How to control the CPU frequency under Win XP?

[zigzag]

Hi,

I really really need a (preferably free, open source) app or utility to
control the CPU frequency under Windows XP. The problem is that the CPU
is overheating and unless I reduce its frequency to 1Ghz it will keep
shutting the computer down.

Under GNU/Linux, sudo cpufreq-set -rf 1Ghz does this quite fine but I
couldn't find an equivalent under Windows, so I can't boot this box
under Windows anymore. If this is not the right newsgroup, please accept
my apologies and say which newsgroup is the one I should subscribe to.

Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Spalls Hurgenson]

On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:00:12 +0100, zigzag <zig...@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

I'm sure there are a number of programs available to do this, but the
first one that springs to mind for me is SpeedFan
http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Although nominally it is a monitoring program for system temperatures,
it also allows you to modify the FSB speeds on compatible systems. It
is free and can load automatically with Windows.

[zigzag]

On 06/12/12 15:07, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:00:12 +0100, zigzag <zig...@invalid.invalid>
> wrote:
>> I really really need a (preferably free, open source) app or utility to
>> control the CPU frequency under Windows XP.
>>

> I'm sure there are a number of programs available to do this, but the
> first one that springs to mind for me is SpeedFan
> http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Thanks for replying. I tested SpeedFan but that's not what I need. I
already maxed out all the fans from the BIOS to somewhat mitigate this
overheating problem, and SpeedFan doesn't allow me to set the CPU
frequency. My quest continues.

[JJ]

I use RightMark CPU Clock Utility.
http://www.rightmark.org/

With my WinXP on AMD64 X2, I can have 3 speed presets: slowest possible
(1.3GHz), medium (1.9GHz), and full speed (2.5GHz). By setting a fixed
CPU multiplier for each preset. On Intel CPUs, it's a CPU throttling
speed in percent.

[zigzag]

On 07/12/12 13:14, JJ wrote:

> zigzag <zig...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> I really really need a (preferably free, open source) app or utility to
>> control the CPU frequency under Windows XP.
>

> I use RightMark CPU Clock Utility.
> http://www.rightmark.org/
>
> With my WinXP on AMD64 X2, I can have 3 speed presets: slowest possible
> (1.3GHz), medium (1.9GHz), and full speed (2.5GHz).

Thanks for replying JJ. I too have an AMD Athlon 64 X2, and the speed
presets (on GNU/Linux) are 1, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.5 Ghz. I installed
RightMark CPU Clock Utility but can't figure out how to choose a preset
-- I only have like one minute until the computer shuts itself down
after I login so I couldn't take a real look at the utility. Could you
please explain where and how I must choose the preset? (a link to a
screenshot would be great, I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to
hardware, far from it actually).

[JJ]

zigzag <zig...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> Thanks for replying JJ. I too have an AMD Athlon 64 X2, and the speed
> presets (on GNU/Linux) are 1, 1.8, 2, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.5 Ghz. I installed
> RightMark CPU Clock Utility but can't figure out how to choose a preset
> -- I only have like one minute until the computer shuts itself down
> after I login so I couldn't take a real look at the utility. Could you
> please explain where and how I must choose the preset? (a link to a
> screenshot would be great, I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to
> hardware, far from it actually).

The presets are called "profiles" in that tool. After the tool is
launched, on its icon (on task bar tray icon), right-click it to show a
popup menu. Hover the cursor on "Current Profile" to show a submenu.
Click on the "Power saving". This should minimize the CPU speed so the PC
won't shutdown itself.

Double-clicking the icon will show its main dialog. All 4 profiles (only
3 are configurable) can be found under the "Profiles" node. Select a
profile except "No management". Make sure the "CPU settings" button is
selected. The right side "Battery" column if for notebooks when using
battery only, and the left side "AC power" is for desktops or notebooks
with AC power plugged. Each configurable profile will have a list of CPU
speeds allowed for that profile. Simply disable/untick the speeds to
prevent use of that speed in the current profile. For example, a profile
for max power saving should have FID (the multiplier) of 5.0X-6.5X all
enabled and all others disabled.

If your PC keep shutting down it self, you should set the CPU multiplier
in the BIOS to limit the speed instead. The CPU multiplier will be
applied to the moterboard FSB speed. My FSB is 200MHz, and the default
multiplier is 12.5X, so:
200MHz X 12.5 = 2500MHz = 2.5GHz

Check your motherboard manual on the "Motherboard Specifications"
section. It should show the FSB speed. If you don't know the max CPU
multiplier, go to the BIOS screen where the CPU multiplier setting is
found, then press the key to restore the settings to factory default. CPU
multiplier factory default setting is the max multiplier, while the "safe
setting" might be less than the factory setting.

If your CPU is same as mine, which is AMD64 X2 4800+ 2.5GHz, try
decreasing the multiplier to 9.5X (1.9GHz; roughly 75% speed). Save it
and reboot to Windows. If it still shutdown itself, let it cool off for a
few minutes then start it up again to decrease the multiplier settings
some more until it won't shutdown it self when running Windows. While the
lowest multiplier setting is 5.0X (1GHz), it depends on the motherboard
quality. Mine (BIOSTAR) always freeze when using multiplier of lower than
6.5X (1.2GHz or less).

