Browser Constantly running at very high power, fans screaming

Howdy! Not sure of the best subforum for this one, so figured I'd start here. Running Windows 10 22H2, latest build 19045.4046. Simplest post is: Edge, Firefox, for "reasons" are causing my CPU fan to scream, and in task manager, it's showing High or Very High power usage, always the culprit. I don't know exactly why, hence why I am here. Even if I knew, I don't know what to "fix". Other reasons for fans running, CPU temp, background programs and services, there really isn't much to speak of. If all I do is boot and then run a browser, I get the same issue.

Just repasted the CPU this week, and while it did drop my tempt by 3'c on average, temps are below 60'c at peak, usually running below 50, and probably lower when only web browsing. This problem has been here for a while, but seems worse of late.

It all seems artificial, this power draw, and I simply don't know what to do about it. At the same time, it's driving me crazy, the fans constantly spinning up when simply web browsing. Video streaming surely gets the most immediate response, yet that really shouldn't be a thing. My system, though a bit older, is still a beast for simple tasks, and I have 32g ddr4 running on the system with never a load exceeding even half system resources.

The system is a Dell Inspiron 5675 desktop, running AMD Ryzen 7 1800x CPU and RX580 GPU. GPU seems to be just fine, and my system, performance wise, rarely lags at all.

If I could cause the system to never "note" a power usage great than "moderate" for browsing, I think all would be great. The question is, can this be accomplished?

The second though I have is to adjust the fan speed, yet each app I try to even view the fan speed (Speed Fan and HWInfo64), neither shows the CPU fan at all. Only GPU and at times some ancillary fans.

So, thoughts, help, suggestions would all be so welcome, and I really do thank you in advance for taking the time to read, and hopefully suggest a solution. Take care!

Dave

I have tried modifying basically every setting in the browser, from turning off hardware acceleration to all efficiency mode settings being enabled. Essentially, running with all minimal settings, the same outcome occurs. To me, it's not a memory issue, but for whatever reason, the process is being noted as a "high power" draw, when in truth, it surely has no true power draw. If my little iPad can run equivalently all these sites, surely my desktop cannot be "struggling" to do likewise.

Also, it is all browsers, for not only do Firefox and Edge both do likewise, even when I tried Chrome, I found the same issue. The system has also been completely reinstalled from Windows, and the issue has persisted.

Frustrating, and so unnecessary. Hope someone might have a solution. I do thank you for your reply! Have a good one!

https://www.dell.com/community/en/co...ccf8a8dea1acb5


Lot of info with similar issues. Check above and may want to google for more.

For fan control I found an excellent customizable and controllable freeware app: Fancontrol
It may or may not fix your issue.

Alternately, try this (a similar issue I once had [less the fan issue] approach)
(100% CPU & Disk but actually not)

Open a admin CMD
Run two commands, which sets the IDLEDISABLE setting back to "0" and then re-applies the power management configuration.
In CMD window:

PowerCfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_PROCESSOR IDLEDISABLE 000
<Enter>
PowerCfg /SETACTIVE SCHEME_CURRENT
<Enter>

it also could be that everything is normal and Firefox is the culprit.
in Firefox click on: Tools> Settings.
select: General
scroll down until the section "performance"
if checked, uncheck "use recommended performance settings" and "use hardware acceleration when available"
close Firefox and restart the browser.
I have not noticed any performance difference by unchecking the two aforementioned settings.

let me know how it goes!
If it worked send me a thanks.

Hi 3bit. Thanks so much for your suggestions. I did download Fan control, and I love the program. Interestingly, once more I am not seeing my CPU fan being detected. Have you any thoughts or suggestions as to why this might be, or how I might get it to be recognized. I would absolutely love to be able to have such a visible, hand-ons way to manage my fan speed.

It works perfectly for my GPU, and if I could have the same control with my CPU, I believe I would be out of the fan speed conundrum, at least to a significant degree.

I did also run the cmd lines you posted, and will see how the evening progresses, to see if there is any noticeable difference.

As for the browsers, if it were a single browser, then maybe it would be a setting issue. In fact, I did already adjust all such settings, and found no improvement. I also find the exact same behavior with Edge and Chrome, so its sort of "extra-browser" in its problem.

I believe once upon a time, I was able to get my CPU to be detected by programs such as fan speed, HW Info, etc... But as of late, while I can see sort of every data line on my CPU, the fan speed is always missing. Strange.

Thanks so much!

- - - Updated - - -

csun, I did go through that site and read through the posts, and its an interesting thing to ponder. Would changing out the CPU cooler change the issue? In this case, I don't think it would, actually. Unless it's a direct Dell code issue with the Mainboard, when I look at where the issue lay, it seems well embedded in Windows itself.

