intel t7500 dual core processor performance/usage problem

[watcher]

Hello, I've made a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate a few days ago, and I started to encounter the following problem after 30-60 minutes:

It usually happens when I'm running a computer game (any game), I experience a sudden fps drop, even though before that, on maximum quality the game was running perfectly, becomes unenjoyable, quit the game. The CPU meter gadget shows 100%, and even after I close everything, browser, windows explorer, the best I get at idle is 70-80%, and if I try to open anything at all, it becomes stuck at 100% again. So I open task manager and go processes, put them in a descending order of processor usage, and see that they nowhere near add up to 100%, even though at the bottom the task manager says CPU usage is at 100%. Phyiscal memory is usually around 20-60%, no problems with that.
If I go to Performance tab, and click on resource monitor, I experience the same thing: the actual usage is nowhere near 100%, I can't see any processes that would explain for the performance drop, in fact the highest demanding process is the resource monitor itself.

The problem presists until I restart the computer, shutting down takes much longer now.
I've been trying to find a solution online for two whole days now, it's very frustrating.

It's a HP Compaq 8510w laptop with Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Build 7600
Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2 GHZ)
Hewlett-Packard 30C5 (Intel PM965 (Cresline-PM) + ICH8M-E)
4GB memory
nVidia Quadro FX 570M [HP]
Intel 82801HB ICH8 - High Definition Audio [B1]
I've tried several suggestions:
Disabling HDAC in Device Manager (High Definition Audio Controller)
Disabling Audio Enhancements in Sound>Speaker Properties
Installing the very newest drivers, including chipset drivers
Running programs in XP compatibility mode
Disabling the gadgets

I've no reason to think I've been infected by malicious software, I can't find any suspicious processes running.

Anything else I could try? This is driving me absolutely mad.

 

[watcher]

bump, please help

 

[clifford_cooley]

Which anti-virus software are you using?

Does disabling or UN-installing your anti-virus have any different effects?

It maybe possible that something didn't setup correctly during the installation of Windows 7. I usually wouldn't think this but since you say that is when the problem started, I would point to a bad install.

 

[watcher]

I've found the cause of the issue, it's not down to a wild process or overheating, but for some other weird reason, the processor is forcing itself to underclock to 195 mhz at x1 from the normal 2200 x11. I've edited all available power settings in Windows 7 to have the CPU always be available 100%, I also downloaded RightMark CPU Clock Utility, forcing the CPU to be at 2200 mhz x11.
It worked for a little while, I was problemless for an hour, but then it came back... for some reason it still underclocks.
Do you think reinstalling Windows 7 would solve the issue?

 

[Digerati]

it's not down to a wild process or overheating,

How do you know it is not a heat issue? What are your temps?

Understand that notebooks, by their very design, are heat traps. Consequently, notebooks and mobile CPUs are designed to toggle down to prevent overheating. For these reasons (along with the impossibility for normal users to thoroughly clean notebook interiors), notebooks will never qualify as good gaming machines or desktop replacements - in spite of what the notebook marketing weenies would like us to believe.

 

[watcher]

55-60 idle, the worst of the worsts I've seen was around 75. Intel says the maximum temperature for this processor is 100 celsius

 

[Digerati]

I get a little panic when CPU temps touch 60°C.

The 100°C does NOT refer to "stable" operation up to that temp. It just means it will not (or should) suffer damage if it stays below that. Also note a CPU that runs high typically means that other devices may be running high too - again potentially affecting system stability.

Have you blasted out all the dust from all the vents, cavities and slots? You might try blasting a desk fan across the notebook to see how holds up too. And consider a Notebook Cooling Pad w/ext. power supply. I prefer those with their own external power supplies so you don’t put more strain on the notebook, causing it to generate even more heat.

 

[watcher]

its clean and not too hot.

 

[Digerati]

If it is pushing into the 70s°C, then that is too hot and likely affecting stability. What do you have for case cooling? How hot is your GPU getting?

 

[watcher]

If I'm running a game with maximum quality, I do sometimes experience tiny barely catchable jumps, and if I alttab and check it goes above 70, but even with forcing it to run at 2.2ghz, it doesn't go above 60 when doing smaller things.
I KNOW it's not a heat issue. My GPU hardly ever goes above 60 when playing.

 

[watcher]

This is the readout after the problem occured and I alttabbed

 

[Digerati]

60°C is actually cool for a GPU so that is good.

If everything is fine otherwise, I have no explanation for you performance drops, other than the system itself "thinking" it is getting to hot and toggling down as a self-protection step. You might check your BIOS Setup Menu settings to see if you can bump up a threshold setting (a little bit).