Anyone know how to resolve a CPU utilization that won't go beyond 33%? Aspire V5-561P-5451

From what I read your CPU is locked at 800MHz. Can you download HWiNFO and run the sensor monitoring? Post the minimum, average and max frequency of all cores.

Meanwhile, you can perform a battery reset. Disconnect from AC adapter, turn off the laptop and follow the instructions. After inserting a paperclip in the battery reset pinhole, leave the laptop to reset for 15-20minutes, then plug it in to the AC adapter and turn it on.

Unfortunately, I am not able to locate the battery reset pinhole on the back of the laptop. And I cannot find any information on web searches, Youtube, Acer, or Acer Manual on exactly where this pinhole is. Any information I find is either generic or there is no information applicable to my model, Acer Aspire V5-561P-5451. There is a large hole on the sliding switch that releases the snap-in battery, but it appears to be simply a 'grip' for sliding the switch.
You are correct. The CPUs are locked at 800 MHz and go no higher. They operate lower, but when a CPU-hungry program runs, 800 is the highest it goes. I ran the HWiNFO report and have posted the output below. I included the last screenprint to show battery stats in case that may be relevant here. FYI I am running a file conversion program during this stats capture. I am greatly thankful for your help on this! Here are the screen shots from HWiNFO:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/zi/z3c297p8t8xh.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/30/peygi2cqwcav.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/nn/v9tm9tizu1xf.jpg

>>>The conversion programs that I always run have always maxed the CPUs at 100%. Everything on the laptop runs slow now.>>>

Factory Win8.1 or Win10? Do you recall the approximate date this happened? Jack E/NJ

If your battery is removable, just remove it, wait for 20 minutes and put it back in and power on the laptop.

There is a safety feature called 'BD PROCHOT', ehich automatically downclocks the CPU to minimum frequency to prevent thermal damage. As the temperatures look fine in your case, it is possible that a sensor has gone bad or the CPU fan has stopped working. If your system has hard crashed previously and after thay your CPU is slow, then it was probably because of overheating. Battery reset is likely to fix this, but if it is the fan that is not working then it needs to be replaced.

This can easily be fixed by downloading throttlestop and disabling BD PROCHOT from there, but I suggest you to find the root of the problem and find a way to fix it if possible.

Download ThrottleStop.

Disabling BD PROCHOT(just remove the tick, see picture):

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/zb/17kr2hqaq6vp.png

Post back here if disabling BD PROCHOT fixes the CPU's frequency. Also don't forget to try the instructions from my previous post.

I unplugged the laptop and removed the battery. After 45 minutes, I replaced the battery, then plugged the laptop back in and booted up. CPU still at 33%/800 MHz max.
I downloaded and ran ThrottleStop. I unchecked BD PROCHOT and clicked Save. CPU still at 33%/800 MHz max.
I restarted to see if any affect and to verify if the BD PROCHOT was indeed turned off. It was still off. CPU was still at 33%/800 MHz max.
CPU fan is operational as I see it spinning through the vents.

Here are some events that took place prior to this problem in detail:
Prior to this problem, the laptop encountered a small water spill that was undetected.
1. A small pool of water was under the laptop, but apparently some seeped in and caused a crash which prevented the laptop from turning back on. The standby power light was still lit, so I knew it was not too bad.
2. I unplugged the power, removed the battery, dried the area (a small area near the front, away from the CPU near the back), removed the 8GB and 4GB RAM modules, opened the laptop, inspected for water damage (I could not see any moisture or water inside), and set up a desktop fan blowing on high speed for about 30 hours.
3. I closed up the laptop, replaced the RAM modules, snapped the battery back in, and plugged it back in.
4. Laptop booted up fine with no errors, but was running extremely slow. After troubleshooting, it was determined the RAM available was 4GB instead of 12GB. I immediately realized I had installed the higher RAM module in the wrong bay. I switched the 4 and 8 GB modules and had my 12GB back again upon startup.
5. The laptop was faster, but still lagging considerably. I then noticed that the CPU was maxing at 33%. I do not know whether this was happening before the RAM module mistake or after. PERHAPS THE SWITCH FROM 12GB to 4GB AND THEN BACK TO 12GB MESSED UP A RAM SPEED PARAMETER AND THE CPU ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY? I did a diagnostic memory test that included two sweeps and no errors were found.
6. I checked the Windows 10 log for errors and there are none that are suspicious or stand out.
7. Everything else is working fine, including attached USB devices, networking, wifi, GUI, etc. The CPU not reaching to Turbo Boost at approx 2.6 GHz and remaining no more than 800 MHz seems to be a setting that needs to be reset or altered.

