Question i7-9750H never reach max turbo freq. 4.5Ghz

Sep 18, 2019
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I have i7-9750H in my gaming laptop. It has up to 4.5GHz in turbo mode.
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...9750h-processor-12m-cache-up-to-4-50-ghz.html
But for some reason it never reach this 4.5Ghz.
When I put stress test(AIDA64, Windows10) it stays at 4Ghz even at the beginning of test.
I am using CPU-Z and CoreTemp to mesure frequency.
I put power mode(Win10) to max. and laptop control center to max performance. Laptop is plugged in.

How to hit this 4.5Ghz at least in short periods?
Is it average frequency?What software would show me frequency at all 6 cores?
 
Sep 18, 2019
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HWinfo still shows max freq. 3.993,2 Mhz max at all cores. Something is locked
How to unlock that one core?
FQEs3On.png
 

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HWinfo still shows max freq. 3.993,2 Mhz max at all cores. Something is locked
How to unlock that one core?
FQEs3On.png
That seems normal to me.

As the others have stated above, it will only boost 1 core to that speed, it will go roughly as follows

1 core = 4.5
2 core = 4.4
3 core = 4.3
4 core = 4.2
5 core = 4.1
6 core = 4.0

You're around that 4.0 mark for all cores based on the max frequency.
You don't unlock a single core to reach 4.5, it will boost to 4.5 when effectively you are performing a 1 core operation.

When it doesn't need to or can't boost (due to thermal/power limitations), it won't
 
Sep 18, 2019
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That seems normal to me.

As the others have stated above, it will only boost 1 core to that speed, it will go roughly as follows

1 core = 4.5
2 core = 4.4
3 core = 4.3
4 core = 4.2
5 core = 4.1
6 core = 4.0

You're around that 4.0 mark for all cores based on the max frequency.
You don't unlock a single core to reach 4.5, it will boost to 4.5 when effectively you are performing a 1 core operation.

When it doesn't need to or can't boost (due to thermal/power limitations), it won't
Hmm...
Well it is not definetly lack of power. I got power adapter 230Watt.
Throthling maybe... , but there should be at least few spikes at 4.5GHz during testing, but testing looks like straight cut line at 3.993,2 Mhz.
If we calculate AVG of cores it should be about 4.25GHz

Any ideas?
 

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Hmm...
Well it is not definetly lack of power. I got power adapter 230Watt.
Throthling maybe... , but there should be at least few spikes at 4.5GHz during testing, but testing looks like straight cut line at 3.993,2 Mhz.
If we calculate AVG of cores it should be about 4.25GHz

Any ideas?
What do you mean by average of all cores?
If all of your cores are boosting, it shouldn't really go over 4GHz.

You'll only achieve the 4.5 (up to) if you are running an application that only requires one core. Testing etc will typically stress all cores so therefore they will only go up to about 4GHz going off normal behaviour for that CPU.
 
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Sep 18, 2019
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What temerature is it running at under full load?

Temperatures during stress test at processor sensors (at HWINFO) are between 77-97 deg. C
Test is AIDA64, Temps are from HWINFO.
Best performance mode freq. without stresstest is about 3.991MHz
Check graphs:

dwRnne9.png
 
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Sep 18, 2019
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Sep 18, 2019
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Well, maybe it will be necessary to replace thermal paste, but it still doesn't explain the max 3.991MHz without stresstest at "Best performance" power mode. It should be at least one spike with 4.5MHz IMHO
 

Phaaze88

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Well, maybe it will be necessary to replace thermal paste, but it still doesn't explain the max 3.991MHz without stresstest at "Best performance" power mode. It should be at least one spike with 4.5MHz IMHO
It doesn't work that way, as it has already been explained.
Do a Cinebench R20 run single core, and watch it run at 4.5ghz - if temperatures allow.
The moment you enable multi-thread, it sits at 4.0ghz - again, if temperatures allow.
 
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Phaaze88

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I think they put at CPU something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Prolimatech-PK-3-Aluminium-Thermal-Compound/dp/B008M5108Q

What thermal paste do You advice to put at CPU to get as much as I can?
That is going to do next to nothing about your cooling issue: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-9.html
You need a cooling pad.


Well, It is a new laptop, with quite heavy cooling sytem.
Yeah...
'heavy cooling system' + compact space + I9 + RTX 2070 + while still being 'affordable' for a gaming laptop

Instead, what I'm seeing is a cooling system that can't properly handle the combined heat output of both that I9 and RTX 2070 - which by the way, share the same bloody heatsink in said cooling system.
That's counterproductive, but it can't really be helped. Space limitations.
Scratch all that marketing BS, there's a limit to what these manufacturers can reasonably cool in such a restricted space. You need a cooling pad.

Gaming laptops... talk about an oxymoron. The primary purpose of a laptop is mobility, at the cost of performance. A decent 'gaming laptop' is going to big, and HEAVY(Face it, if it isn't heavy, it isn't good).
Who the hell wants to carry one around on a regular basis?
Gaming laptops inhibit the very purpose laptops were designed for - going in the OPPOSITE direction from the original; enhancing performance at the cost of MOBILITY!


Maybe they put thermal paste at CPU in a wrong way?
...
They didn't apply the thermal paste in a 'wrong way'. All it takes is a dot of paste on the center of the cpu and put the cooler on top - the mounting pressure does the rest.
You need a cooling pad.
 
Sep 18, 2019
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Do a Cinebench R20 run single core, and watch it run at 4.5ghz - if temperatures allow.
The moment you enable multi-thread, it sits at 4.0ghz - again, if temperatures allow.

I have done Cinebench twice for single core. Unfortunately there is not 4.5GHz.
w3Wafjx.png


For my 6 cores it doesn't look good. Lower than i7-4850HQ 4cores. WTF?
UlsrPWF.png


So cooling pad or liquid metal will be tter like:
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut 73W/m·K
?
 

Phaaze88

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I have done Cinebench twice for single core. Unfortunately there is not 4.5GHz.
[HUGE WALL OF IMAGES WAS HERE]
So cooling pad or liquid metal will be tter like:
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut 73W/m·K
?
There is no 4.5ghz, because temperatures didn't allow for it.
Wow, throttling on a single core... By the way, where's the HWINFO SS of the single core run? The SS of the single core results is in the first pic, the other 3 are from your all core run.

Oops, I forgot to mention to ignore the products represented in the blue bars: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-9.html
Those are liquid metal, and their applications are completely different from the actual pastes represented in red bars.
LM is electrically conductive, and applying it to your cpu as you would normal paste will kill it. A major oversight on my part, sorry.

Arctic MX-4 will do you just fine - anything not LM will do, really. The cooler is going to be the greatest impact on overall cooling, after all.
The Thermal Grizzy brand is of poor value, but if you really care about a 1-2C edge, go for it.
 
Sep 18, 2019
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If you are near 4 GHz under all core loads, I'd be quite content, and leave well enough alone....(you are not going to see 4.5 GHz except for a second or two when opening a document or application, etc....,

It is behaving normally.
Since I have this laptop I haven't notice 4.5GHz ever.
 

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Since I have this laptop I haven't notice 4.5GHz ever.
You won't again, one because that's not how all core boost works.
And also because you're thermal throttling.

The cooling pad is referring to the second one you linked.
Only the some Ryzen show that the Turbo boost they advertise is what applies to all cores. Like the 3600X.

Equally you'll probably want to make sure all drivers (MB/Chipset included) are updated (not using a driver updater) and your BIOS is up to date.