PSAG0U-01900L

-Processor	  	
1.85 gigahertz Intel Core2 Duo
64 kilobyte primary memory cache
2048 kilobyte secondary memory cache
64-bit ready
Multi-core (2 total)
Not hyper-threaded 	  	

-Main Circuit Board
Board: Intel Corp. Base Board Product Name Base Board Version
Serial Number: Base Board Serial Number
Bus Clock: 667 megahertz
BIOS: INSYDE 1.30 03/19/2008

-Drives 	  	
316.40 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
41.18 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T40F ATA Device [CD-ROM drive]
OPMFQ MZ89AZ4X SCSI CdRom Device [CD-ROM drive]

TOSHIBA MK3252GSX [Hard drive] (320.07 GB) -- drive 0, SMART Status: Healthy 	  	

-Memory Modules
3062 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM0' has 2048 MB (serial number 0x782B7B31)
Slot 'DIMM2' has 1024 MB (serial number 0x00001117)
  	Local Drive Volumes
  	
		
c: (NTFS on drive 0) 	316.40 GB 	41.18 GB free
  	Network Drives
  	None detected

-Controllers 	  	
ATA Channel 0 [Controller] (2x)
ATA Channel 1 [Controller] (2x)
Intel(R) ICH8M SATA AHCI Controller - 2829
Intel(R) ICH8M Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 2850
Ricoh Memory Stick Host Controller
Ricoh MMC Host Controller
Ricoh xD-Picture Card Controller 	  	

-Display
Mobile Intel(R) 965 Express Chipset Family [Display adapter] (2x)
Generic PnP Monitor (15.4"vis)

-Bus Adapters
ANZ62A62 IDE Controller
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator
Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2830
Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2831
Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2832
Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2834
Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2835
Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 2836
Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 283A

**wrench97** · 10-28-2009, 04:10 PM

EIST or Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology will slow the cpu to conserve power and reduce heat, you have to either disable EIST in the Bios or use a program like NHC(Note Book Hardware Control) to view the CPU speed in the taskbar while using the computer.
http://www.pbus-167.com/

mystere9 · 10-28-2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrench97

EIST or Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology will slow the cpu to conserve power and reduce heat, you have to either disable EIST in the Bios or use a program like NHC(Note Book Hardware Control) to view the CPU speed in the taskbar while using the computer.
http://www.pbus-167.com/

There is no Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology in my BIOS. There was only one option that looked relevant.
It was: "Dynamic CPU Frequency Mode", and had only two options: "Always Low", and "Dynamic". Other people online appear to have had the additional option "Always High" which I did not have. I changed this several times and it made no difference. There were two other options that I regarded as irrelevant, but that were also related to the processor and were locked from editing. They were: "Intel Virtualization", which was locked on "Disabled", and "Intel Dynamic Acceleration" which was locked on "Enabled".

I used NHC and am a little confused by what it was telling me. It said my processor was clocked to 1.83 GHZ, while both Everest and Real Temp are telling me that I'm at about 987, with 166 x 6. Windows is also telling me I'm clocked at 54%. Which is right? I thought maybe it was just adding the two cores together, but 987 x 2 does not equal 1828.

edit: I looked it up online BTW, and my processor is supposed to be 166 x 11. Is the multiplier usually how Windows changes the processing dynamically?

**wrench97** · 10-28-2009, 05:50 PM

Windows does not control the mulitplier the Bios does.

Try blowing the heatsink out with a can of compressed air backwards through the vents.

mystere9 · 10-28-2009, 06:42 PM

I just found a BIOS update from Toshiba(After many hours of searching, since initally when I visited their site I was on Toshiba USA, which doesn't care about their customers). After installing, my BIOS once again successfully uses Dynamic processing! Toshiba EU, Banzai!

mystere9 · 10-29-2009, 06:02 PM

As a bit of an update: I figured out what the underlying problem was, and it's a bit of a no-brainer. The fan in my laptop can't get the heat out fast enough. My computer is clocked the same as when I bought it, but I tried prime95 on it. My computer heated up to 95 degrees Celsius and shut itself down in 19 seconds flat. I'm thinking about the compressed air thing you mentioned now, and trying to figure out the cheapest way I could feasibly do it since I don't have any compressed air laying around.

joeten · 10-29-2009, 06:22 PM

Hi canned air is not expensive as you only need to use it in short bursts,your local computer repair place should have it or check on line for prices

**wrench97** · 10-30-2009, 01:32 AM

Office supply stores or even Walmart has it for about $5.

mystere9 · 10-30-2009, 10:06 PM

I realized after I looked it up. I was thinking of like an air compressor I guess, but canned air will be much cheaper. Thanks for your help guys!

