Processor Power Settings

[JohnGabriel]

My Processor Power Settings (in Windows 7 64bit) has CPU running at a minimum of 5% and maximum of 100%.

ISBoxer Suite doesn't seem to like that and suggests I set both to 100% for multiboxing.

Is that really necessary? Wont the CPU jump up to 100% when all 5 WoWs are running? I'd like the minimum set low for times when I'm not boxing if that will keep the heat lower.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

I'm sure Lax can look into making it a feature where it sets a particular power plan when it has a game running and reverts to another selected plan when no known game is running. Ask him and see.

As a workaround, you can manually flip back and forth between power plans with different settings from desktop shortcuts if you're running Vista/Win7. Let's say you had a "High Performance" power plan with CPU set to 5-100% and a "Gaming Performance" plan set to 100-100%.

Open up a command prompt as Admin and use the POWERCFG command-line tool.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>powercfg -list

Existing Power Schemes (* Active)
-----------------------------------
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e  (Balanced)
Power Scheme GUID: 87eaf9ee-a79d-4ccf-86f0-23a79c11ef79  (Gaming performance) *
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c  (High performance)
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a  (Power saver)

C:\Windows\system32>powercfg -s 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c

C:\Windows\system32>powercfg -list

Existing Power Schemes (* Active)
-----------------------------------
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e  (Balanced)
Power Scheme GUID: 87eaf9ee-a79d-4ccf-86f0-23a79c11ef79  (Gaming performance)
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c  (High performance) *
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a  (Power saver)

C:\Windows\system32>powercfg -s 87eaf9ee-a79d-4ccf-86f0-23a79c11ef79

C:\Windows\system32>powercfg -list

Existing Power Schemes (* Active)
-----------------------------------
Power Scheme GUID: 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e  (Balanced)
Power Scheme GUID: 87eaf9ee-a79d-4ccf-86f0-23a79c11ef79  (Gaming performance) *
Power Scheme GUID: 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c  (High performance)
Power Scheme GUID: a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a  (Power saver)

C:\Windows\system32>

Now just make a couple of batch files named gaming.cmd and normal.cmd on your desktop. Use the GUIDs you learned from typing the above on your computer after the "-s" parameter and then when you want to switch, just right-click the batch file, select "Run as Administrator," confirm the popup and voila. Instant (almost) plan switching.

[Lax]

ISBoxer would have absolutely no reason to suggest you change power profiles if it had no performance impact. The message was added in response to endless questions about poor performance and it is a legitimate solution...

If you feel your performance is adequate, dont do it, but I promise you are using the wrong power profile for boxing if you get this message.

[MiRai]

Is that really necessary? Wont the CPU jump up to 100% when all 5 WoWs are running? I'd like the minimum set low for times when I'm not boxing if that will keep the heat lower.

Currently my minimum and maximum states are set to 100% and my CPU will drop down to its idle speed when nothing
is when nothing is happening.

I'm almost positive CPU idle states are determined by the C1/C3/EIST settings in the BIOS.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Currently my minimum and maximum states are set to 100% and my CPU will drop down to its idle speed when nothing
is when nothing is happening.

I'm almost positive CPU idle states are determined by the C1/C3/EIST settings in the BIOS.

C-state residency isn't always well-implemented. My desktops are set to 100%/100% and they never waver. My laptop is set the same but it bounces between 100 and 60% depending on what's going on.

[MiRai]

C-state residency isn't always well-implemented. My desktops are set to 100%/100% and they never waver. My laptop is set the same but it bounces between 100 and 60% depending on what's going on.

True. I've heard different people have different experiences with C1/C3 settings... and AMD users don't get EIST they get
Cool 'n' Quiet or something like that.

I just realized this as well while monitoring my CPU... it can go into an idle state for a few seconds if I'm not moving or
doing anything at all.

[Ualaa]

After overclocking, my CPU is at 100% all the time.

It was set to performance, prior to the Overclock.
But would go to a much lower clock speed, when not actively doing something CPU intensive.

[MiRai]

After overclocking, my CPU is at 100% all the time.

It was set to performance, prior to the Overclock.
But would go to a much lower clock speed, when not actively doing something CPU intensive.

Quickly paging through the video you used to OC (from your other thread)... you've either disabled this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMZoWOpry40&t=4m29s

or these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMZoWOpry40&t=7m35s

The guy mentions that they've been known to cause instability and the only time I've ever been told to turn those off if you're
going for an extreme overclock (nothing you're expecting to run 24-7). In my opinion, following overclocking guides to a 'T'
don't make any sense because components are never the same. Each CPU, each resistor, each capacitor, whatever... they
all have a different tolerances from board to board or CPU to CPU. For instance, he tells people to turn off C1/C3 and I would
tell people to leave it on because it saves power and cuts down on unnecessary heat.