CPU Frequency too low [solved]

[Forum Admin Dave]

Helpful

Up

0

::

I think edit /etc/default/cpufrequtils as root and change the GOVERNOR= line to say performance.

Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine until you start opening Windows. ~Author Unknown

[Member DDR]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Hi Dave i went there and there is no cpufrequtils file despite having the package preinstalled!

[Anonymous]

Helpful

Up

0

::

DDR,

create and edit

/etc/default/cpufrequtils

as root and put

GOVERNOR=performance

in it. that’s what debians site says to do.

https://wiki.debian.org/CpuFrequencyScaling

[Member DDR]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Linuxdad i made the file and inputed the text and nothing changed (i tested before and after a restart the way male suggested besides concy) i then tried putting “” around performance just in case it was necessary since the link writes GOVERNOR=”conservative” but as expected still nothing
I am so sorry lads for your time and we still not have a solution this is way more illusive than i could have imagined.But if we mange to unlock it the increase in speed is gonna make a heck of a difference.

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by DDR.

[Member ModdIt]

Helpful

Up

0

::

@ DDR says the pc is cold, barely warm to the touch i cannot believe thermal throttling to be the issue.

I am too far away to check if it is throttling, please note that a throttled system will not feel hot to
the touch or pull maximum current from the power supply as it is in that mode to stop itself from cooking.

If it was working did the system run at full speed before you cleaned fans and replaced thermal paste.

Have seen hardware with the interface to cpu not perfectly filled with paste/gap free which caused slow
running due cpu temp.
Have also seen defective GPU or CPU fan cause same issue. Did you make sure fans run after work.

As you may not have done so yet you could install lm-sensors if not already installed. do “sudo sensors-detect”
After that is finished next command is “sensors”.
sensors -f gives out Fahrenheit if wished for.
“watch sensors” should give out realtime readings.

Not perfect tools but may help to figure out what is wrong.

[Member DDR]

Helpful

Up

0

::

@Moddit
I run the sensors but didnt get anything to meaningfull i attach pic ambient temp is 20 and the excellent cooled graphics card on my desktop is 50 too so not too hot(what ever it is it is measuring)

The pc before i got it had not been used for years and there is no one i can ask about that and change the paste was the first thing i did.
I have changed paste on a dozen pcs with no issue and i used my own noctua paste so i don’t think it is that either,and i checked the fan was spinning.
About the fan what is interesting is the following a friend of mine who has a more modern amilo when the laptop gets loaded the fan makes a HELL of a sound
mine is always even when 100% loaded barely audible comparable his laptops when idling.
But i’d wager the fan is NOT to be blamed i think things are as follows: cpu has governor for some reason too low->very little produced heat even when loaded->fan spins but slowly
Other evidence my friends amilo is a core 2 duo and DOES thermal throttle and some times even that is not enough and closes from overheating.
Every time i have seen something throttle the temperature must rise first it can’t be that the moment i open the pc isn’t warm the fan is not trying any harder and it still throttle.I mean it has to start cooking to throttle.

Attachments:

1. 

   photo_2020-04-24_18-24-29.jpg
   

[Anonymous]

Helpful

Up

0

::

I’m drawing a blank on this. One thing could do is if you still have windows XP
on there might be to look at the power management in the control panel and see
if there’s anything that can set the laptop to max performance or gaming
settings. or to disable all power management and see if speed in the system
changes. If it changes then it’s in linux.

[Member ModdIt]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Hard nut to crack but as you say an excellent device.

Seeing no sensors detected and finding I got some non plausible readings on a check, did some
searching and found this.

while true; do sensors |grep Core; find /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/ -name temp|xargs -n1 grep -H .|grep -v :0; sleep 5;done

It continuously shows cpu Temp sensor data, works on multicore too by the way.

What keeps making me think of a hardware or possibly BIOS issue is both xp and linux showing same behavior regarding CPU frequency. .
Maybe you could plug in a Manjaro stick and see what that shows. If nothing changes not likely to be kernel or
driver issue. Could be why the laptop was unused for years, slow=too old.

I guess you did hard reset BIOS by removing battery for a while to see if that makes a difference.

[Member DDR]

Helpful

Up

0

::

It is a hard one indeed.
What i am gonna try next is tell my friend with the other amilo to give me his main fan and see if that cools it better because my fan spins a bit pathetically to my eyes.
I am gonna report back if that changed something.

[Member ModdIt]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Hi DDR, yesterday I did some further digging, maybe me or friends with this problem sometime.

Searching led me to Stuck Processor, seems the problem was not so uncommon, wonder if that was on purpose,
rotten fruit did it on phones to encourage users to buy new ones.

The problem is hardware related, shops replaced Processor, board or both to fix. Some Processors degraded
and gave same issue, did not find yours reported but proving would need very advanced equipment and knowledge.