10-28-2009, 03:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
mystere9 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista SP1	Slow maximum frequency on processor, Vista x86 I'm a complete newbie at tech stuff so please be patient with me and tell me any additional information you need to help me. I'm using Vista SP1 and I've recently noticed that the maximum frequency in the resource monitor flatlines at 54%. As I'm a bit of a gamer and have spent countless hours tweaking Vista in other respects, this is completely unacceptable to me. To make sure that it wasn't just resource monitor freaking out I installed several other applications including Everest and they tell me that my processor is clocked to about 998 MHZ for both cores. It should be 1828 MHZ, according to Everest. Any time I've tried using Notebook Hardware Control to switch my max processor state to more than 5% it simply says 'Error changing the processor state'. I'm using Vista SP1 with a Mobile Dualcore Intel Core2 Duo T5550, 1.83 GHZ. My chipset according to Everest is an Intel Crestline-GM GM965 On booting, the BIOS menu gives me two options: A. Low Frequency, and B. dynamic processing. Choosing Low Frequency makes no difference. I have not found any other options in my BIOS relating to the processor. Again, according to Everest, my CPU power is 997.6 MHZ at an FSB of 166.3 MHZ and a multiplier of 6. When I go into vista power options, the option that says something like, 'when CPU starts to heat up, A. Turn down the CPU B. Turn up the fan' is no longer there. Also in vista power options, changing the max and min processor frequencies makes no difference, as my maximum frequency stays at 54%. My fan is running fine, but my temperature stays around 56 degrees Celsius so it seems like it runs pretty quiet generally. I have done a complete reinstall using Vista lite, disabling many different programs, disabled many services including system restore, and generally tweaking the computer to death. I've also repeatedly run CCleaner, Startup Inspector, and I've defragged the HDD, page file, and registry(I can not verify whether or not the reinstall was the exact point at which this problem occurred. I know that when I first got the computer it was loaded with all sorts of OEM crap, which prompted me to buy a new Vista CD, which I promptly used with Vista lite. I feel like I had this problem at least once before reinstalling though). Code: Belarc Profile: Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1 (build 6001) Install Language: English (United States) System Locale: Japanese (Japan) TOSHIBA Satellite A305 PSAG0U-01900L -Processor 1.85 gigahertz Intel Core2 Duo 64 kilobyte primary memory cache 2048 kilobyte secondary memory cache 64-bit ready Multi-core (2 total) Not hyper-threaded -Main Circuit Board Board: Intel Corp. Base Board Product Name Base Board Version Serial Number: Base Board Serial Number Bus Clock: 667 megahertz BIOS: INSYDE 1.30 03/19/2008 -Drives 316.40 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity 41.18 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T40F ATA Device [CD-ROM drive] OPMFQ MZ89AZ4X SCSI CdRom Device [CD-ROM drive] TOSHIBA MK3252GSX [Hard drive] (320.07 GB) -- drive 0, SMART Status: Healthy -Memory Modules 3062 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory Slot 'DIMM0' has 2048 MB (serial number 0x782B7B31) Slot 'DIMM2' has 1024 MB (serial number 0x00001117) Local Drive Volumes c: (NTFS on drive 0) 316.40 GB 41.18 GB free Network Drives None detected -Controllers ATA Channel 0 [Controller] (2x) ATA Channel 1 [Controller] (2x) Intel(R) ICH8M SATA AHCI Controller - 2829 Intel(R) ICH8M Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 2850 Ricoh Memory Stick Host Controller Ricoh MMC Host Controller Ricoh xD-Picture Card Controller -Display Mobile Intel(R) 965 Express Chipset Family [Display adapter] (2x) Generic PnP Monitor (15.4"vis) -Bus Adapters ANZ62A62 IDE Controller Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2830 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2831 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2832 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2834 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2835 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 2836 Intel(R) ICH8 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 283A Last edited by mystere9; 10-28-2009 at 04:00 PM.*

10-28-2009, 04:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,607 OS: Win7	Re: Slow maximum frequency on processor EIST or Enhanced Intel Speedstep Technology will slow the cpu to conserve power and reduce heat, you have to either disable EIST in the Bios or use a program like NHC(Note Book Hardware Control) to view the CPU speed in the taskbar while using the computer. http://www.pbus-167.com/ __________________ Power Supply and Selection

10-28-2009, 05:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,607 OS: Win7	Re: Slow maximum frequency on processor Windows does not control the mulitplier the Bios does. Try blowing the heatsink out with a can of compressed air backwards through the vents. __________________ Power Supply and Selection

10-28-2009, 06:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
mystere9 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista SP1	Re: Slow maximum frequency on processor I just found a BIOS update from Toshiba(After many hours of searching, since initally when I visited their site I was on Toshiba USA, which doesn't care about their customers). After installing, my BIOS once again successfully uses Dynamic processing! Toshiba EU, Banzai!

10-29-2009, 06:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
mystere9 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista SP1	Re: Slow maximum frequency on processor As a bit of an update: I figured out what the underlying problem was, and it's a bit of a no-brainer. The fan in my laptop can't get the heat out fast enough. My computer is clocked the same as when I bought it, but I tried prime95 on it. My computer heated up to 95 degrees Celsius and shut itself down in 19 seconds flat. I'm thinking about the compressed air thing you mentioned now, and trying to figure out the cheapest way I could feasibly do it since I don't have any compressed air laying around.

10-29-2009, 06:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
joeten Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 3,187 OS: vista	Re: Slow maximum frequency on processor Hi canned air is not expensive as you only need to use it in short bursts,your local computer repair place should have it or check on line for prices __________________

10-30-2009, 01:32 AM	#8 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,607 OS: Win7	Re: Slow maximum frequency on processor Office supply stores or even Walmart has it for about $5. __________________ Power Supply and Selection

10-30-2009, 10:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
mystere9 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 5 OS: Windows Vista SP1	Re: Slow maximum frequency on processor I realized after I looked it up. I was thinking of like an air compressor I guess, but canned air will be much cheaper. Thanks for your help guys!