i5-7300HQ, ThrottleStop, and TPL! Wow!
i5-7300HQ, ThrottleStop, and TPL! Wow!
I’m working with an ACER Aspire VX-5 591G setup featuring an i5-7300HQ processor and a GTX 1050 4GB (per specs). I rely on ThrottleStop to lower CPU voltages and occasionally use Afterburner for small performance boosts. In ThrottleStop I have three profiles—Gaming (MAX), Performance, and Battery—while Afterburner has two: one from the OC Scanner Tool and another copied from Profile 1 without the Memory Overclock. I rarely switch between them since GPU bottlenecks aren’t a big issue.
I want to note that Acer’s design choices for this model seem limited; there’s no way to adjust fan speeds via software, and the UEFI is quite restrictive. It appears fan speeds depend more on load than temperature. I’m using Acer Fan Control to keep fans at full speed when needed, and I’m always running a cooling pad with a single fan during gameplay.
Project Lasso is installed, and I’m using Bitsum High Performance as my power plan, setting most Nvidia parameters for peak performance. I keep Windows, drivers, and software up to date. My main aim is consistent frame rates, so I prioritize FPS over visual polish.
Recently, I’ve faced some heat and performance problems. I’m comfortable with both tools and have tested stability with programs like Cinebench, Superposition, and Heaven. I’m confident my setup handles stress well, though I do notice occasional GPU disconnects during gameplay—usually resolved by a full system restart if the game can’t be closed.
I recently replaced my CPU and GPU with Thermal Grizzly products, added extra heatsinks to some components, and installed a basic heatsink for my NVMe SSD. The temperatures have dropped significantly, now staying around 59°C under load.
ThrottleStop settings are mostly undervolting across multiple machines, but I’m not very familiar with the TPL (Throttle Profile) options. I’ve read a thread suggesting Unclewebb’s recommendations for my exact CPU and have copied those settings. Currently, Turbo is off on all profiles except Gaming (MAX), though I think this limits performance gains.
I’m seeking advice on optimizing temperatures, boosting performance further, and making better use of TPL settings in ThrottleStop. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
The initial observation is that your C0% value is quite elevated. When the system is idle with no applications running, what does ThrottleStop indicate for C0% on its main display? The most effective method to boost performance is reducing your idle C0% so the CPU isn’t constantly handling background operations. For instance, a 4-core processor can dedicate over 99% of its idle time to C7. If you’re significantly below that percentage, open Task Manager, select the Details tab, and sort background tasks by CPU consumption. The first core appears to be under heavy load—something must be occupying it. Update ThrottleStop to version 9.3 here: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/tec...ottlestop/. Enable the Log File feature and run a game for at least 15 minutes. After completion, navigate to your ThrottleStop/Logs folder and upload your log file or paste the data into the provided link.
I played Valheim for 15 minutes and saved the log here: https://pastebin.com/RZ3is22j. I checked Task Manager and reviewed CPU process lists. After updating ThrottleStop to version 9.3, I restarted my PC and captured the main screen after a reboot. Project Lasso appears to manage CPU cores, though I mostly left it installed without much use. It serves as an alternative to ISLC, which I began using with Warzone last year to avoid stuttering. Could this setup cause any issues? I’m not tied to any software but thought it would be safer to have it. Note: I also ran a Windows Defender and Malwarebytes scan a few days ago just to confirm my system was clean. Edited February 26, 2021 by InZillaWeTrust
CompTelRunner.exe appears to be a performance issue on Windows 10. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind...247?auth=1 Consider disabling some unnecessary Windows features with O&O ShutUp10. https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10 Your log file is fine. CPU and GPU stats are normal, no throttling detected. Keep working to reduce the CPU usage percentage. Processors should spend minimal time in idle mode after Windows 10 cleanup. The TPL window works properly. No changes needed since you’re not experiencing issues.
After several days of testing, I decided to share an update in case anyone finds this post useful. It appears Project Lasso was contributing to my high C0% even when idle. The attached image shows a clean boot (after the system settled) without Project Lasso or Park Control active. I’ll keep exploring ways to prevent this while keeping both features enabled, but for now I’ve disabled them.
Additionally, I encountered problems with my Nvidia GPU driver. To fully remove everything, I used DDU and performed a complete reinstall, which may have been due to a faulty driver update. I’m still trying to figure out the exact cause, but I thought it’s important to document this for clarity.