# CPU Throttling at High Performance settings



## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

Hello,
New here and in need of help.
I’ve already scoured the net for this, but nothing works for me.
I’m using my laptop for audio production and i need it to be at maximum frequency all the time.
I’ve set it up for high performance, the minimum setting is at 100% but whenever it’s idle it goes back to a low power state.
CPU-Z says that it’s multiplier goes from 12-33x and that the buss is at 99.76mhz.
It’s an i7 3610QM
When I stress test it, it only goes up to 31x multiplier but i guess that’s normal for when all four cores are active, but when idling it’s at 12x.
This is a problem because I use it for live audio and it seems to affect my ability to use lower latency settings on the audio interface.
In BIOS I have only a few options:
Dynamic switching or Low Power
If dynamic switching is on, I can turn turbo boost on or off, but if Low Power is on, then Turbo boost disappears.
I tried going to low power and that just keeps it at 12x, I’ve tried turning off turbo boost, and then it keeps it at 23x no matter what happens.
If Turbo and Dynamic are both on it fluctuates between 12x-31/33x depending on the load.
I tried ThrottleStop but it helps nothing.
It can override the low power settings, but it can't keep it at max freq.
I’m at my wits end.
Please, Help!


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

Might try in Windows power plan , cooling - active , not passive .

Also High performance power plan of Windows


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> Might try in Windows power plan , cooling - active , not passive .
> 
> Also High performance power plan of Windows



Thanks, but i did that, of course.


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## R-T-B (Apr 10, 2016)

Your processor's base frequency is 2.3Ghz.  You won't be able to "perma-force" it to run at anything above that.  The rest is turbo boost.  The key word in here is "boost" ie, temporary.


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

I doubt the processor is to blame for the audio mishaps

Edit :What about setting min processor state at 75% , then , in Windows power plan

Any ssd ?


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

R-T-B said:


> Your processor's base frequency is 2.3Ghz.  You won't be able to "perma-force" it to run at anything above that.  The rest is turbo boost.  The key word in here is "boost" ie, temporary.



When i stress test it, it keeps at 3.1 GHz, so that is not temporary. Also, even if you're right, why does it keep going back to 1200 MHz? It should fluctuate between 2.3 and 3.1 GHz


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

Achib said:


> When i stress test it, it keeps at 3.1 GHz, so that is not temporary. Also, even if you're right, why does it keep going back to 1200 MHz? It should fluctuate between 2.3 and 3.1 GHz



Apparently 1.2GHz is the min frequency (multiplier x12 ) , to save power not throttling .

What about setting cooling to active and min CPU state = 75%


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> I doubt the processor is to blame for the audio mishaps
> 
> Edit :What about setting min processor state at 75% , then , in Windows power plan
> 
> Any ssd ?




No SSD.

What could be to blame then?

I just tried 75% and it DOES stabilize it a bit, but it still drops to minimum occasionally. I tried 85 and 90 and 95. It's better than 100% percent but it always drops to minimum. Why can't the minimum be the standard freq (2.3GHz)?


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

Achib said:


> No SSD.
> 
> What could be to blame then?
> 
> I just tried 75% and it DOES stabilize it a bit, but it still drops to minimum occasionally. I tried 85 and 90 and 95. It's better than 100% percent but it always drops to minimum. Why can't the minimum be the standard freq (2.3GHz)?



Nearly every processor has several frequencies (speed step technology ) , used to save power i.e. power efficiency .

My CPU is i3 2350M 2.3GHz . So , no boost but a lot of frequencies : the base is 800MHz , 1000MHz , 1200MHz , 1400MHz, 1800MHz , 2300MHz  If cooling paasive , it always goes to the base 800MHz , if the workload is not big or 0%

Try cooling *Active* not passive


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> Nearly every processor has several frequencies (speed step technology ) , used to save power i.e. power efficiency .
> 
> My CPU is i3 2350M 2.3GHz . So , no boost but a lot of frequencies : the base is 800MHz , 1000MHz , 1200MHz , 1400MHz, 1800MHz , 2300MHz  If cooling paasive , it always goes to the base 800MHz , if the workload is not big or 0%
> 
> Try cooling *Active* not passive




Cooling is active. I just don't want it to go to the minimum state ever. That's what those power settings should solve, but they don't.
I even did a fresh Windows installation on a separate partition and the same happens.

