Notebooks **SOLVED** Laptop stuck at 800mhz :-(

UPDATE: This has been solved. Resolution can be found in this thread.

New Laptop (Dell XPS 15 9550) is currently stuck at 800mhz with windows reporting a maximum CPU usage of 28%.

Any ideas why?

CPU: I7-7700HQ (2.8ghz)
Memory: 16gb
HDD: M.2 512gb
OS: Windows 10 (latest updates)
Latest BIOS installed.

It looks as though the multiplier is currently stuck at 8, however I have been unable to make any changes.

The BIOS is typically useless, very little information regarding processor clock speed etc. I have reset the BIOS to factory defaults however the problem still persists.

I honestly think this may be a problem with Windows power management however, for the life of me I cannot find the relevant options.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

To my best knowledge Windows is set to "Max Performance" with minimum CPU speed at 100% when plugged in. I have run several benchmarks and CPU burn-in tools to load the processor but there is no change.

I have also been into the BIOS to disable any power saving, turbo boosting and C states ideally to default the processor to it's standard clock. (with no avail).

 

You need to leave turbo boost on.

As dumb as this sounds... boot the laptop up and then put it to sleep, and then power it back up after a few seconds. See if that brings back the full speed...

 

Still at 800mhz i'm afraid. Turbo Boost now enabled in BIOS and power cycled several times (although with battery still connected) along with sleep and wake several times.

One thing i will highlight is the BIOS also reads the max processor speed of 2800mhz but current processor speed of 800mhz. *argh*

 

It’s a power issue somewhere. It’s usually Windows being a dick.

Have you managed to find anything else on the matter if you Google search it?

 

Reset bios to defaults, load windows, load defaults on the power plans. Then go into device manager and uninstall the cpu, each core. Then restart and it should be fixed. I’ve had the same issue before, and this sorted it out.

 

System constantly defaulting to 800mhz regardless of the settings I change in the bios. I have found it is something to do with "BD PROCHOT" where I can force the processor back to full speed using a program called ThrottleStop which isn't ideal.

Looks like a trip back to the shop unless i can fix this issue over the weekend.

 

PC World want my laptop for 7 working days to fix or replace the laptop. Are service levels really that bad that it takes 7 days? Jesus!

Looks like i will be diagnosing this myself.

 

If you've had it less than 30 days you're entitled, by law, for your money back.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act

 

Had it 4 months i'm afraid. Bloody expensive laptop for something like this to happen. Wouldn't mind too much but I need this machine for work purposes and can't do without it for 7 days.

I also can't wait 7 days for a replacement to be organised by PC World. I assume they have to send the laptop off to a service centre before they will honour a replacement/refund which unfortunately takes time.

Just a quick update,the processor works fine with Throttlestop, i have run a 4 hour stresstest with temps never exceeding 81deg with standard operating temps at 36deg (surfing, netflix video playback etc)

 

Download CoreTemp and check the temperatures before that happens. I had mine throttle even though it was idling at 40c.

 

This is one of the first things I did. There is only one thing I believe I haven't tried so far which is a cold boot after battery disconnection. If that doesn't work I have to admit, i'm stuck for ideas.

 

I have to ask, is this a recent issue or have you only just picked up on it?

The reason I ask is because you've stated you've owned it for four months...

 

This is a recent issue. The machine has been really slow for about a month. I initially put it down to how many programs i had open at a time.

It wasn't highlighted until I did a small amount of video encoding (3 - 5 min videos @ 1080p) and noticed the export time increased dramatically. After running a few benchmarks and ensuring photoshop/creative suite was able to use the GPU for rendering and encoding I investigated further and found the CPU speed to be slow.

One benefit however is the battery life is excellent.

 

Most Google results seem to point towards it being a known issue that's solved by removing the battery for 10-20 seconds.

 

SOLVED:
I hate reading troubleshooting posts with no resolution so here it is.

Dell XPS 9560 Laptop - 800mhz Processor (PROCHOT Resolution)
After troubleshooting the laptop and changing the BIOS settings throughout this has now been resolved.

For a temporary measure, the use of ThrottleStop will bring the processor back to it's original clock settings however this is not an ideal long term solution and use of this software comes with the warning that additional damage can be done. MONITOR TEMPERATURES AT ALL TIMES.

To resolve the issue requires a few tools and about 10 minutes of your time.
Step 1: Shut down your laptop and disconnect from AC Adapter.
Step 2: Turn over and remove the 10x T4 Torx Screws on the base of your laptop. There are two philips screws under the XPS Flap where the Dell Service tag and serial number can be found.
Step 3: Remove the bottom cover entirely. Use plastic tools around edges to avoid damage to any plastic clips holding the cover in place. (I used plectrums, be careful around USB and Thunderbolt ports.
Step 4: Disconnect the battery connector. This can be found to the right hand side (approximately 2cm in width).
Step 5: Wait 5 minutes (i was impatient and initially waited about 1 - 2 minutes with no success)
Step 6: Reconnect battery (do not turn machine on).
Step 7: Replace and screw rear cover back on.
Step 8: Re-attach AC adapter.
Step 9: Start Cold Boot.

Your machine should now run at the correct speeds. If this has not solved the problem there may be further issues wrong with your machine, I would recommend using your warrrantee at this point.


TLR
Disconnect from AC, Open Rear Cover and Disconnect Internal Battery and Wait 5 mins. Reconnect and boot.

I hope this helps anybody going forwards, and appreciate the advice and help given previously in the thread.

 

So you just have to reset CMOS, basically. You can do that without removing the battery.

 

From what i read via Google apparently not, resetting the CMOS involves removing more than just removing the battery as the CMOS battery is on the flip side of the motherboard (YouTube Linky).