New installation - processor maintains current frequency and power levels even when not running
New installation - processor maintains current frequency and power levels even when not running
Updated my computer today. Swapped out the CPU, RAM, and motherboard. It seems both the P-cores and E-cores are consistently stuck at their highest possible speeds—5.1 GHz for P-core and 3.9 GHz for E-core (confirmed via CPU-Z, HWMonitor, HWInfo, and Task Manager). I adjusted Windows power settings to balanced, set minimum power usage to 5%, and enabled BIOS features like speedstep/EIST or C state. I’m not sure if any other BIOS settings are responsible, as I’m not very familiar with them. Here’s the spec list:
- Core i5-13600K (stock, auto settings except above)
- Gigabyte Aorus Z790 Elite AX DDR5 version
- 32 GB G.Skill DDR5-6400 memory with XMP enabled
- Gigabyte 4070 Ti Eagle
- 750W EVGA PSU
Temperatures were normal, everything appears fine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The B660 boards aren't meant for overclocking, so this isn't the case. Intel CPUs are built to operate at peak performance even under minimal workloads. This is fine as long as the low power C states are turned on in the BIOS. A C7 core is removed from both the internal clock and the voltage supply. When idle cores remain at 0 MHz and 0 volts, core speed isn't critical. Consider using ThrottleStop to check performance. The C% value it displays accurately reflects background activity and core engagement. It also indicates if multipliers are decreasing during idle periods. Most monitoring tools struggle with light Intel loads; ThrottleStop works better. Share some ThrottleStop images when your PC is idle, including the C states panel.
The CPU cores are consistently operating at over 99% in the C7 state. Your screenshots indicate one P core is running most of the time, which explains why your system remains responsive. Close HWiNFO and Task Manager; consider using Process Explorer for deeper insights. This could reveal unnecessary software consuming resources. The C state package isn’t being utilized at all on your machine, which often occurs when a single core stays active.
I found these screenshots. I haven’t used Process Explorer much, so I wasn’t sure what to focus on. I arranged them by CPU usage and enabled Virus Total and signature checks. No process exceeded 0.10 on CPU. ThrottleStop appears unchanged. I also included a QuickCPU image. The power plan is set to "Balanced," SpeedShift is active, and many cores are idle.
I initially added QuickCPU which may affect Windows power settings and core parking configurations. Consider removing it entirely. Access the Windows Power Options, select the Balanced plan, and click "Restore plan defaults." You're currently using Windows 10; Windows 11 should retain similar features. Avoid launching Process Explorer, HWiNFO, Task Manager, or any other tools except ThrottleStop for observation. If most cores remain near 5.1 GHz, verify the Speed Shift EPP setting on ThrottleStop—ideally it should be 128. If not, adjust it accordingly. This adjustment might influence idle CPU readings shown by ThrottleStop. The C States display appears unusual; two of your six P cores aren’t utilizing any low-power states. This could indicate a driver issue or incorrect core parking settings, potentially leading to unnecessary CPU activity even when idle. While I don’t recommend wiping your drive, it might be worth checking the C State data after a fresh Windows installation and before installing additional software besides ThrottleStop. LatencyMon could assist in identifying problematic drivers.
@unclewebb Restored default settings for the "Balanced" Windows Power Plan, no adjustments needed. Operated solely with ThrottleStop, verified the SpeedShift EPP section – 128 MHz was already present. Results remain consistent. LatencyMon detected an Nvidia .dll with elevated DPC values. Consulted r/Nvidia, which indicated a recurring problem. Reviewed numerous forums; some suggested BIOS users could disable "Multi-Core Enhancement," though my BIOS lacks that setting. Viewed relevant videos: one showed a Z690 with 13600K, voltage dropping to ~0.9V and dynamic power changes, paired with "Enhance Multi-Core." Another displayed a B660 with 13600K, fixed voltage at 1.2V and no BIOS option. My BIOS history post-show installation showed idle at 5GHz with stable 1.2V. Now uncertain, considering a BIOS tweak or hardware concern. Sent a support ticket to Gigabyte, possibly indicating a system-level issue. This machine has been in use since October, with symptoms appearing about three days ago.
Your ThrottleStop C states display indicates both the initial P core and the final P core remain idle at 0% in any core state. This behavior is unusual and likely stems from a software issue. I recommend uninstalling the Razer software on your system and testing whether the C states data improves. Next, remove the Nvidia driver entirely and revert to the default Windows driver to observe any changes. A noticeable shift in C state activity between the first and last core may signal the source of the problem. This appears to be a software-related concern rather than a hardware fault. Edit – Check if the ThrottleStop FIVR window shows Undervolt Protection at the top center. This feature is poorly implemented. Also, consider your Cinebench R23 score: a 13600K on an Asus B760 or B660 board without Undervolt Protection enabled can achieve a score of 24,000 points.
I believe I've figured it out—it's the Nvidia version. After removing Razer and trying everything else, I reinstalled DDU and restarted the system. Windows started automatically installing a version because my three monitors were connected. However, checking Throttle shows 1.5% usage at 2.7W. The screenshot I have displays a core that isn't C7, but it seems to be handling the load, as the numbers for C7 and C6 are 1-6 and 7-10 respectively. It's drawing around 3W, which feels good right now. Another image with all cores on C7 or C6 shows the Package C states at 0.0, though sometimes it jumps to 0.8 at C2%. I noticed my clocks stay synchronized across cores on HWInfo, which is unusual. My FIVR window indicates I can't change the CPU core selection. Cinebench stats say 181W max, which I manually limited to 4095W via Gigabyte's tool because it was set to unlimited. Throttle logged a spike to 234W and mentioned Power limits were the issue. Some users on r/Nvidia are discussing a pending driver fix for DPC latency, though it's expected to be released soon. A comment suggests developers are working on a solution after the next update. I reinstalled the Nvidia driver, re-applied the fix, and everything returned to normal. Two cores never reached C7%, VID locks at 1.2V, and clocks stay at 5GHz. This likely caused the problem. The Nvidia driver has known DPC latency concerns that prevent cores from lowering voltage or adjusting speed. Since the basic Windows driver can't handle it, I'm stuck using this updated version until the issue is resolved.