CPU-Z Core Speed for Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300?

[bahence]

I bought a refurb Gateway SX2802-01 with an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 processor. The computer is not running as fast as I expected so I ran CPU-Z and it says the core speed on the processor is 1995.1 Mhz. I thought it would be 2.5 Ghz?

 

[spentshells]

no worries just open an app and do something you will see the speed go up

 

[jimmysmitty]

What you are seeing is a feature in all of Intels CPUs called Speedstep. It will lower the clock speed of the CPU when it is not in use or under heavy load. Normally it will stay at the 2GHz range when its at about 20% load and bump up to 2.5GHz above 20% load.

To do this it adjusts the multiplier to a lower setting. Yours is 7.5 as a max and low of 6.

If you load a program that uses the CPU heavily and run CPUz, it will bump up to 2.5GHz.

Just as a example:

I have a Q6600 overclocked to 3GHz. When its under load, it runs at 3GHz which is 9x333MHz. When its not under load it runs at 2GHz which is 6x333MHz.

For your CPU it would be the same so:

Low

6x333MHz = 2GHz

High

7.5x333MHz = 2.5GHz

It wont affect your performance because when you need the speed, it jumps up to it.

 

[bahence]

Thanks. I loaded up a bunch of programs and watched CPU-Z. It did go up to 2.5 Ghz just for a few seconds and then came back down to 1998 again. I guess this CPU is able to handle the relatively small apps that I'm throwing at it. I don't have any serious games to test it with.

I'm appears that I am concerned over nothing. Thank you all for your help.