[SOLVED] can I make my CPU run at regular speeds while having max processor state capped?

[SmallLettuceMan]

When I have my max processor state capped, the speeds my system is able to run are capped too. 95% cap only lets me run at 2.09GHz, 99% cap only lets me run at 2.19GHz while my CPU is capable of turbo boosting to 4GHz.

When I uncap it, I have power limit throttling issues and a lot of CPU utilization being used with a difference thats not worth uncapping.

While playing warzone on the capped processor state I get a maximum of 65 celcius and 50-70% utilization. With no cap, I get 70-95 degrees celcius and a utilization of 70-100%, but when it hits 100, it drops utilization causing a stutter.

I have an i5 8300h
Any help would be amazing, thanks.

 

[boju]

Do you have a cooling pad for your laptop? If not, give that a go. If you try a pad, get something with good cubic feet per minute (CFM). Can enhance air flow more by placing sponge stick on strips to block any gaps so more air is concentrated through the laptop.

When was the last time the lappy had a blowout for dust? And you're playing on a flat surface yeah? Not on a blanket partially covering vents?

There's no way around bypassing Windows processor state capping the processor speed. Trying to improve cooling would be your best bet.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Do you have a cooling pad for your laptop? If not, give that a go. If you try a pad, get something with good cubic feet per minute (CFM). Can enhance air flow more by placing sponge stick on strips to block any gaps so more air is concentrated through the laptop.

When was the last time the lappy had a blowout for dust? And you're playing on a flat surface yeah? Not on a blanket partially covering vents?

There's no way around bypassing Windows processor state capping the processor speed. Trying to improve cooling would be your best bet.

I do have a cooling pad, my CPU is undervolted and I run my fans at max speed. At my settings, I max out at 95°C and usually play at around 85°C, and from what I’ve seen, my CPU thermal throttles at 98°C. I think this is not a temperature issue.

 

[mdd1963]

The advertised 'turbo' speed will likely never be seen in most laptops, especially while gaming which invokes the lower clock speeds to maintain temp/TDP levels...

Your next step mgiht be to disassemble it, pull the heatpipe, and verify you have a nice thin layer of quality thermal compount on the CPU die, and that the heatpipe is evenly tightened, dust-free, and the fan is turning as designed. (When it spins up, if you feel warm air, it is working the best it can)... Not sure if you can adjust the fan curve speed up to stay ahead of temps...

 

[mdd1963]

(You might also try Intel's XTU utility...might let you specify target turbo speeds that do not exceed stock, maybe you can find something adequate that will not induce throttling)

 

[boju]

I think this is not a temperature issue.

Sorry but how is what you're trying to do not temp related? The affects in your endeavors is directly related to high temperatures, this is why i suggested a cooling pad in the first place, because i knew where you were going with your OP. If you mean temps isn't the reason for stutters, well it is really. The cpu can't get through the work quick enough causing high usage stutters because the cpu's performance has been sliced.

As mdd1963 suggested, giving it a work-over could help and trying XTU. It's the only means of working this out because laptop cooling systems are usually sub par.

Maybe give the sponge or foam strip idea around the edges a shot. Do you feel any air escaping out the sides? Imagine if you had more of that air going through the laptop, it could help improve temps.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Sorry but how is what you're trying to do not temp related? The affects in your endeavors is directly related to high temperatures, this is why i suggested a cooling pad in the first place, because i knew where you were going with your OP. If you mean temps isn't the reason for stutters, well it is really. The cpu can't get through the work quick enough causing high usage stutters because the cpu's performance has been sliced.

As mdd1963 suggested, giving it a work-over could help and trying XTU. It's the only means of working this out because laptop cooling systems are usually sub par.

Maybe give the sponge or foam strip idea around the edges a shot. Do you feel any air escaping out the sides? Imagine if you had more of that air going through the laptop, it could help improve temps.

I’ll give that a go, but this doesn’t seem like my past thermal throttling, nor does XTU say it is. The stutters don’t always happen at 100%, they happen at even 65%, while under 85°.

