I just bought a AMD Phenom II X4 955 and it is suppost to be 3.2GHz but when I look at my System Properties on my computer it says I have 797MHz. When I go to my Device Manager and look under processors it says that I have 4 AMD Phenom II X4 955 processors or at least that's what it looks like anyways. Any ideas why this is happening or how I can fix this problem?
I just bought a AMD Phenom II X4 955
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p1n3apqlexpr3ss
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It automatically clocks down to 800mhz while idling to save power, its called the cool n quiet mode, you can disable it in the bios, so it runs at max speed the whole time
welshmousepk
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as pineapple said, this is normal. it will return to normal speeds when under load. i wouldn't recommend turning off cool and quiet, as it will reduce the lifespan of the chip, make it run hotter and offer no benefit whatsoever.
ther reseon device manager shows 4 CPUs, is because the CPU has four physical cores. this is also normal.
ther reseon device manager shows 4 CPUs, is because the CPU has four physical cores. this is also normal.
p1n3apqlexpr3ss
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BIOS, just enter it when you start your PC up, navigate through it and somewhere youll be able to disable it
But you will be wasting power, have more heat inside your case and there's no real reason to run at full whack all the time 
I have a '955 with the stock heatsink & fan - it gets bloody noisy after a while running at full speed, I quite like the cores without much work to do turing down so the fan can run slow 
If you google "amd power monitor" you can download the AMD applet that shows individual core load, speed and voltage and works with your power settings so you can change and see the effects of different power profiles.
I have a '955 with the stock heatsink & fan - it gets bloody noisy after a while running at full speed, I quite like the cores without much work to do turing down so the fan can run slow If you google "amd power monitor" you can download the AMD applet that shows individual core load, speed and voltage and works with your power settings so you can change and see the effects of different power profiles.
welshmousepk
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it doesn't matter what its rated to run at. running it at higher clocks than you would at default outputs more heat, and therefore reduces the lifespan. simple physics.
^ while that may be true - when was the last time you had a CPU reach its expected lifetime before it was outdated due to the performance level of it ?? (I mean the original Pentium CPUs are still within their expected lifespan and who still uses one of them ?)
welshmousepk
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i dont know why you are unable to understand basic physics. but lets try explaining it to you.
a processor running constantly at 3.2ghz is subjected to more heat than a processor that down clocks when idle. this is because a higher clocked processor has more rapidly moving electrons, which thanks to friction, means more heat.
more heat, means faster degradation of the switches that are used to make the processors calculations. and this in turn means a shorter lifespan.
it doesn't matter what the default clockspeed is.
a Ferrari is designed to travel at 120mph, but if you keep it at 120mph everywhere you go, its gonna die quicker than the one that sticks to the speed limit more often.
does the analogy suit?
though i do agree with JDfan, its unlikely a processor will die before its obsolete (and as an extreme overclocker, im sure as hell not one to care about reduced lifespan) but for virtually no benefit at all, i dont think you should recommend a person do something that will reduce the lifespan of the processor. they will gain nothing, but be subjecting their chip to more heat.
the life span of a processor is measured by the company that releases it and they release it to run at 3.2ghz constantly. Your measuring what software can do for your processor. If you go read amds website about the cool n quiet function it does not mention anything about prolonging the life of your processor. For you to make theese claims when amd themselves do not is ridiculous.
welshmousepk
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no, the lifespan of a processor is HOW LONG IT LIVES. im not talking about the number AMD make up to tell you how long it might live, but how long it ACTUALLY continues to operate.
if you still fail to understand that two identical processors, one running constantly at max speed and heat, and another that downclocks when idle, will not live the same amount of time... well i really cannot possibly make it any simpler.
more heat=shorter lifespan. switching off cool 'n queit=more heat. do you really need me to continue?
your theory cant be proven as i could simply make the claim that cool n quiet can destroy your processor from the sudden voltage jumps every time you open a program causing your processor to fail. anyone can make up theories but you have to have complete fact to prove your point. amds website does not make any claim to cool n quiet making the processor last longer. if amd could make that claim dont you think they would. great way to sell procs.
welshmousepk
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since you are obviously an idiot, i should probably just stop arguing with you. though i do find that hard to do.
i am not making absurd claims (voltage jumps, seriously?), i am simply stating out the basic laws of physics. obviously beyond your comprehension, but anyone else reading this will understand whats going on.
really though, thats gonna have to be the last post. since trying to teach you the laws of physics is much more difficult than it should be.
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