the i7 6700k runs at a very slow speed
the i7 6700k runs at a very slow speed
Hi, after my trip back home my PC seemed very sluggish. I checked Task Manager and noticed the i7 6700K was spinning at just 0.8GHz, way below its usual 4GHz. The fluctuations in clock speed were noticeable, especially during games like CSGO where microstutters appeared. When using AIDA64, the task manager showed only 20% performance. I’ve tried resetting the CPU, reapplying thermal paste, checking the CMOS, and even running overclock settings, but nothing changed. The temperatures stayed normal under full load. It might be related to the motherboard or cooling system rather than the CPU itself.
Your chip will reduce clock speeds to conserve energy. You can manage this via Throttlestop, which handles most settings similar to BIOS, though in Windows. As @Master Disaster mentioned, consider turning off Speedstep.
It's been quite a warm period since I switched on my Intel processor, but if you can locate a manual for your CPU, I'd suggest it. There are several BIOS settings aimed at conserving energy. You don't have to overclock unless you're comfortable with it. Turn off the features mentioned in the guide. Also, look into your RAM speed—sometimes the issue lies with the memory itself. I've noticed slowdowns before my 2600X reached boost, realizing it was because my memory was running at 2133Mhz instead of the 3000Mhz XMP setting I had configured.
The 2400Mhz frequency isn't too high for a 6700k chip, though it might still cause problems. I'd turn off C-State, the Hardware Prefetcher, and see how it performs.
The adjustment in settings had no noticeable impact. I attempted to run Aida64, which caused my computer to freeze briefly. During stress tests, the CPU usage stayed limited to 20%.
It seems unusual... Have you made any changes recently? If not, review the update log to confirm automatic installations. I usually download the newest drivers and install them, even if they already exist. I also pull from manufacturers’ sites and the motherboard support page. I start with manufacturer drivers, then test. If the problem persists, I switch to the motherboard’s support updates. While you’re browsing, check for a BIOS update—it might be the chipset driver causing the issue, especially if Windows updated it automatically.