But, I’ll give your suggestion some chance and hope that it will help, thanks.

 

[boju]

Hmm ok. So when stutters happen if load and temps are reasonable, are you monitoring cpu's live speed, making sure it's not fluctuating too big of a margin? Ie dropping down to like 1.6GHz for a brief period. Sometimes monitoring software's refresh cycle isn't quick enough to detect sudden changes though so not entirely reliable.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Hmm ok. So when stutters happen if load and temps are reasonable, are you monitoring cpu's live speed, making sure it's not fluctuating too big of a margin? Ie dropping down to like 1.6GHz for a brief period. Sometimes monitoring software's refresh cycle isn't quick enough to detect sudden changes though so not entirely reliable.

nothing I have seen would indicate GHz drop, everything I have monitoring it shows it stays at steady speeds. I have my utilization capped at 90% right now, it keeps my GHz at 1.99, it doesn’t go higher and my system at a temp of ~60°C. I still have stutters sometimes, I just got one at 60% usage.
At these reduced specs, the game is still playable. It’s a very strange issue

 

[boju]

Can easily assume it's something else and very well could be with stats and numbers suggesting otherwise. Somehow need to see how the laptop performs with reasonable temps and uncapped.

Have you tried minimum processor state? To something like 10%?

How much ram does the laptop have? Do the stutters happen soon after playing or is it gradual? How about other games?

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Can easily assume it's something else and very well could be with stats and numbers suggesting otherwise. Somehow need to see how the laptop performs with reasonable temps and uncapped.

Have you tried minimum processor state? To something like 10%?

How much ram does the laptop have? Do the stutters happen soon after playing or is it gradual? How about other games?

I have tried minimum processor state of 100%, 5% and 85%. Currently I have it at 5%
12 GB ram 1x4 1x8 running at 2400MHz

the stutters happen at random times, and I haven’t really played any other games than MW for the past few months. The stutters can happen at the start, middle, end or anywhere in between.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

How much ram does the laptop have? Do the stutters happen soon after playing or is it gradual?

Could stutters that effect my CPU be related to ram? My usage in game is about 85%, and it only changes in between 2-3%

 

[boju]

Could stutters that effect my CPU be related to ram? My usage in game is about 85%, and it only changes in between 2-3%

Might be. 12GB is recommended for that game but im wondering with 12GB, minus what Windows uses for itself (around 2~3GB), say 9GB worth for the game, could be not enough. Maybe.

Im wondering if the pagefile is decreasing performance. Could try reduce or set a fixed size and see what happens.

Control Panel\System and Security\System > Advanced system settings > Advanced tab > Settings under Performance > Advanced. Virtual memory - change.

Untick Auto and try custom size of above. The system will ask to restart after applying.

Can revert changes at anytime by re-selecting auto.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Might be. 12GB is recommended for that game but im wondering with 12GB, minus what Windows uses for itself (around 2~3GB), say 9GB worth for the game, could be not enough. Maybe.

Im wondering if the pagefile is decreasing performance. Could try reduce or set a fixed size and see what happens.

Control Panel\System and Security\System > Advanced system settings > Advanced tab > Settings under Performance > Advanced. Virtual memory - change.

Untick Auto and try custom size of above. The system will ask to restart after applying.

Can revert changes at anytime by re-selecting auto.

i have the page file set to 12 gigs, and the game uses 4-6 gigs, but my ram is only ~85% load when in game

 

[boju]

Hmm. And if you try increase it or leave it on auto? Try 20GB. Doesn't matter how much ram is in use.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Hmm. And if you try increase it or leave it on auto? Try 20GB. Doesn't matter how much ram is in use.

I set it to 20gb, but only played one round. There seemed to be less stutters maybe? But they don’t usually get bad in the first round. So, I will say raising the page file is inconclusive. Maybe it is my mismatched ram? One is made by micron and one is made by sk hynix, but they are different speeds and capacities. But, I don’t want to buy new ram until I know it will give me noticeable benefits. I’m still not sure if the issue is the game itself, my CPU, or my ram since I don’t have the problem anywhere else.

with my utilization capped I get adequate performance, just lower clock speeds, but the biggest benefit is keeping my system down to about 60°C.

