Question Ryzen 5 2500U maxing out while carrying out simple operations ?

Feb 25, 2023
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Hi there,
I've started having major lag issue with my laptop (HP 15 db0xxx, Ryzen 5 2500U w/Radeon Vega 8)

I've been noticing a bit of lag and audio break up on my laptop from time to time but it's been totally usable. All got much worse recently when I installed a VPN. With the VPN on, the laptop becomes almost unusable, with the CPU maxing out when doing simple things like browsing in Firefox. I've got AMD System Monitor installed, so can see that it's regularly hitting 100% for all cores. RAM useage stays more or less the same and Graphics card rarely goes above 20%. Initially I used Express VPN and then moved to Nord- same problem though.

I can't find anyone online to suggest that a VPN should/could be doing this. According to Task Manager, Nord VPN runs around 3% to 9% when I browse internet. (Problems occur regardless of whether Nord Threat Protection is off or on), so am thinking it's simply the case that the extra processes are pushing the CPU to it's limits.

But: while not being spectacular, this laptop should be able to run simple processes (like browing the internet) with a VPN switched on (right?), so I'm not sure what the problem is.

Things I've tried to no avail:
Updating the Bios (through the Bios itself, as the HP website doesn't have anything available for this model/OS combination).
Changing minimum CPU speed.
Using a different browser.
Making sure Windows update is off (it is).
Windows re-install.
Manual windows updates have been run.
Bios systems checks show no problems with any components.
Device manager shows no issues with any components or drivers

Pretty much out of ideas now. Would be great if anyone has any suggestions.
 
Feb 25, 2023
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Can you print a task manager while the pc is slow?

Managed to grab a few screenshots when things were starting to glitch.
This one from AMD System Monitor shows an earlier freeze- where all cores hit 100%. At the point at which the screenshot was taken, things were starting to get quite glitchy- View: https://flic.kr/p/2oj2MUd


These from Task Manager were taken as things were getting bad (couldn't capture anything when things were at their very worst). In the case of processes- I opened Vuze up to 'push things over the edge'- so to speak (would have been the same if I'd opened Steam, or switched on Nord Threat Protection or similar- so there's no issue here with Vuze specifically)-
https://flic.kr/p/2oj1JD8
View: https://flic.kr/p/2oj1Mmc
 
Feb 25, 2023
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The virtual memory improvement didn't last long (seemed to improve things for a short time, but then got worse again- maybe I just imagined the improvement?!)

I've now put in an extra 16GB of RAM and it definitely is better, but problem is still happening. I'm honestly not doing anything that this laptop (especially now with 16GB RAM) shouldn't be able to handle. So pretty confused at this point.
 
Feb 25, 2023
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Okay: so it's degraded again... it's like every time I do anything to improve things (increasing virtual memory, then increasing physical RAM), it improves and then something is moving in and taking up all of the extra capacity until things become unusable again! I have no idea what's going on.
 
Okay: so it's degraded again... it's like every time I do anything to improve things (increasing virtual memory, then increasing physical RAM), it improves and then something is moving in and taking up all of the extra capacity until things become unusable again! I have no idea what's going on.
Do you have a screenshot of your memory tab on Task Manager when this is happening?
 
Feb 25, 2023
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Do you have a screenshot of your memory tab on Task Manager when this is happening?
Hiya

RAM usage shown below, and CPU again. I noticed a spike in the SSD also, so included that, but honestly: the glitching always seems to be when the CPU is peaking. AMD system monitor shows CPU consistantly at 100% when the problem happens (task manager doesn't show it so high)

View: https://flic.kr/p/2omK8Nv

View: https://flic.kr/p/2omMDNi

View: https://flic.kr/p/2omK8P2
 
So is the problem here simply that my CPU is damaged, but device manager and BIOS aren't recognising the fact?
From the stats above your RAM looks fine. Your CPU isn't damaged, it's very uncommon and you'd have all sorts of problems if it was. It does sound like the CPU is getting overloaded but the tasks you describe are not particularly demanding. I did read plenty of posts on reddit complaining about Nord VPN causing high CPU usage even on high end systems, I don't know what circumstances cause it though.

Have you checked your CPU temperatures at all when it runs slow?
Was this machine running fine until relatively recently?
 
Feb 25, 2023
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Thanks for this. I've downloaded Core Temp. Switching it on when the computer is struggling, it's shwoing minimum core temp 60 and max temp 73. So I should look in to bringing this down?
 
Feb 25, 2023
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Have been watching the clock speed and it jumps around a lot- CPU-Z quite often shows it jumping up above 2 GHz and sometimes over 3 but not necessarily when the problem is happening. When it's glitching badly, the clock speed is usually hovering around 1990MHz (but sometimes shaws as higher). Looks like CPU-Z is also struggling along with the rest of the system at those times as the refresh rate drops- so maybe 1990 is just where CPU-Z freezes when the problems start.
 
Have been watching the clock speed and it jumps around a lot- CPU-Z quite often shows it jumping up above 2 GHz and sometimes over 3 but not necessarily when the problem is happening. When it's glitching badly, the clock speed is usually hovering around 1990MHz (but sometimes shaws as higher). Looks like CPU-Z is also struggling along with the rest of the system at those times as the refresh rate drops- so maybe 1990 is just where CPU-Z freezes when the problems start.
Yes it will bounce around all over the place, the base clock speed is 2Ghz for the 2500U. Under a sustained heavy load most laptop CPU's will run at their base frequency after a short period. I was trying to determine if the CPU was falling below it's base frequency under a sustained load indicating a performance problem. Your 1990Mhz though sounds about right.

It sounds like the CPU is being overwhelmed but it's not clear why. What processes are using the most CPU on Task Manager at that time?
 
Feb 25, 2023
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Here's a shot of the processes as it's starting to get bad. Nord Threat Protection is a big drain- I have this off all of the time now (and still get the problem). I switched it on here just as a guaranteed way of triggering the problem. In terms of VPN: I tried using Express VPN initially (this is when I really started to have this problem) and then switched to Nord (as a possible quick fix- but no change).
View: https://flic.kr/p/2oomYpY