Slow i5 Processor

[adam2008]

Hi,

I have a Dell XPS 15z laptop that I just got back from dell after they replaced the motherboard. The processor is a i5-2430M 2.4ghz but according to Cpu-z it seems to run at 800MHz whenever im using an intensive program. Programs that used to run smoothly are now laggy and choppy. Also my windows experince score in the processor category went from a 6.9 to a 4. Whats to blame here, is the processor or motherboard faulty? Or am I just missing something?

 

[adam2008]

The power mode was in balanced mode and when I changed it to performance it was just as bad. The bios dont really have anything I can alter exceot speedstep. The processor is nearly always under 100% usage and the average temperature is 95°C.

 

[adam2008]

The cpu has 90 processes running which is 94% of the cpu usage apparently. Theres nothing running really apart from firefox which is 300,000K and then the rest of the processes are under 100,000K. Yeah it seems way too hot, maybe the cpu has been degraded due to excess heat?

 

[adam2008]

Theres no particuarly large programs running on the cpu, when I use a intensive program the clock speed falls to 800MHz. On intel turbobooster there is always the green leaf icon, which is energy saver mode. Occasionaly the clock speed goes to 2.7Ghz but then instantly goes back to 800MHz.

 

[adam2008]

That means running it on mains power, switching the profile to performance from balanced or power saver... and it means monitoring both the frequency it's running at (which you're able to do) and the temperature it's at while you change the load the CPU is under. By doing that you'll determine if it really is throttling from heat, or if it's just efficient at managing loads.

I ran the tests with orthos on and monitored the cpu frequency and the temperatures on both balanced power mode and high performance mode while plugged into the mains. The temperature only rose a few degrees from around 85 degrees when idle to 94 degrees. The frequency didnt change much, it stayed low and the Turbo boost intel monitor confirmed this, the green leaf stayed the whole time as well. Below are the screenshots on both power modes:

Balanced: imgpaste.com/RQMH.jpg
High Performance: imgpaste.com/BmQH.png

Anyone have any ideas what could be causing my coumputer to run so slowly? Also as this is the second time Ive had huge problems with the system do you think Dell would replace the entire laptop or give me a refund, I only bought this heap of crap 6 months ago and the mounting number of issues are getting out of hand.

 

[adam2008]

When you do contact them I'd also suggest Adam that you kick up a great big stink over it. Not only did it need the motherboard replaced - "and for the price I paid I'd expect it to be more reliable when you replaced it you made a pig's ear of it, causing me to have to investigate and diagnose your inept work, and putting me out by all the hassles of returning it to you again so you can fix your sloppy work."

You might as well try for some kind of apology/freebie/something from them. They haven't bothered to check their own work properly and it's rather poor of them.

Thanks everyone for helping me to ascertain that it was in fact a fault with dells work and not me missing something obvious. I will be ringing dell and kicking off big time, You don't normally expect a computer that cost £800 to have so many problems, being at Uni and having to send my computer back for 2 weeks was extremely inconvenient and now due to their poor work I have to wait another 2 weeks to get my laptop back.

Something else that points to a fan or the heatsink not being correctly installed is that the backlit keyboard no longer works and the volume function keys don't work either, my guess is that the person that fixed my computer was inexperinced or just rushed.

Is there a chance of Dell just sending me a new laptop? Not only because of the number of times ive had to send it back to dell but because of all the nagging issues with it that I was willing to put up with. The computer is well known to have wireless issues e.g. you cant sit further than 10m away from the router it also frequently overheats and while the wireless card is on sound is severly distorted.

 

[adam2008]

So dell agreed to send out an engineer to replace my motherboard and heatsink as well as my wireless adapter card. Would it be reasonable for me to get a new cpu seeing as this one has run at 95 degrees for the past 2 weeks?