My CPU speed drops when playing games

[eizetjuh]

This is my system:
AMD FX-6100 six-core @ 3,3 GHz
MSI 760gm-p23 (fx)
2 4GB Corsair DDR3 Ram sticks @ 667 MHz
Asus Nvidia GTX560Ti DC II TOP @ 900 MHz 1GB GDDR5
2 Seagate barracuda drives of 250GB
OS: Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit
OCZ PSU @ 650W

this happens, only during the newer games:
the speed, multiplier and core voltage of my processor drop from 3,3 GHz 16.5 x and 1.280 to 1,4 GHz, 7.0 x and 0.872. these values do not go back up when I quit the game. It happens rather quickly during BF3 and it takes a little longer to happen during Skyrim. It does not happen during the first witcher game (to my knowledge) it seems to have to do with the intense use of the CPU.

I've tried disabling AMD Cool 'n Quiet and C1E, and changing my processor speeds in BIOS from auto to the stock values. But this did not do anything.

 

[eizetjuh]

Other things I have tried are resetting CMOS and flashing the BIOS.

 

[darth-stu]

Hi

What temprature is the cpu running at when under load. you can get the temp by installing realtemp.
Most motherboards have a thermal throttleing feature that reduce's the cpu multiplier if it get's to hot. (sound familer)

If your cpu temp is under 65C- when underload then
go into your bios and see if you have a thermal throttleing feature.
if you do and its on then turn it off and you should be good.

 

[eizetjuh]

My FX-6100 is not supported by that software, the temps also don't show up in everest.

 

[Robi_g]

Try CPUID's hardware monitor

 

[eizetjuh]

I was playing assassins creed revelations and the core speed dropped, I looked at the thermometer which then (I assume falsly) sais 255 degrees centigrade. 10 minutes after the event, it is still the same.

 

[correon]

Coretemp is allso a cpu-temp monitoring program you can try to use

 

[correon]

In windows control panel you can adjust power - so power is high power or some medium setting or power-save - put it to high power then it should not lower the multiplier in your system and speed should remain at high setting

 

[eizetjuh]

I checked that, and did that before, and it didsn't seem to do anything.

 

[eizetjuh]

An OS reinstall did nothing.

 

[eizetjuh]

The temperature reaches 70 (according to HWmonitor) and then it sais 255 degrees, so yes it might be a temperature problem.

 

[chase3567]

If it goes into sleep mode and you wake the computer only two cores will run at 3.3 and the other four will be at 1.4. The only solution i've found so far is to reboot the computer than everything is fine. Most of the time I shut it down when not using it and on fresh boot the problem is not there. Download AMD overdrive and you can see the speed of all your cores at any given time.

AMD overdrive will also show you the temps of your cpu and cores also. Did you turn off turbo mode, I don't use turbo mode and I have the cpu OC to 4.0ghz.

 

[eizetjuh]

I don't use turbo mode, I can restart my pc, and my speed would be back to normal, but as soon as I start playing the newer games, my speed drops during my playing, and so does the framerate. At first I thought it was my graphics card, then I saw how my processor speed dropped.
The thing is, everything used to be fine, and nothing would happen. I ordered some new thermal grease and extra case fans, that should get rid of high temperatures.
I also never go into sleep mode.

 

[eizetjuh]

AMD Overdrive shows lowering of speed in all cores after reaching 75+ degrees celsius, that is rather high. on idle it was in the 50 degrees celsius area.

 

[chase3567]

AMD Overdrive shows lowering of speed in all cores after reaching 75+ degrees celsius, that is rather high. on idle it was in the 50 degrees celsius area.

Well it does sound like you have a heat problem. At stock speeds your idle should be about 28-30c, I idle around 35c with my overclock and when playing BF3 underload at about 43-45c.

Check if your heatsink is seated properly, reapply thermal paste and reseat the heatsink to see if that helps. See if the fans on your CPU is running properly.

 

[eizetjuh]

I thought it was seated properly, took it out anyway, I took the fan and heatsink apart cleaned them, and now I've been playing BF3 for half an hour. the temp remains stable at 65 degrees. so succes. still going to install the extra case fans and better thermal paste to keep it cooler.