I can disable turbo boost, and that keeps it at a constant freq of 2.3 GHz, but if turbo boost is enabled it starts going all over the place. All of this doesn't make sense to me at all, and if this is just the way it is and there's nothing to be done about it, then this whole speedstep technology is good only for environmentalists and people using PC-s for surfing.


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

I would get a ssd


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> I would get a ssd



SSD has nothing to do with audio dropouts I'm afraid.

Thanks a lot for your time


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

Achib said:


> SSD has nothing to do with audio dropouts I'm afraid.
> 
> Thanks a lot for your time



I think its important the read/write storage speed and response time  .  Defrag the hdd .


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> I would get a ssd



SSD has nothing to do with audio dropouts I'm afraid.

Thanks a lot for your time


little cat said:


> I think its important the read/write storage speed and response time  .  Defrag the hdd .



Not if I'm using a plugin that loads into the RAM.

The disk is defraged weekly.


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## P4-630 (Apr 10, 2016)

Get a laptop with faster CPU base speed and SSD?


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

P4-630 said:


> Get a laptop with faster CPU base speed and SSD?


It will always go to the lowest speed , once the workload is little   Apperently , there are times when the load drops and thus the speed too . .


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## P4-630 (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> It will always go to the lowest speed , once the workload is little   Apperently , there are times when the load drops and thus the speed too . .



Well he's complaining about the CPU speed, I think the problem lies somewhere else though...


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

P4-630 said:


> Well he's complaining about the CPU speed, I think the problem lies somewhere else though...



I totally agree


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

P4-630 said:


> Well he's complaining about the CPU speed, I think the problem lies somewhere else though...



I would love if it were so, which would mean I could possibly fix it, but I have no idea what else could it be.
I optimized my machine for audio, did everything that's out there on the web, but I still can't get a latency lower than 256 samples.
It could be that the audio interface is fucked and I'll check that soon, but it works fine in all other respects.

In any case, it definitely has nothing to do with the HDD.

Anyway, the CPU throttling is the only idea I have. If anyone has another one, I will be extremely grateful.


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## Mr.Scott (Apr 10, 2016)

It's a laptop. It's probably thermal throttling.


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

Mr.Scott said:


> It's a laptop. It's probably thermal throttling.


At what temp should thermal throttling occur?


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

Achib said:


> At what temp should thermal throttling occur?


Around 100C , since max is 105C
http://ark.intel.com/products/64899/Intel-Core-i7-3610QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz

Might try Real Temp


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> Around 100C , since max is 105C
> http://ark.intel.com/products/64899/Intel-Core-i7-3610QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz



I'm nowhere near that, even after 15 minutes of stress testing it doesn't go over 90 degrees (it IS a lot, but it doesn't happen in real life applications)


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## Mr.Scott (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> Around 100C , since max is 105C
> http://ark.intel.com/products/64899/Intel-Core-i7-3610QM-Processor-6M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz


You speculate. It's ok to not know.

@OP - it depends on how the OEM of your laptop has the hardware programmed. Every manufacturer is different. Might not even be the CPU that's throttling, might be the power section of the motherboard.


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

Mr.Scott said:


> You speculate. It's ok to not know.
> 
> @OP - it depends on how the OEM of your laptop has the hardware programmed. Every manufacturer is different. Might not even be the CPU that's throttling, might be the power section of the motherboard.



Mine has Tj 85C and throttles at 83C ! Intel said what they said .

