W510: battery drain fast and always full CPU speed

ssh
ssh Member Posts: 10 New User

Did any one notice this after the latest BIOS/Driver update? My W510 is running hot and drainging the batter much much faster than before. I tried to disable useless services and monitor the CPU intesive processes, but nothing found.

 

Then I found out in system properties that the CPU is alway on full 1.8GHz speed.

 

Z2760 @1.80Ghz 1.80Ghz.

 

Did any one noticed this battery usage change?

 

Thanks.

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Answers

  • sopaj96
    sopaj96 Member Posts: 154 Troubleshooter
    Might be a cpu stress virus :/
    Can you look what program/tasks that are running and tell me what is runnig?
  • ssh
    ssh Member Posts: 10 New User

    Thanks for the following...

     

    Checking the processes was the first I did.

     

    Right after boot-up the CPU is around 40-50% percentage (in Task Manager) then then it drops down. As of now, it is between 0-1% CPU but it is still full 1.80GHZ if I checked the system properties.

     

    What's the normal number of CPU speed in your W510?

     

    I check in both BIOS and power setting, nowheere to change CPU speed. :-(

     

    BTW, it started happening right after I used the newest driver package.

  • ssh
    ssh Member Posts: 10 New User

     

    For the Z2760 StepSpeed control on/off, is it controlled by BIOS, windows service or power option?

     

    Currently after a full charge, W510 loses 30% batter "turing off" over night! Previously it is only 5% or so.

  • yumms
    yumms Member Posts: 10 New User

    Same exact thing with me as well, though if I turn off the wifi then the battery drain isn't that much. I'm going to install the previous version of the chipset drivers to see if that helps.

  • padgett
    padgett ACE Posts: 4,532 Pathfinder

    The power management function in Windows 8 means it does not need to throttle to control power, that only happens if something starts reaching a critical tempreature. That is not going to happen unless loaded.

  • 1stTimeAcer
    1stTimeAcer Member Posts: 96 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    Check your power options in Windows. Windows' power option can have the CPU running at full speed even without full load. So chekc your power plan setting in Windows.

  • ssh
    ssh Member Posts: 10 New User

     Actually I was amazed that how limited in the "power option"or "power plan" control setting in W510/Win8. No way to chnage CPU (performance) setting as I could in other laptops. Not sure this is a W510 issue or Win8* issue.

     

    Anyway, before I did a full restore to factory setting (partial syste restore to previous status never succeed) I'll try the wifi off/on test.

     

    Could any other share what your reading of CPU speed by checking "Properties" of System (or computer)? Mine is always 1.80 GHz. And now the back part under USB part gets hot very easier. Such a bad decision to try the new driver set!!

     

     

     

     

     

  • ssh
    ssh Member Posts: 10 New User

    I rollbacked the wifi driver and battery usage after overnight sleep seems tp bacl to normal, about 6%, at least is acceptable.


    still trying to figure out the cpu speed issue. hopefully it is expected result or a driver issue, not a firmwre/bios one.

     

  • whiskey
    whiskey Member Posts: 32

    Tinkerer


    padgett wrote:

    The power management function in Windows 8 means it does not need to throttle to control power, that only happens if something starts reaching a critical tempreature. That is not going to happen unless loaded.


    Sorry, but you are muddying the waters.  The W510 has no such options within the Power profiles.  This is a Standby Connected system and has different power settings than would be present on another system.

     

    In the C:\OEM\Preload\POWERWORKAROUND directory there are some of the commands present to alter the Windows 8 32-bit (only the 32-bit OS currently supports Connected Standby) from its default setup and into a format to support a Standby Connected system such as our Atom Z2760 tablets.  Acer is applying a few of these power configuration changes to all W510s for their OS setup.

     

    The latest v1.51 firmware (part of the 2.03 update) apparently has disabled CPU throttling.

     

    As for the excessive power drain in standby, this is apparently due to a borked Wi-Fi driver which doesn't seem to be properly adhering to the Always On/Always Connected specifications of a lower power state and brief check-ins to the available router. I noticed this same problem when I tested out the *.76 driver made available for the samsung 500t, and then reverted to the previous Acer released driver where the power drain was not present.  With this latest driver my Windows Home Server (Lights Out Add-on) now shows a constant connection by my W510 when it is in standby.  With the previous driver there would only be intermittent connections active with the W510 in standby.

     

    For now with this latest Wi-Fi driver, either use hibernation or turn off Wi-Fi/Airplane mode before you enter sleep for a long period.

     

    ...Frustrating teething pains for first release hardware and software configuration.....

  • blaktron
    blaktron Member Posts: 3 New User

    Hey just wanted to let you guys know that the real reason you are likely having issues is that Intels dynamic thermal and power service doesnt pass smartscreen, so you have to manually allow them to run.  once you do that the cpu throttling works.