HERE IS THE LATEST THROTTLESTOP SCREENSHOT:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/4u/6ngxmnewdoro.jpg

HERE IS THE LATEST TASK MANAGER CPU PERFORMANCE:

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/gt/v529d60w6v3o.jpg

Check for any update restore points with a date stamp around the time of the water spill. Jack E/NJ

I have a restore point to use. I did some more detailed digging into the log files. I have pinpointed the time of the shutdown/crash, which occurred about 8 hours after the water spill. As I said, the water spilled unnoticed UNDER the laptop, between the desk and the laptop bottom. I did not see any water or moisture when I opened it. The various log files do not indicate a cascading failure of devices and drivers just before the crash. It is my opinion that the water created a seal that hampered air circulation. The lack of air circulation, along with conversion programs that were running the CPU at 100% all day, created enough heat to trigger an event that caused the laptop power to turnoff. I noticed the laptop three hours after it turned off. Perhaps it wouldn't turn back on because it was still too hot and not because of the water I discovered underneath. QUESTION: Does the o/s log any CPU overheating events such as warnings or a log entry just before the emergency power off command is issued? I will use the restore point as a last resort. I really would like to discover a way to reset or modify any firmware/settings/registry changes in the voltage/CPU usage that occurred during the probable, but not yet confirmed, CPU overheating.

It most likely wasn't CPU overheating, as disabling BD PROCHOT doesn't fix the frequency. NOTE: If you have disabled bd prochot, closing the application will re-enable it. It could be possible that Throttlestop is bugged, not disabling PROCHOT even if unticked.

The OS doesn't log overheating events, when an overheating occurs the system just shuts down and the log that appears is 'unexpected shutdown' or something along these lines.

Before we can try something else, you need to do what JackE suggested.

The only reason that I mentioned the auto restore point was the possibility that the Win10update caused the issue, not the coincidental water spill. Jack E/NJ

I did the restore from a point one week prior to the water spill. The restore was successful, however the CPU still shows only 800 MHz available and tops out at 33% utilization and goes no higher. The restore seems to have caused more slowness. The cursor/mouse movement is very choppy and sluggish. The audio is overamplified and clipping causing distortion. As I am typing here, the keystrokes are moving very slow. Tried rebooting, but same problem. It was a quiet period between the restore point and today regarding installing software or drivers, so not sure why there are new speed issues.
I noticed during my research that a lot of folks have had this CPU problem. And a lot of the answers were that it is ok and the cpu is load balancing, which is an incorrect reply. The ones that most seemed to push toward was a change in the CPU speed or voltage using the BIOS. My BIOS, however, is basic and I did not find any such ability to change those settings. Should I backout the restore and bring it back to this morning's version?

BTW, during my research, I came across this CPU checker tool on the Intel site for anyone who is interested. As far as I can tell, it only checks for CPU functionality using many tests, but does not analyze the settings, throttles, etc. to determine if the CPU is functioning at its top performance level limit.
https://communities.intel.com/external-link.jspa?url=https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/19792/Intel-Processor-Diagnostic-Tool-64-bit

If system restore didn't help, then there is no problem to revert it back as it was before.