He didnt ask what the best max temp was . There is difference between optimal and throttle temp


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## P4-630 (Apr 10, 2016)

Here is the answer:
https://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/Utilities/ThrottleStop/

With this little software you can see at what temp your CPU throttles.







PROCHOT is the throttle temp.


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## R-T-B (Apr 10, 2016)

Achib said:


> When i stress test it, it keeps at 3.1 GHz, so that is not temporary. Also, even if you're right, why does it keep going back to 1200 MHz? It should fluctuate between 2.3 and 3.1 GHz



That's the nature of Intel Speedstep, which I doubt you can disable in a laptop bios.  It throttles to thermal conditions.  It also throttles up/down based on power draw, usage, etc.  It's rather complicated honestly, but this is normal behavior and I doubt it's to blame.


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## Mr.Scott (Apr 10, 2016)

little cat said:


> Mine has Tj 85C and throttles at 83C ! Intel said what they said .
> 
> He didnt ask what the best max temp was . There is difference between optimal and throttle temp


I never mentioned anything about optimal temp or best max temp. Don't try to put words in my mouth thank you.


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

If not everything else then audio chip has bad latencies


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

P4-630 said:


> Here is the answer:
> https://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/Utilities/ThrottleStop/
> 
> With this little software you can see at what temp your CPU throttles.
> ...




 

This is how mine looks while working. it is unable to max it out like in your instance.
Well, if i bench it, it does, but that's not the point.
It does nothing, really....


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## P4-630 (Apr 10, 2016)

Achib said:


> View attachment 73652
> 
> This is how mine looks while working. it is unable to max it out like in your instance.
> Well, if i bench it, it does, but that's not the point.
> It does nothing, really....



The PROCHOT of your CPU in that laptop is set at 104 degrees, then it throttles, that was the point.
It's unlikely that you ever reach that CPU temp with what you are doing on your laptop.


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## Frick (Apr 10, 2016)

What issues do you get when it clocks down?

And modern CPU's are made to fluctuate in speed. There's no CPU load, hence it clocks down, as it should. Intel calls it SpeedStep and if you don't have an option for it it probably can't be disabled.

What make and model is the laptop?


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## alucasa (Apr 10, 2016)

I don't see anything wrong with the cpu?


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

Frick said:


> What issues do you get when it clocks down?
> 
> And modern CPU's are made to fluctuate in speed. There's no CPU load, hence it clocks down, as it should. Intel calls it SpeedStep and if you don't have an option for it it probably can't be disabled.
> 
> What make and model is the laptop?




I believe the problem is that the changing of the clock lags slightly behind the load peaks, which, when working with audio, causes dropouts and an inability to use lower latency. 
I can disable turboboost, which then keeps it at a constant nominal freq of 2.3 GHz.
What I wanna know is if I can do the same but have it at the max freq of 3.1 GHz.
Throttlestop doesn't do anything in that respect.

What really irritates me is that my CPU can handle 3.1 GHz, but I don't have the option to set that as the constant frequency.
I don't care about power consumption or any of that. As far as I'm concerned, speedstep is entirely useless.
If it could fluctuate between the nominal 2.3 and the maximum 3.1GHz, it would probably be fine, but that is impossible to do obviously...It's just so frustrating.
Modern tech just seems to be going backwards in some respects.
Locked out features designed for low level users. People surfing and watching YT videos don't need an i7 anyway, and whether I want to lower my power consumption or not should be left up to me and not be set as default.

It's all Al Gore's fault, damned fraudulent liar.


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## alucasa (Apr 10, 2016)

Oh, for ...

Me gives up.


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## unclewebb (Apr 10, 2016)

You need to disable the C States by editing your registry.

Most laptops do not let you toggle the C States on and off in the bios but there is a registry mod you can use if you want to see what your laptop is like with the C States disabled.


```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Intelppm
```

Go to the above registry key and set Start to 4 to disable the C2/C3/C6/C7 low power core and package C states. Default value for this is 3. You will need to reboot to see any change.