Anyway there are some windows tools around which claim to get performance back, one which might help is
@ http://cpu.rightmark.org/products/rmclock.shtml/. There is a free and a pro version, I think it will run on XP.
As I do not use W Doze can not test it. Some others claim same. I have a sneaking feeling that you might be able
to use a linux tool CPU Power Manager to achieve the same by manipulating the intel_pstate frequency driver. Reputedly
xfce4-power-manager can also manipulate clock frequency. There are other tools. Hope one can help you, I am guessing
they are scriptable so if working can be run during boot process.

If not a good board or laptop with broken or defective screen may be available on the bay.

Please do post feedback, it can be valuable to all who use old or discarded devices. Many by necessity.

[Member DDR]

Helpful

Up

0

::

O boy…i did some further tests and it just goes deeper!Here is my essay.

I put my fan in my fiends pc and it was working perfectly as expected,but while i was testing the fans i had the lid open and i noticed some stuff,while the fan works it didn’t spin almost.
So i put a bench stress on the cpu the fan did not badge.How had i not noticed!
For the rest of the day i thought the motherboard connector died.
But it did not!

I tested something else i screwed everything in pluged in the fan but i did not screw the screws that tighten the cooler to the gpu
(in this laptop the same fan and cooler cool both the cpu and gpu)
and the fan started spining!
Once i screwed the screws the gpu got cooler and the fan instantly stopped(any screw had the same effect)

Then i put a 100% stress on the cpu no fan spinning and i was screwing and unscrewing the screws on the gpu and they were working as switches when screwed no fan when un then fan
The fact that the cpu was stressed was irrelevant for the fan it never cared.
So i also tried the following unscrewed them again on the gpu to see if with the spining fan the frequency of the cpu would increase and it did not
As a matter of fact my firend by accident turned on my pc when i had the entire cooling system off and it booted normally(no fan no cooler cpu contact with air)

SO the takeaways i think are the cpu could not care less about cooling and i think that something is forcing him to work at the lowest frequency and that something is undoubtedly not cooling.

Now Moddit i tried rmclock and it did nothing i attached screenshot of the settings i used
i also tried the linux tools you recomended but i need help with those since i found a gnome cpu power packet installed it and did not know how to lauch it and the xfce4-power-manager when i opened it said nothing about frequency(despite its description)

Where are the good old days we could change multipliers in the bios and be done with it!
I don’t know what to try next if i have to buy something i’d rather buy a cpu which are 5$(with 2 month shipping from china …..) rather than an expesive mobo

Is there a point to buying another cpu?
Is there anything else to try?
What do you think lads?

Attachments:

1. 

   photo_2020-04-26_15-54-54.jpg
   

2. 

   photo_2020-04-26_15-54-50.jpg
   

3. 

   photo_2020-04-26_15-54-47.jpg
   

4. 

   photo_2020-04-26_15-54-35.jpg
   

[Member ModdIt]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Never Ever start a computer without adequate chip cooling. You might be lucky and the protection circuits save processor and board. You might destroy both in milliseconds. We saw a processor explode as internal circuits vaporized, expensive and could have resulted in a blind technician had he not worn glasses.

Looks like the one mentioned in this thread is still surviving but methods mentioned are for the desperate fringe.

On the Linux tools kids suggested to go over to Arch forums and search on usage. We are all learning but this one
seems not at that level.

Hard to know best way to go, you might be able to find an Intel Processor Diagnostic tool fitting for your legacy CPU.
knowing if the issue is board or CPU would be useful. Could even be both but that is rather unlikely.
Not sure I would risk swapping out Processor from a friends Laptop, or fitting mine in his.
Unlikely to do damage but who knows.

I would be searching for same device with damaged screen or similar, try with a fresh processor if getting a genuine article is
really so cheap.

Depending on your locality it might be worth calling a computer recycling facility or repair shops to see
if they have any spares or an old repair guy who knows the issue and solution. Wish you luck and expert help.

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by ModdIt.

[Member DDR]

Helpful

Up

0

::

SOLVED!!!!

Well lads after a lot more searching it is solved!

I searched and found some posts talking for different PCs having same issue,saying to flash bios and then go to bios and select Optimal Defaults.

I did not find any version for my pc to download but i did go to bios and selected optimal defaults and that fixed it!
(In the past i had removed the motherboard battery and pressed the power button while off power to reset any settings on the bios but that had no effect)
So anyone having simular issues in the future try that.

Thanks for everyone who commented trying to help me!

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by DDR.

Attachments:

1. 

   photo_2020-05-01_21-21-15.jpg
   

[Forum Admin anticapitalista]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Great news! I admire your persistence!

Philosophers have interpreted the world in many ways; the point is to change it.

antiX with runit - leaner and meaner.

[Forum Admin anticapitalista]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Please mark as solved.

Philosophers have interpreted the world in many ways; the point is to change it.

antiX with runit - leaner and meaner.

[Author]

Posts