  • whiskey
    whiskey Member Posts: 32

    Tinkerer

     

    1stTimeAcer wrote:

    Check your power options in Windows. Windows' power option can have the CPU running at full speed even without full load. So chekc your power plan setting in Windows.


    Sorry padgett, I misquoted you.  I meant to refer to the above quote as the post that was muddying the waters as no such options are available as the Standby Connected W510 is configured.

  • whiskey
    whiskey Member Posts: 32

    Tinkerer


    blaktron wrote:

    Hey just wanted to let you guys know that the real reason you are likely having issues is that Intels dynamic thermal and power service doesnt pass smartscreen, so you have to manually allow them to run.  once you do that the cpu throttling works.


    ????  Can you please elaborate how a firmware/driver routine is negated by an Internet Explorer/Windows 8 webpage and malware filter?

     

    Can you also explain how you assume this is such a case?  Have you verified this?  Do you have this system? Care to specify the resolution? Or are you making a guess?

     

    I have just tested and will state a verified counter to your 'likely' guess.  I have disabled the Windows Smartsreen, rebooted, and after the startup processes settled down to minimal CPU activity -- still no throttling.

     

    That's the second person without ('likely') direct familiarity with the W510 and coming into this thread to muddy the waters.  Please don't confuse people further by offering help without verifying such help resolves the issues of the specific hardware in question.

     

    *Throttling was working before applying the latest 2.04 driver package.

  • blaktron
    blaktron Member Posts: 3 New User

    I actually own one and just did the update today.  when it rebooted it attempted to run the 2 intel gfx driver programs, and i had to hit more info and let them run anyway, and the it tried to run the Intel DPTF service and i had to more info allow that too.  i know what im talking about, im a windows enterprise admin with 15 years system design experience and im giving you the solution.  because i allowed it through the first time i have no idea how you are going to fix it on your system, but that is whats going on.

     

    also, smartscreen has nothing to do with IE. its a windows service that checks the hashes of executables against a database at MS to see if there are known issues.  because the new cloverfield drivers arent in the db they trip the alert.

  • 1stTimeAcer
    1stTimeAcer Member Posts: 96 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    whiskey wrote:

     

    That's the second person without ('likely') direct familiarity with the W510 and coming into this thread to muddy the waters.  Please don't confuse people further by offering help without verifying such help resolves the issues of the specific hardware in question.

     

    *Throttling was working before applying the latest 2.04 driver package.



    Will do, good luck on finding your solution.

  • whiskey
    whiskey Member Posts: 32

    Tinkerer


    blaktron wrote:

    I actually own one and just did the update today.  when it rebooted it attempted to run the 2 intel gfx driver programs, and i had to hit more info and let them run anyway, and the it tried to run the Intel DPTF service and i had to more info allow that too. 


    OK, after appIying the 2.03 update I had no such dialogue upon rebooting two different W510s and after disabling the Smartscreen filter throttling still is not active.

    We will have to wait out Acer/MS/Intel to resolve this issue.

  • blaktron
    blaktron Member Posts: 3 New User

    is your dtpf service running? because thats the important part, not the smartscreen.

  • whiskey
    whiskey Member Posts: 32

    Tinkerer


    blaktron wrote:

    is your dtpf service running? because thats the important part, not the smartscreen.



    All but the Low Power Service Application are running.  When I to manually run that one the OS states in a dialogue box that it started and stopped -- "Some services stop autoatically if they are not in use by other services or programs."

  • ssh
    ssh Member Posts: 10 New User

    Yes. I have the exactly same thing. After re-enabled all the new startup programs, all Intel DPTF services are running EXCEPT "Low Power Mode Service Application". I got the same message when I manually started it. And "DptfPolicyLpmServiceHelper" in startup is running as well.

     

    I googled it but can't find much info about this "Low Power Mode Service Application" service.

     

    Any ideas?

     

    And thanks to whiskey confirming this CPU speed issue is indeed from new firmware update.

     

     

  • mogulman
    mogulman Member Posts: 7 New User

    After following this thread. I decided to check my W510.  I don't use mine that much, so I didn't notice the power draw.   I did run cpu-z and noticed the cpu staying at 1.8 without any load.  I am on the latest driver/bios.

     

    I don't know if it was like this before the latest driver update.

     

    Also, I never got any message about the drivers not passing smartscreen.
      The low power service is not running.  I tried starting it but it just starts and stops again..  like someone else posted.  Definitely seems like something is hosed up in this set of drivers/bios.

  • chris2722
    chris2722 Member Posts: 1 New User

     

    How can you downgrade back to 1.0c BIOS? Rerunning the old driver set only changes the drivers and not the BIOS. Does a Recovery re-flash the old BIOS? 

This discussion has been closed.