Extensive freezing on the latest system with an i5 10400F and a new board
Extensive freezing on the latest system with an i5 10400F and a new board
He cannot discard a chip costing 100 or 200 dollars without consequence
If OP had them last week they could have sent them back. Your screenshots aren't very revealing since the average time taken is almost the same and I struggle to see the small changes in the graph with the new hardware. You haven't mentioned the older hardware you used, which might clarify things. That information could be useful. Your GPU activity in the "new" image is much higher than in the "old" one—was that normal? Which GPU are we talking about?
The problems could stem from a slow component. The CPU runs only 10-30% as mentioned, while the GPU is fully busy. Could be a power or thermal issue. Please share your previous hardware specs so we can assess if it's a performance limit. Also, tell us about your current PSU and motherboard model.
The topic has been cleaned up for clarity. Members are encouraged to share their insights to help resolve issues. Please respond thoughtfully and within your capacity. If you're unsure, let me know or say you don't know. We value constructive contributions that follow our guidelines.
Running an Intel CPU at full speed works well even under heavy load. To cut power use and heat, turn on the low-power C states. This lets you enjoy a quick processor while staying efficient. You don’t have to fix the BIOS voltage—let the CPU handle it. I favor a negative offset voltage, which helps maintain lower temperatures and power draw. A 10400F isn’t overly power-hungry compared to a 10-core 10850K, so you can run it at its default setting. To keep full performance, switch to Windows High Performance power plan. If it’s not visible in Power Options, open Command Prompt and run this command: powercfg /s SCHEME_MIN. In the Control Panel, Power Options will show your computer in the High Performance plan—ideal for gaming. This setting forces the CPU to run at top speed, which is perfect when you’re playing. After finishing, revert to Balanced without hassle. I usually stick with High Performance all the time. Intel CPUs become efficient once C states are active. Whether fast or slow, the voltage matters only for reliability.
After numerous adjustments between the old board and CPU, and despite giving up, I chose to send parts to the seller. I play World of Tanks a few times at night, with BIOS set to default. During a session with stuttering, I noticed the frame rate fluctuating wildly. I tried switching the power plan from balanced to efficient, and suddenly the stutter stopped. I played more rounds and returned to balanced, but the issue repeated itself. On my previous PC, I didn’t need to use an efficient plan for any games—so it seemed normal that my system ran smoothly without stutters only when using the efficient setting.
When I switched to the efficient plan, my CPU ran at 4-4.3GHz continuously, but when I set the minimum CPU load to 100%, stuttering disappeared completely. However, the CPU still worked at its stock speed of 2.9GHz–4.3GHz. In PowerInfo, temperatures and voltages were almost identical to the balanced plan. My minimum package power consumption was around 8.8–9.2W, with a maximum of about 80W.
I read through your post and found it funny—this actually worked! But I need confirmation. Is there anything wrong with my new PC parts? I also use offsert minus voltage for the CPU, but my board only supports ±0.05V changes. So I’m now on the balanced plan with a minimum CPU load of 100% offset voltage (–0.05V). Under Cinebench, I got up to 80W max power, with CPU temps staying around 65°C at 1200RPM and very quiet VRM operation. The max temperature was 45°C.
Summary: It seems normal for a PC to run smoothly in games only when using the performance power plan in Windows. Is this a clue that something isn’t working as expected? If stuttering occurs in games on the balanced plan, does it mean my whole system—like browsers—might be affected? I’m not sure if it’s just games or something broader.
MSI support says: if the board only accepts efficient plans, it might be faulty. They suggest sending this board for evaluation.
(EDIT: I tried all power plan settings in Windows. When I set the minimum CPU load to 50%, stuttering disappeared. With 50% load, balanced works fine—CPU runs at 1402MHz–4.3GHz with no stutter. MSI still thinks the board may be defective.)