Welcome Guest! To access all forums & features, please register an account or sign-in. → Why register?



Task Manager reporting wrong CPU frequency


31 replies to this topic - - - - -

#1 +sanke1

    Member

  • 2,037 posts
  • Joined: 07-October 07

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:10

Don't know if this is a bug or a feature but the Windows 8 Task Manager always shows frequency higher than CPU-Z.

When I do CPU intensive task, it shows 5.10 Ghz frequency which is obviously wrong as my i5-3550 has maximum frequency limit of 4.10 Ghz.

Posted Image

Anyone noticed this? Clean re-install nor updating BIOS helped.


#2 ILikeTobacco

    Neowinian Senior

  • 3,894 posts
  • Joined: 08-July 10

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:12

View Postsanke1, on 09 October 2012 - 14:10, said:

...
I am noticing the Maximum speed as being 4.1. Possible it throttles up and down to save energy?

#3 Astra.Xtreme

    Electrical Engineer

  • 5,902 posts
  • Joined: 02-January 04
  • Location: Milwaukee, WI

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:13

Well your CPU will automatically underclock itself when it's not being used, so that part is probably correct.
But when it displays 5.1GHz, I have no idea what's going on there. Does CPU-Z show the same thing?

#4 OP +sanke1

    Member

  • 2,037 posts
  • Joined: 07-October 07

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:15

CPU-Z shows 4.1 Ghz. Windows task manager shows 4.8 Ghz or 5.1 Ghz depending on it's mood.

#5 xendrome

    In God We Trust; All Others We Monitor

  • 5,887 posts
  • Joined: 05-December 01
  • OS: Windows 8 Pro x64

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:15

This is normal if speedstep is on and you are using Balanced as your power plan AFAIK.

The CPU will clock down, then clock up to it's standard operating speed. That CPU operates at 3.30Ghz, and Turbos up to 3.7Ghz. Run prime95 on it and you should see it go up to 3.7Ghz.

I don't see where it says 5.1ghz but I don't know why it's showing 4.1Ghz unless you overclocked it

#6 Astra.Xtreme

    Electrical Engineer

  • 5,902 posts
  • Joined: 02-January 04
  • Location: Milwaukee, WI

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:18

View Postsanke1, on 09 October 2012 - 14:15, said:

CPU-Z shows 4.1 Ghz. Windows task manager shows 4.8 Ghz or 5.1 Ghz depending on it's mood.

I would definitely say it's a Windows problem then. But you shouldn't be surprised. :rolleyes:

#7 firey

    Neowinian Wise One

  • 5,360 posts
  • Joined: 30-October 05
  • Location: Ontario, Canada
  • OS: Windows 7
  • Phone: Android (4.1.2)

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:18

View Postsanke1, on 09 October 2012 - 14:10, said:

Don't know if this is a bug or a feature but the Windows 8 Task Manager always shows frequency higher than CPU-Z.

When I do CPU intensive task, it shows 5.10 Ghz frequency which is obviously wrong as my i5-3550 has maximum frequency limit of 4.10 Ghz.


Anyone noticed this? Clean re-install nor updating BIOS helped.

the newer intel cores have "Turbo Boost". Which will underclock your CPU automagically during low loads. During more CPU intensive tasks it will bring it up to speed. It's possible that when CPUz is launched it doesn't have much load and as such you see a lower speed, whereas I am assuming Windows 8 can take that into account and show the maximum, as well as the current.

#8 Hum

    totally wAcKed

  • 54,371 posts
  • Joined: 05-October 03
  • Location: Odder Space
  • OS: Windows XP, 7

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:19

This is a feature -- called EgoBoost :shifty:

#9 OP +sanke1

    Member

  • 2,037 posts
  • Joined: 07-October 07

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:27

View PostHum, on 09 October 2012 - 14:19, said:

This is a feature -- called EgoBoost :shifty:

Definitely no:

Look here. CPU under full load.


Posted Image

#10 HawkMan

    Badass Viking

  • 16,567 posts
  • Joined: 31-August 04
  • Location: Norway

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:37

Right click the graph and change to logical processors, it might be it does something weird in how it calculates with multiple cores.

#11 ILikeTobacco

    Neowinian Senior

  • 3,894 posts
  • Joined: 08-July 10

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:41

View Postsanke1, on 09 October 2012 - 14:27, said:

Definitely no:

Look here. CPU under full load.


Posted Image
Question... whats the multiplier for under what you pointed at

#12 OP +sanke1

    Member

  • 2,037 posts
  • Joined: 07-October 07

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:50

Multiplier is 39 or in rare cases it does hit 41.

Changing to logical processors does nothing.

#13 Deranged

    Star Citizen

  • 3,530 posts
  • Joined: 11-October 03
  • Location: Defiance
  • OS: 8 x64

Posted 09 October 2012 - 14:58

If you've got the system overclocked then yes, it's probably just showing the max speed under TurboBoost. When only one or two cores are active it'll boost the speeds. http://en.wikipedia....tel_Turbo_Boost

#14 OP +sanke1

    Member

  • 2,037 posts
  • Joined: 07-October 07

Posted 09 October 2012 - 15:00

View PostDeranged, on 09 October 2012 - 14:58, said:

If you've got the system overclocked then yes, it's probably just showing the max speed under TurboBoost. When only one or two cores are active it'll boost the speeds. http://en.wikipedia....tel_Turbo_Boost

i5-3550 is Non-K edition. It cannot be overclocked.

#15 Deranged

    Star Citizen

  • 3,530 posts
  • Joined: 11-October 03
  • Location: Defiance
  • OS: 8 x64

Posted 09 October 2012 - 15:15

Ahh. Well, it looks like Windows reports frequency based on only some variables. I'd dig around more but I haven't really slept in two days, time to fix that :p :)