CPU always running at maximum speed


  1. Posts : 162
    Windows 10 Pro 21H1
       #1

    CPU always running at maximum speed


    CPU is Intel i5-9400 with 6 cores.
    Previously HWMonitor would indicate all cores at 800MHz at idle. And some or all would go to 4000MHz as needed.

    I opened HWMonitor just out of curiosity & all cores were between 3900 - 4000MHz all the time. CPU Utilization was typically showing all cores at 0.0% and a few flickering a bit between 0.5% to 4.0%. Task manager basically shows the same figures.

    Core temperatures are hanging around 30°C.

    The SSD/HDD activity light on the case periodically flickers.

    Yesterday I updated Windows from 20H2 to 21H1, but that's already finished. Unless Windows is still doing something in the background. But then the CPU Utilization should show something significant.

    Task Manager doesn't show anything significant. Any idea where to look to find out what is happening?

    Thanks

    EDIT - solved
    I looked in Power Options & it was set to High Performance. I don't know when I looked in that section before & have no idea how it changed. Could the Windows update have caused this? I changed it back to Balanced & all is good again.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 23,014
    Win 10 Home ♦♦♦19045.4239 (x64) [22H2]
       #2

    @Mike100


    CPU always running at maximum speed-image1.png




    Probably... one of the updates changed you Power Plan Advanced settings. Most of the time... the "Minimum Processor State" will be set at 5%. You can set it wherever you like.
    It doesn't really matter whether it's 5% or 99%. MS just keeps changing it every now and then.

    When it comes to what HWMonitor and Task Manager say... always go with Task Manager.



    /edit

    In answer to your edit... YES.
    MS keeps messing around with that stuff.

    Another one they like to mess with is Idle time to turn monitor OFF. Sometimes they mess with the overall volume (system tray). They seem to like 67% and 100%.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 288
    Windows 10
       #3

    Chance are it is Chrome AKA

    Microsoft Edge
    Brave Browser

    maybe even FireFox

    Point is the new upgrade has turned on something eating your processing power up.


    Checkout your

    taskschd.msc
    services.msc
    resmon.msc
    task manager and check the startup
    Download RamMap and end anything that is standing by.

    The point being a switch was off and now it is on and clearly accessing your
    SSD and HDD drives.

    Microsoft has an official tool called the Joulemeter but you have to agree to some clearance to use it.

    "Microsoft Joulemeter is a software tool that estimates the power consumption of your computer. It tracks computer resources, such as CPU utilization and screen brightness, and estimates power usage."

    Also

    Some Windows 10 installations later have something like the above mentioned.

    How to See Power Usage in Windows 10’s Task Manager
      My Computer


 

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