device lacks capability to exceed 4.1GHz frequency boost
device lacks capability to exceed 4.1GHz frequency boost
Hello, I've been using my new Acer Helios 300 for a month. I've checked the CPU clock in Task Manager from time to time. When idle, it reached above 4GHz, with the highest I saw being around 4.86GHz. Recently though, it hasn't exceeded 4.11GHz. I've tried applying TS undervolting and switched to the high-performance power plan, but nothing helped. Do you have any suggestions on how to restore those higher boost speeds? P.S.: Single core boost is 4.8GHz, and with TVB it's 5.0GHz. Thank you. Edit: System Specs – Acer Predator Helios 300 2021 i7-10870H RTX 3060 laptop, 100W, 230W charger, high performance power profile. Updated May 18, 2021 by Phani Pavan.
To get the best performance boost, enable C states and minimize background Windows processes. ThrottleStop shows a C0% of less than 0.5% when your computer is idle. Cores should be using over 99% of their time in C7 mode, with a C0% under 0.5%. If your setup looks fine, run a TS Bench -1 Thread test. Capture the highest multiplier displayed or enable logging for performance tracking. New software can add unnecessary background tasks, reducing the turbo boost potential.
When all C states are turned off, Intel non-K series CPUs can't access the highest turbo multipliers. ThrottleStop displays 0.0% for C3, C6, and C7. This is the issue. Did you disable these C states in the BIOS? There could have been an update that intentionally disabled them to manage heat. Disabling C states is not recommended for these processors. Verify the power plan you're using—opt for the default Balanced plan if you need those states.
I just switched my bios from V2.0 to V2.02. The updated version doesn’t have a V2 bios page on Acer’s site... Advanced settings still list options like disabling C states and adjusting voltage/power. It seems the update removed the C state choice. Despite that, I’m seeing 4.8GHz on Linux/Kubuntu 20LTS.
I don’t use Linux, but I understand tools that reveal what C code is running when the CPU isn’t busy. If those C states function in Linux but not in Windows, there may be an issue with your Windows setup. It’s unusual for all C states to be off, which can cause your laptop to overheat and slow down under light use. Are you running any Acer programs or other software with performance or gaming settings? Such features might have assumed disabling C states would help. Have you switched back to the Balanced power plan and selected Restore default settings? If you previously saw higher multipliers in Windows, it suggests C states were active before. Something has likely changed. After resetting the Balanced plan, try opening a command prompt and entering this command: powercfg -qh > C:/report.txt The 'q' stands for query, 'h' reveals hidden plan details, and the > writes the data to report.txt on your main C drive. You can attach this file or copy its contents to a shared location for further analysis. There could be useful hints there.
I rely on Acer PredatorSense which doesn't adjust CPU power settings XTU for boosting limits, lacks unlocked Core voltage control. TS is used for readings and Undervolting (still not done). MSI Afterburner handles OSD during gameplay. That's about it...
I saw an issue with your Windows power plan configurations. IDLE PROMOTE and IDLE DEMOTE are both at 100. When the computer runs with these settings, the C states turn off as you expect. To resolve this, open a command prompt and type the following commands one by one. Paste each line into the prompt separately. After entering them, switch to another power plan and then back to the Balanced plan. You can use ThrottleStop to change plans or adjust settings in the Control Panel - Windows Power Options. These appear to be the default values for Windows 10. If this doesn’t fix the problem, try changing each command to 100 instead of the numbers you used. If that restores the C states, Intel Turbo Boost and higher multipliers should also function properly. It seems these were intentionally set incorrectly.