Question Why my laptop's processor is underperforming compared to other laptops with the same processor?

Jan 18, 2020
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Hi! I'm using a Dell Vostro 15 laptop with an i3 8130u processor, 8gb of ram memory and a 256gb ssd. At first I thought that it's because I should change the thermal compond, but the improvement was very very little.
Here is what my question is based on: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/23836507
I changed the thermal compound, cleaned the laptop inside, stopped any background programs, ran the test with the laptop plugged in and checked windows power management to let the processor go up to 100%. I don't have any other ideas and I would appreciate the help. You can see that 83% of the benchmarks ran on the same processor scored better.
 

eastonco

BANNED
Jan 18, 2020
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When it comes to processors, you should watch a video on how they are made. The same processor model can vary in performance greatly based on some random microscopic differences. If it's that much of an issue, I would simply return it for a new one.
 
Jan 18, 2020
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Your cpu isn't utilizing Turbo Boost and instead running at base speed.
What are it's temps under load?
Did you change anything in the bios?
You're right, I didn't think about that. Checked with Hwinfo64 while running Cinebench and it shows that the processor stays the same all the time at 2200 Mhz, which is the base clock. Meanwhile the temperature doesn't exceed 55 degrees Celsius.
I didn't change any settings in the Bios previously, but when I checked every single performance option is turned on in the Bios.
Then I checked the power plan in Windows and the minimum state of the processor is set to 5% and the maximum state is set to 100%.
I can't find anything useful online and I don't have any other ideas.
 

Phaaze88

Titan
Ambassador
I didn't change any settings in the Bios previously, but when I checked every single performance option is turned on in the Bios.
In bios, are Intel Speed Shift and Speed Step Disabled?
For some motherboards, disabling those features actually stops Turbo Boost from working.

At first I thought that it's because I should change the thermal compond, but the improvement was very very little.
I forgot to mention, that's a misconception floating around. The brand of thermal paste, and it's application doesn't impact temps nearly as much as the actual heatsink itself.

If no dice, then I'd try changing the minimum processor state to 100%.

stopped any background programs
I hope you knew what each program actually did before you disabled it.
 
Jan 18, 2020
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In bios, are Intel Speed Shift and Speed Step Disabled?
For some motherboards, disabling those features actually stops Turbo Boost from working.
The options in my Bios are Multi Core Support, Intel SpeedStep, C-States Control and HyperThread Control. All of them are enabled and I think that's the way it should be.
When it reaches 2200MHz or x22 multiplier task manager says that is 100% cpu usage.
I tried playing with the power plans but nothing is changing as the laptop seems to think that 2.2GHz is all it can do.
 
Last edited:
Jan 18, 2020
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Thank you for your replies, I just found the solution to the problem. As I said in my last comment in the Bios there were some performance options, but Turbo Boost was not among them. I installed Dell Support Assist and a Bios update was found along with 2 other minor updates. After the Bios was updated the Turbo Boost option showed up in the Bios options.
 
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