Hello!
While using Aida64, a utility that give details about hardware and software, I noticed the "slow processor" in Operating System Features:
What is this? Is this applicable in Windows 10? Assuming it can help performance in systems with slow CPU or low RAM, how can I enable it?
Thank you in advance.
There is no such information on it. But clearly it is not something you want to enable.
Probably it would limit Windows features to make it better for slow CPU, but certainly I don't want to lose any feature.
This is purely informational and there is nothing you can set. Windows detects whether or not you have a slow processor according to some criteria (probably undocumented) and Aida is showing the results of that test. This information is provided as a convenience to applications that can use it as they wish, or most likely ignore it. Windows components can also use this information. I don't know if Windows 10 actually makes this test.
Edit: Applications like Aida often use checkboxes to show information but this unfortunately gives the impression to users that it is something they can change. None of those checkboxes in the screen shot will do anything, even if you could set them.
I suppose that that would be ticked in Power Saving Mode, as Power Saving Mode limits the processor speed to, well, save power. Either that, or it means that the CPU is being bottlenecked due to inadequate cooling. I don't have any experience with this software, but that's what I would interpret it as. What an ambiguous name.
I expect that this status is determined at bootup and never changes after that. It is to be a gauge of CPU capabilities, not how well it is currently performing as that could change quickly.
Yes, I am aware this is only informational, but I thought there must be some setting in Windows toggling that. Nevermind. Windows would be slow on a slow CPU anyway.
According to Aida64 it shows the result of the function GetSystemMetrics(SM_SLOWMACHINE)..
In Windows 95 a computer was considered slow if:
• If the CPU was an 80386, then the machine was considered slow.
• If the computer had less than 6MB of RAM, then the machine was considered slow.
• If the display driver† admitted that it was slow, then the machine was considered slow.
• Otherwise, the machine was considered fast.
But this hasn't been used since Windows NT when the algorithm was changed to:
• All machines are fast,
What is a SM_SLOWMACHINE? | The Old New Thing
So not very useful information these days.
Quote