Laptop issue, possibly throttling.

Armadillo

Armadillo

Armadillo

Soldato
Joined
29 Feb 2004
Posts
3,828
Got an issue with my laptop. The problem is this

After watching 720p video for about 20min, the video will start stuttering and the system will slow to a crawl. Rebooting does nothing, it needs to be off for a while (maybe 20min) before you turn it back on, then it will be fine. Start to watch a video & repeat.

When this happens the usage spikes to 100%, although I can't narrow down what is apparently using it.

I thought maybe the cpu is overheating and throttling right back, but I monitored it and it does not seem to be doing it or getting anywhere near max temp. When it does this, according to both coretemp & cpu-z it's at 930Mhz. Nothing unusual there, even before the issue occurs that's roughly what it runs at while playing a 720p video.

Max temp is 67C according to coretemp, limit is 90C.

Issue happens on multiple videos & multiple players. Does not happen when just browsing, so it could just be a load issue, rather than a video one (only really use it for video and browsing).

Processor is an i3-350M

Any ideas?

Thanks.
 
After some more testing, I think it might be throttling. Like I said, don't really use it for much other than browsing and videos, so got prime95 to load it up instead.

First run of it, from cold boot. Processor steps up to 2.2Ghz as it should, by the time it gets to test 2, it is sitting at 930Mhz and refuses to step back up. Shutdown prime and try again it just sits at 930Mhz.

Shutdown system, leave it to cool, try prime again and it's up to 2.2Ghz before eventually going to 930Mhz and refusing to move. Leaving it, prime eventually falls over and dies.

So it seems like it's throttling, but the limit is suppose to be 90C, it gets no where near that, even with prime. Hottest it gets is 70C, it seems like it starts to throttle at 65C.
 
I would suggest stripping off the HSF and cleaning it, then re-apply thermal paste, also clean out any dust in the HSF assembly.
 
I'm going to try that, I'm just wondering why the limit is suppose to be 90C, but it's throttling back at 65C. Unless the 90C is the cut off when it will shut the processor down. I did search, but found only people arguing about it :(.
 
It could be a bios setting maybe? I know you can set target temperatures etc on a desktop (although I don't think that affects throttling). What about updating the bios from the laptops manufacturers website? It could simply be an error where the bios mistakingly thinks the cpus t limit is 70 and be corrected in later bios revisions.
 
Throttlestop has sorted it. It must be a bios setting or something built into the laptop that is throttling it far earlier than the Intel setting.

Locking it to 2.26Ghz (Max speed), video played fine without issue. Max temp it reached was 76C, well below 90C. During normal usage I doubt it would reach that though, as playing a video doesn't normally doesn't require it to be at maximum speed. I just set it to that to make sure.

Must be a manufacturer setting, rather than an Intel one. As the readme for throttlestop specifically states in cannot override Intel's thermal throttle settings.

I will look in the Bios/try updating it then, if there is no user changeable setting I'll just use throttlstop until I can clean and change thermal paste.
 
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