The monitor indicates cores hitting 70% during idle—does that seem typical?
The monitor indicates cores hitting 70% during idle—does that seem typical?
Recently I replaced my M.2-SSD with the adapter, but faced problems such as freezes, crashes, and blue screens. Eventually, I managed to clone my M.2 drive. The full story is available here:
Sorry for the repetition. But I believe this isn't closely tied to my earlier comment and I thought it worth adding as a solution.
For those experiencing a comparable problem:
The power configuration recommendations from Misgar proved quite useful and marked a positive step forward. Adjustments to the fans were immediately noticeable.
The ultimate resolution came from this consideration:
A thorough verification using Geekbench revealed that the Windows power settings only affected the CPU clocking, not the iGPU. I then looked into the AMD settings and discovered the driver suite had a...
AMD Ryzen R9 5900HX
That's a mobile processor. What is the make, model and SKU to your laptop? Would be a good idea to see if your laptop is pending any BIOS updates.
As for the HWMonitor, use HWInfo instead. With regards to the higher than normal CPU usage when idling, what sort of entries do you have at startup or running in the background?
What version(not edition) of Windows 11 are you on?
So my fear is that the blue-screens and crashes/freezes might have damaged some of my cores.
Unless you've been subjecting your laptop to very high temps(well beyond 100 Deg C or that there's a manufacturing level defect, BSoD's can't degrade the processor cores.
PC runs smoothly otherwise
You could think about inspecting the venting for your laptop and seeing if they need cleaning. How long have you had the laptop? Would be a good idea to replace the thermal paste and pads on your laptop for something higher in quality.
Windows Version is 24H2. The laptop is an ASUS Vivobook Pro (click Link). I've been using it almost every day for three years now. Most start-up apps are disabled, and only "Asus Mouse Agent", "AMD Noise Suppression", and "SecurityHealthSystray" are enabled. Regarding the BIOS update, I believe the MyAsus App should indicate if there were any changes. I considered replacing the thermal paste, but after three years it seems too late. I plan to try HWInfo and report once finished. Thanks for the tip 😉 Another question: Is there a way to test the CPU somehow? Edit: I downloaded HWInfo but it looks complicated. How can I use it effectively to get useful data? o.o
This confirms what I observed in HWMonitor. CPU Core 0 and 2 are the most active, showing significant fluctuations. The remaining cores are much less active. The CPU package temperature stays around 55-60 degrees Celsius. All of this was checked while using Firefox, Windows Explorer, HWInfo and IrfanView open. My fan noise remains steady at 3500 (!!) RPM, even in silent mode, which I find quite high for a desktop. Switching the Noise Profile to normal raises it to 4800 RPM, which is quite loud. Turning off HWInfo slightly reduces the fan noise, though it seems HWInfo is quite demanding. From Taskmanager, I see HWInfo's CPU usage fluctuates between 2 and 11%.
These could very well be your top-performing cores, and Windows might be allocating tasks to them based on priority.
I'm using Firefox on this PC, and Resource Monitor displays 13 instances of firefox.exe. My machine is consuming over 1GB of RAM even with just two tabs open, while Firefox is using significantly more.
Task Manager indicates CPU usage between 1% and 6%.
I recently started using IrfanView; it has only one instance of i_view64.exe and is utilizing 30MB of RAM. That's much less than Firefox.
If you wish to simulate idle operation, temporarily turn off WiFi/Ethernet and avoid running Firefox. I notice CPU usage spikes occasionally when the internet is active, as other programs check for updates.
I'm careful when reusing the laptop's CPU/GPU, since the heatsink can be difficult to remove if you're not skilled. Thermal pads vary in thickness, and some are of higher quality.
If you notice loose dry thermal paste near the heatsink or fan blades obstructed by hair, then a problem might exist.
When I close Resource Manager, CPU activity drops noticeably, just like when closing HWMonitor or other programs.
For a practical stress test, I occasionally run Handbrake to convert videos or launch a Hyper-V virtual machine to play back files. My laptop fans become quite loud during these demanding CPU tasks.
Here are the key points rephrased while keeping the original meaning and structure:
The focus isn't on running the laptop in total standby. What matters more is maintaining quiet operation during typical usage, such as browsing the web, watching YouTube videos, or performing office tasks while playing media with background music.
Previously, this was the usual situation, but recently it has changed. The fans now switch on and off rapidly—within seconds—producing a noticeable increase in noise. It appears they operate near the temperature threshold where they activate, just below or just above it. Reducing the temperature slightly might help. Adjusting power settings could also be an option, though I’m unsure.
There’s definitely nothing preventing the fans from working. After replacing the SSD, I cleaned most of the internal dust and disabled many background processes and services. I’m confident there’s nothing else to remove.
Currently, the laptop runs on battery mode, and HWinfo displays significantly lower temperatures. Even with HWinfo active, fans remain off or barely move. The temperature is around 45°C, which is much lower than when plugged in. I’d like to have the same power profile while connected.
I still think thermal paste could help. I’m comfortable performing the replacement on my desktop PCs in the past, especially when building or upgrading components. It’s unlikely to be as critical on a laptop. I’m curious about the potential impact and whether others have had similar experiences. How much of a temperature drop can I realistically expect?
Additionally, is there a method to test the CPU and possibly the integrated GPU during desktop tasks, comparing performance with standard results? I want to ensure my CPU is functioning perfectly before applying new paste.
My dedicated GPU remains unaffected and stays idle during desktop use. Gaming also seems to work without issues, with no frame rate drops.
You're likely using a distinct power configuration when operating on battery, intended to limit CPU energy consumption and prolong battery duration. Access Power Settings, adjust plan configurations, modify advanced power controls. Review 'Processor power management' options for both Battery and Plugged-in modes. Adjusting the 'Maximum processor state' from full to around 80% for Plugged-in should help lower CPU heat generation. You might also explore Throttlestop settings if you can figure out how to apply them.
I've tested numerous desktop processors, yet never handled a laptop or discrete GPU card. While some claim significant temperature drops from rework, I recommend starting with power profiles before considering other fixes.
For substantial improvements, liquid metal cooling is an option, though it carries risks like leaks and system failure. Various stress tests exist, but they push components to their limits and trigger thermal throttling. If your setup runs smoothly without crashes or Blue Screens, it likely functions correctly and doesn't require such adjustments.
Standardized benchmarks remain elusive; only the manufacturer can accurately predict fan noise levels across different processor power settings.
Laptop cooling often involves trade-offs. My Lenovo Evo i7-13700H overheats during CPU-heavy tasks in Hyper-V VMs. The virtual machine stalls as the CPU throttles, but the main system stays operational.
Your concern seems to stem from wanting a quieter machine—this could be managed by capping processing power or using noise-cancelling headphones.
If you proceed with repasting and encounter issues, it might be premature. Similarly, aggressive cleaning can backfire; proceed cautiously.
A bit of background fan noise is normal in any setup, and loud Delta fans during startup are common in server environments. Adjusting expectations helps avoid unnecessary stress.