E6600 Speedstep?

[jack_attack]

Hey Guys,

I have a quick question. I am having a heck of a time getting speedstep to work on my machine, and I'd like to take my temps down a little more for free if it will let me

Setup:

ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe
E6600 @ 2.9GHz
Win7 x86
500G Seagate Barracuda
2GB Crucial Ballistix @ 650Mhz

I've enabled Speedstep in the bios, adjusted the options for Win7 under power management, and the sucker still won't drop anything. I've tried it both at stock clocks as well as oc'd, nada. My usual CPU usage at idle is around 0% for one core and 0-5% for the other. I have the latest board drivers from ASUS as well. Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[jfreggie]

You may want to consider getting a new HSF to cool down your rig if that's your overall goal. You can also manually underclock your processer too. But as long as Speedstep is on in the BIOS, your computer is doing it. Download CPU-Z and check your speed there, I bet it'll show an underclock. But really... get a new HSF.

 

[jack_attack]

Ah, failed to mention, didn't think it was too terribly important. I'm using a AC Freezer 7. At 2.9GHz, my temps are around 35C, 40-43C under 100% load. According to CPU-Z, I'm at a solid 325x9. I'm not worried about my current temps, but if I can drop them a few degrees while browsing the web, it can't hurt. At 2.9Ghz, I'm also at 1.232V according to CPU-Z, anything lower and I get the occasional blue screen and hang.

 

[jfreggie]

I love that HSF, I have the same one on my Q9550. My temps are about 40 at idle and 55 at load. I don't think you're going to get much better than what you're at. Maybe add a fan or 2 to your case, or take the side off and make sure all your cables inside are nice and tidy.

 

[jack_attack]

I know it's a solid temp for a 65nm chip, but wouldn't it be nice to see it get close to 30C oc'd on air? Friend of mine has a Phenom II, and he runs around 20C at idle with C&Q and stock HSF. After some more googling, looks like it's an nforce4 issue, and when the OS tries to throttle, it either freezes or does nothing. Thanks for the ideas though.

 

[jack_attack]

Update. I just tweaked around with RightMark's CPU utility, and it's throttling perfectly. I'm currently at 1.95GHz (325x6)@ 1.16V, at 30C idle. I figure in an hour or so when I turn the thermostat down for the night, I'll definitely get to the 20's! Just thought I'd let everyone know, if nForce4 is giving you troubles with EIST, RM's CPU thing works! Thanks for the thoughts jfreggie.