CPU speed on laptop decreases
CPU speed on laptop decreases
Hey everyone, I'm running into a problem where my CPU speeds are crashing to just 0.80GHz even when the base speed is 2.30GHz. It happens whether I'm idle or in the middle of a game, and it doesn't depend on temperatures either—thermal throttling isn't the issue. This started about two weeks ago, and I'm really confused about what's causing it. My setup is a Dell G5 15 5587 with an i5 8300H running at 2.30GHz, paired with an NVIDIA GTX1060 at max quality, all on Windows 11. If you need to check the BIOS later, I can do that.
@Slidinsidewayz Share some screenshots featuring the FIVR and TPL windows. If your CPU hangs at 0.8 GHz, check the Limit Reasons window for red boxes under the CORE column. Dell introduced updated throttling methods beginning with the 8th Gen mobile CPUs. Certain of these can be resolved using ThrottleStop.
I captured some images with my phone, hoping they look okay. The five frame is grayed out, preventing any edits. Getting limits is tough because of the very slow speeds—switching apps feels like it takes minutes. For instance, alt+tab can take 5 to 10 seconds to appear, and by the time it reaches the top, it’s already speeding up again. In the limits, pl1 and pl2 turned red in the core area while edp other was red in the ring section. Once things speed up, they turn yellow. I can clear them, and edp other appears immediately as a yellow alert until the hiccup returns—then pl1, pl2, and edp show red again. I disabled turbo from throttlestop and switched to Dell’s power scheme instead of maximum performance, which seems to help bring it up to around 1.9GHz. But limits no longer turn red. Right now, I’m using this setting just to finish my daily tasks.
If you press these three keys at the same time, it should open up the Windows Snipping Tool. Windows Key + Shift Key + S Use the mouse to draw a box around what you are trying to screenshot. After you get a screenshot saved, you should be able to do a CTRL + V to paste the image from the Clipboard directly into your forum post. When you check Disable Turbo, you are throttling your computer instead of your computer throttling itself. That is why less things are lighting up red in Limit Reasons. Checking Disable Turbo tells your CPU to run at a maximum speed of 2.3 GHz. That is an improvement compared to severe throttling down to 0.8 GHz but it is a lot slower than the 3.9 GHz that an 8300H should be running at. Many Dell laptops with Intel CPUs use an embedded controller (EC) which can send low ball current or power limits to the CPU. These limits can randomly force the CPU to run at its minimum speed, 0.8 GHz. This problem might be caused by something simple like a 5 cent sensor on the motherboard that has suddenly failed. The exact cause might vary from one Dell laptop model to the next. It is a very common issue for Dell laptops with Intel 8th and 9th Gen CPUs. When you have time to do some testing, start by setting ThrottleStop up to try and run your CPU at maximum speed. If your computer still throttles, it will be easier to figure out what is causing the problem and if there is a solution. On the main screen clear the Speed Shift EPP box, clear Disable Turbo and clear C1E. Check the High Performance box which tells Windows to use the High Performance power plan. You can also do this in the Windows Power Options if High Performance is an available option there. In the TPL window, check the MMIO Lock box which is near the top right. Clear Disable Controls. Check Speed Shift. Set Power Limit 4 to a value of 0. ThrottleStop shows Locked at the top middle of the FIVR window. This confirms that Dell has locked out CPU voltage control and most other adjustments. It is possible to unlock these settings but it is a complicated procedure where you need to modify some UEFI variables in the BIOS. I will explain this later depending on if the above adjustments change anything. On the main screen check the Log File box and then go and try to play a game for 15 minutes. Try to play through any painful throttling. When done testing, exit the game and then exit ThrottleStop so it can finalize your log file. It will be in the ThrottleStop / Logs folder. Attach a log to your next post so I can see what sort of throttling is being used.
You were fortunate to resolve the throttling issue on your laptop using ThrottleStop. Not all Dell users had such success. The machine performed well during the log file you captured—CPU consistently hovered around 3900 MHz, which is ideal for gaming. The main concern now is thermal management. Have you ever taken out the dust from your laptop’s fan and heatsinks? This can significantly improve performance if you haven’t cleaned it recently. Adjusting these factors should help keep temperatures below the 100°C threshold for throttling. Another tip is to enable CPU voltage control. I’ll share a detailed guide on unlocking it for Dell models; feel free to search online if you’d like more details. Reducing the voltage can typically lower temps by 10°C to 15°C.
Note: The linked article from Brendan Greenley has expired, but the advice remains useful. Proceed carefully or avoid it altogether if the Chrome warning appears unsettling.
Published: Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 9:25:42 PM
Expires: Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 9:25:41 PM
I was just a week and a half ago when I noticed the problems, around three weeks back. I upgraded the RAM from 16GB to 32GB and cleared out the dust, which helped lower the temperatures. The fans were really struggling. Thanks for all the support! I’m considering undervolting for extra protection and peace of mind. One thing I have a question about throttle stop—should I keep it running or can I save the settings and close without applying the config?
Several Dell laptops employ various throttling techniques. Keeping ThrottleStop active ensures it constantly scans for performance issues, maintaining your device at optimal speed. Disabling it removes this oversight, preventing it from identifying or resolving problems. ThrottleStop is a minimal footprint tool focused on memory and CPU load. When paired with Windows, its background activity uses only about 0.05% of the CPU. Most idle processing comes from background tasks rather than the app itself. Leaving ThrottleStop running in the system tray lets me monitor CPU temperature and power use easily. This gives me a quick way to spot unexpected background processes. You can find instructions on adding it via Task Scheduler here: https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threa...st-4749675