[Char Jackson]

On Sat, 8 Dec 2012 15:54:33 +0000 (UTC), JJ
<jaej...@glegooilma-swapit.com> wrote:

>If your PC keep shutting down it self, you should set the CPU multiplier
>in the BIOS to limit the speed instead.

Exactly right, do it there instead of trying to fudge it with any of
the other tools that have been mentioned.

I may have missed it, but I didn't see anyone address the question of
why it's overheating and shutting down in the first place. I would
look closely at the CPU heat sink and fan, if it has a fan, and make
sure it's not clogged up with dust, cat hair, and lint. Make sure the
fan spins like it's supposed to. Make sure it's the right heat sink
for that CPU and motherboard, and make sure it's seated properly on
the CPU. If all of that looks right, I would remove the heat sink from
the CPU, clean up both mating surfaces, then apply a new thin coat of
Arctic Silver or your favorite brand of thermal paste. I'm betting the
problem would be solved.

[JJ]

Char Jackson <no...@none.invalid> wrote:
> I may have missed it, but I didn't see anyone address the question of
> why it's overheating and shutting down in the first place. I would
> look closely at the CPU heat sink and fan, if it has a fan, and make
> sure it's not clogged up with dust, cat hair, and lint. Make sure the
> fan spins like it's supposed to. Make sure it's the right heat sink
> for that CPU and motherboard, and make sure it's seated properly on
> the CPU. If all of that looks right, I would remove the heat sink from
> the CPU, clean up both mating surfaces, then apply a new thin coat of
> Arctic Silver or your favorite brand of thermal paste. I'm betting the
> problem would be solved.
>

I've encountered this one case on my old Pentium 4 1.6GHz (now retired
since I can't find any motherboard replacement on local stores). It's the
first model where it has overheating problem (at least 65c when idle and
working fan; fixed on the second model). The overheating is severe enough
to fry the temperature sensor chip on the motherboard. The BIOS CPU
multiplier is already set to minimum, which is same as the full speed of
CPU. There was no underclocker tool at that time, and I had to disable
the BIOS auto shutdown setting as the last resort until the motherboard
finally broke. A motherboard killer indeed. :) ... :(

[zigzag]

On 08/12/12 16:54, JJ wrote:
> zigzag <zig...@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> The presets are called "profiles" in that tool. After the tool is
> launched, on its icon (on task bar tray icon), right-click it to show a
> popup menu. Hover the cursor on "Current Profile" to show a submenu.
> Click on the "Power saving". This should minimize the CPU speed so the PC
> won't shutdown itself.

Indeed, it worked, thanks *a lot* for such a detailed explanation. I
could install all the security updates, updated Firefox, Thunderbird and
so on. Interestingly, CPU 1 has always 10 °C more than CPU 0. And I
don't know why but after the reboot during the security updates
installation the computer shut itself down. Not during their
installation but after asking to reboot and a few seconds after the
reboot started. Anyway, this was just a minor annoyance, things seem to
work fine so far :)

> If your CPU is same as mine, which is AMD64 X2 4800+ 2.5GHz, try

Exactly the same CPU.

> decreasing the multiplier to 9.5X (1.9GHz; roughly 75% speed). Save it
> and reboot to Windows. If it still shutdown itself, let it cool off for a
> few minutes then start it up again to decrease the multiplier settings
> some more until it won't shutdown it self when running Windows. While the
> lowest multiplier setting is 5.0X (1GHz), it depends on the motherboard
> quality. Mine (BIOSTAR) always freeze when using multiplier of lower than
> 6.5X (1.2GHz or less).

Now you taught me something. My previous BIOS had frequencies in Ghz so
I could set the lowest (had an overheating problem too...). This one
uses the settings you mentioned, but I didn't know that they could be
used to lower the CPU frequency. I lowered the frequency there too, I'll
see in the next few days the best configuration.

Again, thanks *a ton* for such a good explanation. I can boot Windows
again, everything works just as I wanted.

[zigzag]

On 08/12/12 20:30, Char Jackson wrote:
> On Sat, 8 Dec 2012 15:54:33 +0000 (UTC), JJ

> I would
> look closely at the CPU heat sink and fan, if it has a fan, and make

> sure it's not clogged up with dust, *cat hair*, and lint.

How do you know I have a cat? (I'm sure the cat thinks it's the other
way around) :) Anyway, when the problem appeared I cleaned up everything
but it didn't help at all.

> fan spins like it's supposed to. Make sure it's the right heat sink
> for that CPU and motherboard, and make sure it's seated properly on
> the CPU. If all of that looks right, I would remove the heat sink from
> the CPU, clean up both mating surfaces, then apply a new thin coat of
> Arctic Silver or your favorite brand of thermal paste. I'm betting the
> problem would be solved.

I didn't dare to try that, fearing I could "brick" the PC -- but thanks
for the advice, it looks like I'll have to get my hands dirty at some point.