 

[boju]

Maybe pagefile related. 12GB might've been too small maybe.

Can both dimms be replaced can they? Not one soldered in? If so, even if the 8gb is soldered, would be good to have another 8 if possible. Not only for more ram but the whole lot in dual channel as apposed to only a portion.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Maybe pagefile related. 12GB might've been too small maybe.

Can both dimms be replaced can they? Not one soldered in? If so, even if the 8gb is soldered, would be good to have another 8 if possible. Not only for more ram but the whole lot in dual channel as apposed to only a portion.

Both of the sticks are replaceable, removeable. Should I increase my page file more and see if it does anything? And at what point should I stop? Because I don’t really know what page filing does exactly.

Edit: I updated page file to 50gb and it doesn’t appear to be making any difference with the stutters.

 

[boju]

Pagefile file is the virtual memory on the drive. Setting it to a fixed size so Windows isn't constantly changing it can sometimes help. Usually the ratio is 1.5x total of ram installed, so 12GB x 1.5 = 18GB pagefile maximum. It doesn't strictly need to be x1.5, this was just to see if your weird stutters were PF related, whether it was too small = data needing to be rewritten or PF size was getting too big which can happen in some games that store more data in PF to use later. 12GB might have been too small and 50GB is much too big

Two 8GBs in dual channel might not help the stutters but i imagine a good chance it would and should improve performance. Knowing all 16GB be in dual channel, doubling the bandwidth between cpu and ram. 12GB would see it in flex mode, 4GB in dual channel and half the 8GB in single channel.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Pagefile file is the virtual memory on the drive. Setting it to a fixed size so Windows isn't constantly changing it can sometimes help. Usually the ratio is 1.5x total of ram installed, so 12GB x 1.5 = 18GB pagefile maximum. It doesn't strictly need to be x1.5, this was just to see if your weird stutters were PF related, whether it was too small = data needing to be rewritten or PF size was getting too big which can happen in some games that store more data in PF to use later. 12GB might have been too small and 50GB is much too big

Two 8GBs in dual channel might not help the stutters but i imagine a good chance it would and should improve performance. Knowing all 16GB be in dual channel, doubling the bandwidth between cpu and ram. 12GB would see it in flex mode, 4GB in dual channel and half the 8GB in single channel.

Still happens on 18 gig page file

the absolute only thing affected when it stutters is the CPU utilization. It goes to 60-100% (more-so 60-90%) and just drops 10-20%. On intel XTU i turned on every option and that’s the only doing anything that would produce stuttering.

 

[boju]

Combination between cpu temps, frequency, dual channel, capacity and PF. They can all have an effect on one another in terms of performance.

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Combination between cpu temps, frequency, dual channel, capacity and PF. They can all have an effect on one another in terms of performance.

I just switched the game to directx 11, it even happens still

 

[boju]

Can ya run an instance of userbench and post link to results here. See if anything pops out there.

Please click the green human to continue - UserBenchmark

 

[SmallLettuceMan]

Can ya run an instance of userbench and post link to results here. See if anything pops out there.

Please click the green human to continue - UserBenchmark

https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/32640005

It looks like my CPU is funky. Even though I just fixed a driver error on it. Don't mind the HDD, just normal wear and tear from active loads and high capacity.

So, with this new found evidence, what can I do? I honestly don't have a clue.

Edit: Nevermind, that's not an issue. It's because of the max processor state cap, But I have that cap on because temps go way higher than without the cap (about 30 degrees), only for more GHz but I play at the same frames. Also, when I don't have the cap on, I don't have a consistent 4 cores usage, it dips in-game.
https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/32640110

 

[boju]

There's 20GB free on the ssd. This is fine but makes me wonder, it's not enough for a pagefile + keeping 10% free for SSD to perform well. You didn't happen to move the PF to the 5400rpm hdd?