Observation of unusual CPU activity when processing heavy tasks.
Observation of unusual CPU activity when processing heavy tasks.
I've got a Dell G5 5590 showing some strange behavior. Here are the details: I run an I5 9300H GTX with 32 GB RAM (dual channel). I've made several changes: cleaned the fans (accidentally spraying air-cooler condensate, causing loud noises), installed MSI Afterburner to try boosting the GPU, and then removed it. I took out my battery because it was swelling, used the laptop only plugged in, and went from 8 GB to 32 GB RAM. I also swapped the SSD and reinstalled Windows 10, but the issue continues.
The problem started after I uninstalled Afterburner and removed the battery. Gaming caused FPS to drop sharply—from 80 to low 15 frames per second—and stayed that way even without gameplay. Fans would turn on but not spin fast anymore. In Task Manager, clock speeds seemed to drop drastically when under load. For example, with multiple abilities on screen, frames fell from 80 to just 10, and my clock speed jumped to 1.15 GHz (compared to the CPU's base of 2.4 GHz). My temps were around 60°C at that point.
What I've tried: Running AIDA64 and stressing the CPU caused similar drops in clock speed without overheating. No thermal warnings appeared during AIDA64 tests, but the game still had issues.
My question: What could be causing this slowdown when under load? I'm planning more tests with AIDA64 and other tools, possibly replacing parts through Dell. Could it be a power issue? With the battery gone, my 130W supply might not provide enough power. I'm not sure where to start looking, and any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks a lot for reading—I really appreciate your help!
It's possible a weak power supply unit can often be noticed by the laptop, causing it to reduce performance. I've seen this happen with HP models; Dell's behavior isn't clear yet.
I'm being honest, I didn't expect laptop PSUs to fail unless they got submerged in water (I'm not sure why I thought that, but it makes total sense—every electronic part could be affected). I'll definitely check it out!
I'm honestly surprised it doesn't happen more often, given they are usually sealed plastic boxes. My ASUS laptop under load the PSU is too hot to touch, I was totally expecting it to fail just out of warranty as even the best rated capacitors have a relatively short life at their rated maximum temperature. Of course one problem is if capacitors don't fail short or go pop, they can run out of spec putting more strain on the laptops voltage regulation. So best to deal with as soon as you suspect something is wrong rather than wait for something harder to repair to fail. Not saying its only capacitors which fail, but they are the most likely to go first and often with no obvious sign they are no longer doing their job until they go well out of spec.
Just a note: I found an extra charger with the same specifications as my original unit (from a Dell docking station). The same performance was seen with the brand new power supply. It might be that the PSU isn’t delivering enough power? I currently use a 130W unit, but I think this laptop model could handle up to 180W.
Certain Dell laptops enter reduced performance when the battery isn't recognized. Consider using ThrottleStop 9.6 at https://www.techpowerup.com/download/tec...ottlestop/. In the Limit Reasons window, observe power restrictions. Verify the MMIO Lock setting within the TPL interface. Numerous Dell models rely on an integrated controller to handle these power constraints.
It appears the system is drawing more power than the 130W PSU can handle without extra from the battery. Under load, the CPU speeds up to about 3.00 GHz, which seems reasonable after recent changes. My benchmark scores are slightly lower than expected but still acceptable. I’ve noticed consistent performance in Valorant, though games like Valorant cause more issues. Lowering settings improved stability and clock speeds. High GPU demand at medium settings led to frame drops and low clock speeds. The problem likely stems from insufficient power supply, possibly due to a low-power mode or needing a higher wattage PSU (180W). More testing is needed to confirm. Thanks for the support!
I've been working hard on testing everything. I've applied all Windows updates and Dell Support Assistant fixes. The system now runs much smoother than before the drive swap and reinstall.