E6500 running slow when warm

[one4spl]

I'm having an issue where my E6500 w. NVS and P9600 CPU runs slow when it gets warm.

In a 30degC ambient room I only have to work the machine for a few minutes before the CPU slows down. I get an event log like -

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power
Date: 21/02/2009 4:43:38 PM
Event ID: 7
Task Category: (7)
Level: Warning
Keywords:
User: SYSTEM
Computer: PICOLTP04.picodon.local
Description:
The speed of processor 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.

After that the CPU is locked to 31% speed. If the load on the CPU continues it will get even slower.

You can also see this in Performance Monitor on Vista, or Resource Monitor on Windows 7, as below-



Temps in the system arent (IMO) getting too high, either-



Same thing in Vista SP1 x64 and Windows 7 Beta x64. Running the latest firmware (A11). On Vista I've tried running with and without all the Dell garbage and get the same result.

I can't call Dell as its been bought refurbished at auction with no warranty. If need be I can buy a warranty for it :/

Thoughts? anyone seen this before?

[Bane-o]

check for an update for the chipset off of Intel's website.

maybe check the bios for a "SpeedStep Enable" option and make sure it is enabled.

[MiB]

Flash the Bios to A06 and see if that solves the problem.

[one4spl]

Originally Posted by MiB

Flash the Bios to A06 and see if that solves the problem.

Interesting. I just did and now the CPU doesnt slow down (and leveled off at around 68degC), but when the GPU gets to about 70degC the sensor jumps to 102degC and the GPU slows to a crawl. I've seen other people with this issue in earlier threads I found during my research.

For me, not being much of a gamer, A06 is probably the better compromise. I do hope that some one with warranty, and therin some sway with Dell, also finds this issue in A11 and reports it so that we can have both high performance CPU and GPU in A12 or A13.

Not that I'm all that hopeful of a rapid turn-around.

I'll keep this thread updated as information comes to hand.

[MiB]

one...

Good - this helps.
Now that we know that the cause was temp threshold bios throttling, download and try A12. You can always go back to A06 if A12 doesn't cut it.

Unfortunately Dell's system bios updates are like playing russian roulette fixing one thing and breaking/altering 3 others.

Good luck and let me know how you make out.

Originally Posted by one4spl

Interesting. I just did and now the CPU doesnt slow down (and leveled off at around 68degC), but when the GPU gets to about 70degC the sensor jumps to 102degC and the GPU slows to a crawl. I've seen other people with this issue in earlier threads I found during my research.

For me, not being much of a gamer, A06 is probably the better compromise. I do hope that some one with warranty, and therin some sway with Dell, also finds this issue in A11 and reports it so that we can have both high performance CPU and GPU in A12 or A13.

Not that I'm all that hopeful of a rapid turn-around.

I'll keep this thread updated as information comes to hand.

[one4spl]

A11 was all that was on the Dell site for the E6500 yesterday... I'll try A12 now its out.

[one4spl]

A12 is... different. Having tested it for all of 15 mins it seems to-

* throttle the CPU more softly
* throttle the GPU only when its actually hot
* lets the GPU recover when its cool again

However its not perfect. CPU throttle still sticks long after the machine has cooled again.

I'd be happy enough for it to throttle the way it does now when worked really hard in a warm environment, however I'd like it to go back to the unthrottled state quickly when the machine cools off.

[pokeme543]

Seriously guys
This was an easy diagnose and fix
Here's my experience

Dell has aggressive CPU throttling in the BIOS. I have an Inspiron 6400 w/ Core 2 Duo 1.83ghz. In XP, Vista, and 7, it would throttle way the heck down and not turn the fan all the way up. Because the fan was annoying. It would go down to around 200mhz.

I fixed it in software by installing RMClock and i8kspeedfan. But my computer was usually around 55 and went up to 65 playing HD video, and the fan would kick in, and suddenly my laptop is a jet engine. But it would cool it down enough so the BIOS throttling never kicked in.

Also helped to get one of those cooling pads with a fan in it.

But it never used to do this...so I took apart my laptop. There were 1" thick sheets of dust between the processor and graphics heatsinks and then between them and the output duct.

Cleaned them out, put it back together, now at full speed it rarely goes over 55. The BIOS throttling that kicks in at 70C or 75C or so hasn't come on since the software fix. Don't even need the Targus cool-pad anymore.

So basically, Dell builds a system with inadequate cooling, that is disabled from maximum speed even when system policy is set that way, and instead throttles you down in the BIOS 'til you can't even move the mouse until it cools down. No option to allow the fan to go to full-speed, no way to do it except 3rd-party software, and really darned loud when it happens.

It must've sucked to have a faster processor in this thing...I mean come on.

Forewarning: it's REALLY difficult to reconnect the ribbon cables if you open your system. I'd recommend against it if you don't know what you're doing.

Oh and the reason the throttling "sticks" is because the BIOS does it in steps, and there are a lot of them (like 7?), and it does them about 5 seconds apart.

[John Ratsey]

The main thread on this subject is here and you can see that Dell is aware of the problem. I don't think it is a matter of inadequate cooling but some very conservative temperature settings which, I suspect, are a side-effect of trying to keep the nVidia GPUs (in the models which have them) cool.

You mentioned RMClock which can reduce the temperatures by undervolting. However, it can stop the throttling completely by just enabling throttling and selecting 100%. This over-rides the BIOS.

John

[amandareneespence]

Im having the same problem.. i have to turn the machine off and let it cool down a bit .. is there a workable fix for this??
Im thinking of getting the new Sager NP8850

Should you spend more than $3,000 on a custom gaming notebook?

Thanks.

Amanda Renee Spence