CPU Functioning at Half Capacity

Ornthorn

Solid State Member
Messages
8
Location
England
So a few days ago I noticed a serious FPS drop in games across the board. At first I thought it was a problem with the GPU, but upon checking CPU-Z it became apparent that the CPU was at fault.

Here's what CPU-Z says: http://gyazo.com/88848f0aad154c698a873eaa1c96cbd6.png

As you can see, the frequency it is running at is a bit less than half the standard clock speed.

Note: I did clean out and replace the CPU fan a few days ago (without touching the CPU itself). I don't think this has anything to do with it but I might as well mention it here anyway.

Please, can somebody tell me what's gone wrong to make this happen? It's killing meeeeee ;-;

Thanks.
 
That is what it is suppose to do. It downclocks to save power. It's called Speedsteping by Intel, Cool and quiet is AMDs tech.

You'll need to use something like intel burn test or prime95 to see your system full loaded.

How did you clean out the fan? I suspect it actually does have something to do with it.

Welcome to TF
 
I unplugged the fan from the motherboard and then replaced it after blowing air through it. The fan is working, as confirmed by the bios.

I'll go with what you suggested.

Thanks for the help.

EDIT:
Speedfan came out with this. I noticed that the fan speed seems rather erratic and the CPU is far too hot considering all I'm doing currently is browsing the web using Chrome. I think I'll invest in a better heatsink in the future.

http://gyazo.com/b566e2218097b68927d34d31e1332eca.png
 
Last edited:
o.o either my reply didn't post or it got removed. Okayyy...

So, basically, I cleaned out my fan by unplugging it from the motherboard and then replacing it correctly after blowing air through it. According to the BIOS and Speedfan, the fan is functioning, however the RPM seems to be fluctuating between 1700 and 2600 which I'm fairly sure isn't entirely normal. I think I'll be investing in a heatsink in the future.

The CPU also seems to be running rather hot at idle which I know shouldn't be happening.

So, what do I do to avoid the downclocking?

Thanks.

EDIT:
oh so now the other reply posts -_-
 
Last edited:
The CPU also seems to be running rather hot at idle which I know shouldn't be happening.

So, what do I do to avoid the downclocking?

Leave the cpu alone and let it do what paton mentioned.
If you really feel that uptight about your cpu frequency speed.
Visit the over clock section on tech-forums and ask about oc and dc your cpu.

Also what heatsink do you have by chance ?
 
o.o either my reply didn't post or it got removed. Okayyy...

So, basically, I cleaned out my fan by unplugging it from the motherboard and then replacing it correctly after blowing air through it. According to the BIOS and Speedfan, the fan is functioning, however the RPM seems to be fluctuating between 1700 and 2600 which I'm fairly sure isn't entirely normal. I think I'll be investing in a heatsink in the future.

The CPU also seems to be running rather hot at idle which I know shouldn't be happening.

So, what do I do to avoid the downclocking?

Thanks.

EDIT:
oh so now the other reply posts -_-

make sure, as its is the standard heatsink, that it is still firmly seated on the cpu.

it's very possible you dislodged it.
 
I'm only uptight about my CPU frequency because I can't game with it that low, and gaming is a significant part of my life.

Heh after looking at your screen I can see why your abit startled.
Still nothing to worry about, depending on your motherboard and ram this how you should do it.

Overclocking Intel i5-3550 - CPUs - Overclocking
Read what it says and follow what this guy is saying.

To game nicely on your cpu with dedicated vga: 2.9gh- 3.5ghz will be perfectly fine.
If you want to push it past that point, highly consider a aftermarket heatsink and ask for instructions here.

Overclocking and Modding - Tech & Computer Forums
 
Thanks for the help, guys. I've sorted out the temperature problem (the heatsink was dislodged) and I'm about to overclock back to the factory clock speed.
 
Back
Top Bottom