After doing this, ThrottleStop will show you that your CPU is consuming a lot more power and the core temperatures even when idle are going to be much higher.

This might let you run at 3.1 GHz.  I have tried this trick before on my 4700MQ but it has been a while so I think I will reboot and see what I get, besides a hot lap.  Intel created C States for a reason but I agree that they can be a pain when doing audio work.

Edit - Here is the result.






No C States being used when the CPU is idle and a solid 34.00 multiplier across all 4 cores.  Check out the CPU core temp.  It is usually half that at idle.  Reported power consumption is also around 1.5 W or less usually when using all of the C States.  With this setting, you can still toggle on and off the C1E C State if you want to keep power consumption down.  That cuts idle power consumption in half.  When you need maximum performance, toggle C1E off.  Simple.

Edit - Here's a pic with all C States on just for comparison.  The temp difference is not as big as I thought it was but it is not a fair comparison because with C States disabled, the CPU fan runs faster.  Barely audible with C States enabled.


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

unclewebb said:


> You need to disable the C States by editing your registry.
> 
> Most laptops do not let you toggle the C States on and off in the bios but there is a registry mod you can use if you want to see what your laptop is like with the C States disabled.
> 
> ...




That........... WORKED!


YEAH MAN!!!

Thank you so much.
I was beginning to think it was a lost cause but you came as a life saver.

I'm in your debt, man, and if you were here, I'd kiss you, hahaha.

Thank you to everyone else for their time and effort as well.


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## unclewebb (Apr 10, 2016)

How about post a ThrottleStop screenshot so we can see the results?  I like seeing the TechPowerUp logo.

Thanks for jogging my memory.  It has been a while since I used that trick.

Edit - Just for the record, this trick lets you run your CPU full time at the 4 core turbo multiplier which should be 31 for a Core i7-3610QM.

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_i7/Intel-Core i7-3610QM Mobile processor.html

It will still throttle lower than this if you are working the CPU to the max and it exceeds either the temperature or turbo power limitation which should be 45 Watts for this CPU.


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

unclewebb said:


> How about post a ThrottleStop screenshot so we can see the results?  I like seeing the TechPowerUp logo.
> 
> Thanks for jogging my memory.  It has been a while since I used that trick.







GLORIOUS!!!


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## little cat (Apr 10, 2016)

Has that solved the original/primary issue


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## unclewebb (Apr 10, 2016)

Achib said:


> GLORIOUS!!!



Looks good.  Let us know if this improves audio recording.

Edit - When you do not need full speed, you can use ThrottleStop to run your CPU at any speed you like.  The Set Multiplier feature only works when SpeedStep is enabled.  Here is slow mode combined with C1E enabled. 






The rest of the C States are disabled.  This way your laptop is usable without having to edit the registry and reboot.


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## Achib (Apr 10, 2016)

unclewebb said:


> Looks good.  Let us know if this improves audio recording.



Will do this tomorrow. keep you posted


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## Achib (Apr 11, 2016)

I tried it out just now and.....
It fixed everything.
I can now work with a 128 sample buffer without ANY PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER.
It works as smooth as a baby's ass. 
DPC latency checker shows a decrease in system latency of around 50 microseconds on average (my estimate), as well.
Hope this thread helps other people as well, as there seems to be a lot of myths and misunderstandings out there.

I'm just thrilled right now, can't wait for my next band practice 

Big thanks to everyone, but first and foremost, Unclewebb.
You rule, man!


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## Ferrum Master (Apr 11, 2016)

For me also core parking disabling helps with the audio tasks... the throttling just issues a low level interrupt thus screwing everything else in the pipe... logically it will cause audio stutter.


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## little cat (Apr 11, 2016)

Although the issue seems solved , i  would like to mention , if the virtual memory  contributes to the issue , might  disable it under the condition the laptop has enough memory


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## EarthDog (Apr 11, 2016)

If its already writing out to the page file as is, how would disabling it make things better? You would need more RAM. Make sense little cat, you are at it yet again...


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