Power Plan High Performance = Full Core Speed

Slyman2k4 · 8 Jan 2012 at 19:04

I recently installed an SSD as my main drive, re-installed windows and I am now having a problem with the "High Performance" power plan.

Before, I would set the "Processor power management" > "minimum processor state" to 5% and the CPU would then idle at 1600.XXMHz and use about 12 Watts of power.

Since the new install, the CPU is constantly idling at full swing under High Performance at its overclock of 4500.XXMHz, 36 odd watts. It's completely ignoring the 5% value I've set for minimum processor state.

The "Balanced" profile still works correctly, idling at 1600MHz at default and when I change its minimum state to 100% it cranks up to 4500MHz as expected.

Speedstep is enabled in BIOS and C1E is set to auto, although I have not changed any BIOS settings for a while now.

Setting C1E to enabled does however cause the core speed to fluxuate between 1600MHz and 4500MHz in very short intervals. But I really want to avoid that as it's too erratic to be beneficial and C1E worked fine on Auto before.

Thanks,

TheVoice · 8 Jan 2012 at 19:22

If you're going to change the High Performance scheme to 5%, why not just use Balanced in the first place?

Slyman2k4 · 8 Jan 2012 at 19:34

Everything else is cranked to maximum and like the profile says, I want "High performance". Not the equivalent to a cannon being used to blow away even the tiniest of tasks.

I don't even get your response or find it useful in the slightest. If I am missing something, please do point it out.

TheVoice · 8 Jan 2012 at 20:35

CPU aside, the power scheme you choose won't have any real effect on performance in the first place. You system won't be any quicker in High Performance than it would in Balanced, because Balanced allows the CPU to operate at 100% when required.

The various power schemes are only useful on notebooks and mobile devices where it's useful to save power by slowing the system down or disabling devices. On a desktop, there's no effect.

Slyman2k4 · 8 Jan 2012 at 22:10

If that is the case, why is the High Performance profile causing my CPU to constantly run at maximum core speed, even when it's been limited to 5% minimum processor state in the settings?
Surely if they're just profiles with some tweakable settings and they're both set to the same settings they should produce the same results.

I've set the profiles up with the same settings that I need, yet the High Performance profile is causing this issue and even ignoring its own settings. I would at least like to know this as it would address my OP.