Question CPU frequency drops while gaming

[Renalvesp]

Hi guys,

I'm sorta getting crazy with this issue...
About a week ago my PC suddenly started to get nasty FPS drops while gaming, and fiddling through some programs ive seen here, I detected that the frequency throughout the 8 cores is capping at around 1400 mhz, even when not on idle, for about 20 seconds or so, than getting back to the 4.1mhz for a minute or so only to go back to the 1400 mhz... I checked the temperature, as it seemed to be the most common cause, but it doesn't even passes the 50°C mark... Every game that I used to constantly play with no problems is suffering from this.
Do you guys have any ideas on what might help? The voltage seems to drop a little during these drops, or so the "Core Temp" that I'm using is saying (from 1.3750v to 0.8625v)

It's a FX 8350 on a M578L Asus motherboard, and i have a Corsair 600w power supply.
(Sorry if I made any mistakes, English is not my first language).

Thanks for the help!

 

[Renalvesp]

It sounds to me like your VRM is over-heating and throttling your CPU. This is exactly how it happened to me with my M5A88M motherboard, very similar to an M5A78M/L

Your processor, FX 8350, is a super hot-running 8 core Bulldozer which is frankly too much for the low power VRM on that board. You might be able to help by putting a fan to blow on the VRM section, and maybe a little more if you could glue some heatsinks onto the FET's in the VRM. But ultimately you just need a beefier motherboard to match up to that beefy CPU.

But i've had this system for awhile, why would it happen only now?

 

[Phaaze88]

Ok. Let's try something else.
Leave Overdrive open.
Download and run Prime95. Close the small Run a Torture Test window, and make sure there's a check next to 'SUM(INPUTS) error checking.
Click on Options > Torture Test.
Select Small FFT, and click OK.
Let it go for 10mins. You can monitor Overdrive while this is going on.

If clock speeds drop during this, and your Thermal Margin is still over 10C, then you are power throttling.

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

But i've had this system for awhile, why would it happen only now?

It is possible that you were stressing the system and something finally just "let go" and isn't properly regulating power anymore.

 

[Renalvesp]

Ok. Let's try something else.
Leave Overdrive open.
Download and run Prime95. Close the small Run a Torture Test window, and make sure there's a check next to 'SUM(INPUTS) error checking.
Click on Options > Torture Test.
Select Small FFT, and click OK.
Let it go for 10mins. You can monitor Overdrive while this is going on.

If clock speeds drop during this, and your Thermal Margin is still over 10C, then you are power throttling.

So, I've tryed that for about 10 minutes and it acctually stayed in the "worse" status (as above) for waaaay longer now, changed to the "good" status for a few seconds and then back to the worse one.

Does that guarantee that is power throttling? The Thermal Margin stayed between 25 and 45°C throughout the test.

What can I do about the power throttling?

 

[Renalvesp]

It is possible that you were stressing the system and something finally just "let go" and isn't properly regulating power anymore.

So the only way is to change the Motherboard and processor?
I've had it for maybe 3 to 4 years now

 

[Phaaze88]

Well, the cpu isn't overheating, and the cpu didn't drop clocks during the test?

 

[Renalvesp]

Well, the cpu isn't overheating, and the cpu didn't drop clocks during the test?

It dropped, yes. It stayed at around 1400MHz, jumping back to the 4,100MHz for a few seconds.

 

[Phaaze88]

Oh wait, I had to reread your last post.
So it did drop clocks and back up during the test.
The cpu is power throttling then.

The fix is a new motherboard on the 990FX chipset. There are some 970 chipset boards that can work, but not many.

 

[Renalvesp]

Oh wait, I had to reread your last post.
So it did drop clocks and back up during the test.
The cpu is power throttling then.

The fix is a new motherboard on the 990FX chipset. There are some 970 chipset boards that can work, but not many.

Would a GA-970A-DS3P work? One with a 990FX chipset is too expensive in my region, it would be cheaper to go for a Ryzen 5 with a new AM4 chipset.

 

[Phaaze88]

GA-970A-DS3P

No. It has the same 4+1 phase VRM as your current mobo. Same result.
You need one with at least 6+2 phase - an 8+2 would be best.

Then go with Ryzen. Much better idea over spending any more money on the obsolete AM3+ platform.