[SOLVED] Intel Core i7-4770K severely underperforming out of nowhere!?

[scalaenterprises]

I noticed my PC had a relatively high memory usage when running multiple programs (as I always do), at about 70-80%. Since I have been running more games, browsers and photo editing software simultaneously, I thought maybe I just needed to increase my RAM.

After restarting my PC due to bad lag in game, nothing was running correctly. I noticed my entire PC underperforming. I typically get 250 fps on CSGO, and am now getting 15-20 fps. It is the same for all games, at or around 20 fps since I restarted my pc today.

The crazy thing is, my CPU, Memory and Disk usage are all low when I am experiencing the issues.

I have no idea what is or could be causing this. I ran multiple tests which lead me to believe it is the CPU but I am not sure: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/14733127

If you need any other test results or have any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ko888]

Is the latest BIOS version installed on the motherboard? You should be using BIOS Version F3 or later that support Haswell processors.

 

[scalaenterprises]

So I was using F2 for the past several years without any issues, but I just updated to F4 and things have gotten significantly worse. There is extreme lag across every program and general movement. I tried to run a new userbenchmark test but half way through the GPU tests (which was scoring about 13 fps now) and got the blue screen of dead with Stop code: WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR

 

[scalaenterprises]

Is the latest BIOS version installed on the motherboard? You should be using BIOS Version F3 or later that support Haswell processors.

😰

 

[mdd1963]

And what clock speeds and peak temps does HWMonitor show being achieved under load?

 

[mgallo848]

Go to your BIOS and reset it to default setup (or optimal settings). It looks like the turbo speed on your CPU isn't set right causing it to only run at 800mhz.

https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/14733127

 

[scalaenterprises]

I cleared CMOS and reset bios to default optimal settings only to encounter more issues. Now the computer is running so slow that when I go to run another userbenchmark test, it freezes and gives me the blue screen of dead with Stop code: WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR - do you think this could be a power supply issue? Should I just try to replace that since it’s a relatively cheap fix? Otherwise it looks like a CPU problem... ahhhhh

 

[mgallo848]

I found 2 others links, an older Tom's hardware thread about the same issue and one from Microsoft. They both seem to lean towards an older Windows update that caused this. Make sure you try Windows update and allow it to update your system if need. BTW, What OS are you using?

"whea_uncorrectable_error" Bsod message

I just installed Windows 8.1 on my Dell Vostro 400. and it gave me this BSOD message "whea_uncorrectable_error". it freezes and restarts until i turn it off. is there a way to make this work?

forums.tomshardware.com

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4028662/windows-how-to-fix-wheauncorrectableerror

 

[scalaenterprises]

Hey guys, this is crazy, but it seems I fixed the problem somehow. Wanted to post what I did in case this can help anyone in the future who has these issues. I literally spent 12 hours trying fixes, so hopefully I can save someone some time. Just to clarify, my settings did not have any power restrictions but my CPU was severely underperforming.

So when I updated to the newest BIOS version for my motherboard, things got worse and I was getting the blue screen of death. After speaking with a few people, I narrowed down to a few troubleshooting steps that I could do and would recommend to anyone with the same issues:

1. Unplugged all cords to the computer and dispelled any residual power by holding the computer on button a couple times.
2. Reset CMOS by removing the battery for 10 minutes on motherboard (most motherboards have a button or 2 prongs to connect to reset CMOS, so look up how to do it with your model).
3. Unplugged and plugged back in all wires to the motherboard and hard drives. Specifically make sure the 30 pin plug is secure in the motherboard.
4. Plug everything back in the computer and enter BIOS setup to check that the updated BIOS did not have power/performance settings that were limiting the CPU.
5. VERY IMPORTANT: Update the system clock (for some reason if you update the BIOS version it could update the clock date/time to when that update was released and it can throw off the entire computer).
6. Save settings and exit.

Luckily for me, one of the steps here solved the issues I was having and everything is back to high performance. I cannot say specifically what the issue was, but those are the steps I took that fixed my issue.

If I didn't get get the computer working after that, my next troubleshooting steps were:

1. Power down and disconnect hard drives/ssd drives and use a spare empty hard drive to install a new version of windows. This would test if the issue was the OS or hard drive at fault.
2. If there was still performance issues, the next step would be to replace the power supply and see if the power shortage and drop in performance to the CPU was a result of a bad power supply.
3. Hopefully it wouldn't get to this, but step 3 would be to replace the CPU/Processor, which is very expensive and would suck.

I hope these troubleshooting steps can help someone else who has similar issues!

 

[mgallo848]

Nice job. Glad you got it fixed.

Just posting also in case it helps in the future, if the clock time and date are way off in the BIOS it does affect your system when it/you tries to use Windows update.

@scalaenterprises

Since your motherboard is several years old you may want to replace the battery. You can usually find them at Walmart for a couple of dollars. Battery model# CR2032.