For instance, when I run a game, and the power call is "very high", to which the fans spin up in response, this is entirely appropriate. However, when it is a simple web browser making "very high" power calls, that's not appropriate at all. I literally have a system that can handle 50 open tabs without taking a performance hit, so long as the connections themselves don't lag.

I thank you so much for looking into this for me, and I will still keep it in mind as something I might want to try. My suspicion, however, is that even were I to change out the fan, all the system calls regulating its speed will still be producing the same messaging, and thus the same result.

- - - Updated - - -

Dalchina, in truth, as best as I can recall this began after some aftermarket service from a Dell technician. Now, I say that with the utmost scorn, for I don't know where Dell finds these folks. Maybe some are decent, but the two I had were truly terrible. The first "broke" my system when he serviced it, leaving me high and dry for a week, no 'puter. When a second came out with additional parts, when he went to work, he saw the CPU power supply was never plugged in, which is why it wouldn't post. How could such a technician ever miss such a thing. Again, as this was all under warranty, I wasn't able to service it myself.

As for the second, well, if he were "better", it is only marginally, for when I went to repaste the CPU, which he changed out (along with MB, memory and power supply, I found that he used so much paste, it had spilled out and as actually imbedded in the fins. He put like a tablespoon on there. Crazy. When I saw that, I thought it was in fact the issue. However, after a repaste with an appropriate amount of Arctic Silver, while there was a temp drop, it didn't remove the fan issue.

Now, back to your suggestion or question, it was around this time that the fans spinning up inappropriately began. It wasn't as bad as now, but as for history, that is definitely the time. Unfortunately, I myself don't know what specifically it was, and the computer is long out of warranty. It may have been the mainboard, which would make some sense, but if that is the case, there really isn't anything I can do about it. Not going to pay Dell prices for additional service, and really can't afford it if I wanted to.

Otherwise, that's about all I can remember. There were no significant software installs. I run a very basic system, using mostly for simple browsing, game play and Office work these days. Once upon a time I was doing video editing, which is why I went with the 16 core system back in the day, but for the last few years, I simply haven't had to work on anything intense, nor introduce really anything new at all.

On top of that, I have completely reinstalled all software from fresh at least twice since the service.

Open to suggestions as to root cause, but for me, nothing else stands out. Thanks again, and hope this answers or provides some good background for you.

- - - Updated - - -

3nd said:

have you thought that your machine might be infected with a crypto-mining malware?


Just a moment...

I did a quick review of the notable problems that would indicate such an issue, and really none apply. My CPU is rarely pushing very hard, even under gaming. Network data seems entirely appropriate, and I don't see any programs showing any data use that raises a red flag.

I appreciate the thought, and it is always good to do this as a review and test. Thanks!

davezeb said:

... I can see sort of every data line on my CPU, the fan speed is always missing...

@davezeb
Since you mentioned that you had not so good experience with so-called service technicians, why don't you open your desk top and do some basic checking. Such as which fan exactly you hear. for the benefit of the doubt check if it's plugged into the correct fan socket, plugged in the right way. as you mentioned
It is possible that some chip temperature sensor or fan motor has some kind of failure.
Although from my personal experience, "the real hardware is always the software".
Just an attempt to eliminate some variables.

It could be something totally unusual.
You mentioned:"I found that he used so much paste, it had spilled out and as actually imbedded in the fins." Tiny droplets on the motherboard between two contacts can create havoc as it may have enough conductivity.
who knows what else the genius of a service technician did...

Keep in mind that the word "bug" originated from an old vacuum tube and relays computer which one day again malfunctioned and they found a cockroach between relay contacts. Hence the word "bug". I'm not saying your computer has cockroaches in it but you be surprised if you Google "cockroaches in computers" and their subsequent problems. After all, it's nice and warm inside the computer...

From personal experience I can tell you, dirt and dust, humidity and salty air can do amazing things as well.
I lived for three years in a tropical climate near the ocean and had to deal with the most awkward unusual incomprehensible computer problems! all courtesy to dust, humidity and salt in the air!
Most bizarre behavior and malfunctions, things you wouldn't even imagine.

One day I opened up a case of a computer who amongst other things turn itself on and off randomly but only on overcast days... with or without any activity. I washed the whole thing out with distilled water, blew out with compressed air, dried it out in the sun and sprayed it all with WD-40.
Oh wonder! all the problems were gone and the machine ran like new!

Just saying!
the fact that the service technician slobbered around with thermal paste and thereafter you had a fan issue is kind of a pointer!

@davezeb

PS have you checked in the BIOS if there are any specific settings for fans? Are there any monitoring apps running?
What if you do save mode boot? boot from an bootable USB?