You can try updating the BIOS. Download latest BIOS version here 2.17. Don't run the installation if the BIOS on your system already is 2.17. To check the current BIOS version open RUN and enter msinfo32, in system summary will be shown the BIOS' version. Before running the installation make sure the battery is 100% and the device is plugged in. The system may restart several times during the installation.

Also out of curiosity, was this originally a factory-installed Win8.1 machine? Jack E/NJ

I reverted the restore to eliminate the slow cursor and audio issues along with some other slowed features that the restore introduced. After the reversion, the correct speed is back again with the cursor, typing, GUI animations, and audio distortion. Everything is now as it was before... except of course the CPU. It is still locked at 800 MHz and not moving above 33% utilization.
Here are a couple screen prints of the current stats for CPU and RAM. The RAM frequency is showing the same MHz as the CPU speed (800 MHz). I think this is because one RAM module is approx 800 MHz, and I have two (4GB, 8GB) for a total of 1.6 GHz, which is the real CPU speed that can't be obtained now. ?? Not sure if this info helps. Maybe the CPU is operating at the incorrect max speed of the RAM?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/editor/0g/rtjpi5dmsmsp.jpg

Also, if I was able to, would changing the multiplier break through the 800 MHz limit that is currently set?

Yes, this was originally a factory installed Win8.1 machine upgraded to Win10 during the free upgrade period provided by Microsoft a while ago. Could I get some feedback on the screenshots above and make sure that the RAM and CPU configurations and operations are as expected? Could the RAM be causing this CPU issue?
The current SMBIOS version is 2.7. I am assuming you meant 2.7 rather than 2.17. So I will not update the BIOS.

>>> Could I get some feedback on the screenshots above and make sure that the RAM and CPU configurations and operations are as expected? Could the RAM be causing this CPU issue?>>>

Ven98 can give better feedback on the screenshots than me. However, as far as the RAM is concerned, I have 2 questions (1) Have you tried to put the original RAM modules back to the way they originally were set up presumably when the CPU could be made run to run full tilt? (2) Are you absolutely sure the CPU could ever be made to run full tilt under Win10? Jack E/NJ

The original RAM was 6GB in a 4 and 2 combo. I upgraded to 12 in a 8 and 4 combo shortly after I upgraded to Win10. I have always had 100% CPU utilization with Turbo Boost pushing out 2.7 GHz. I am 100% positive that I have seen 100% CPU performance at 2.7 GHz because there have been times when I had been running CPU-hungry programs that slowed things down. This slowdown made me check the performance, and lo and behold the processor was doing its very best at full tilt. So I am absolutely sure the processor was running at maximum in my Win10 environment. I believe I still have the orginal 2GB RAM module that I can use to put the laptop back in its original shipped state of 6GB. It might trigger the CPU in some way to resolve speed better, and then I can put the 8 and 4 GB combo back in place. But to answer your questions: 1.) The CPU has run full tilt on both the original 6GB and the upgraded 12GB. 2.) Yes, 100% positive. I have seen 100% at 2.7 GHZ under Win10.

JordanB

@greginfl

When I tested Haswell-ULT i5 4210U with various Windows 10 Intel Management Engine Interface drivers, some caused a slowdown. I don't remember getting as bad as 33% though, but I haven't tested in a long time. The Intel MEI driver that Microsoft gives Haswell-ULT with Windows 10 versions is a little confusing and varies depending on the version of Windows 10.

You can try the Windows 8.1 Intel Management Engine Interface driver as a potential workaround from Acer downloads, but honestly, in my opinion, your Haswell-ULT laptop isn't fully compatible with Windows 10. There are known issues with Haswell-ULT and Windows 10.

My advice would be to backup your important personal files, wipe your drive clean, and clean install Windows 8.1. And stay with Windows 8.1. Your Windows 8.1 drivers are here. Or you could order your Windows 8.1 recovery media from Acer if you forgot to make a USB factory recovery drive and prefer Acer media instead of vanilla. It might still be possible to create factory media if your recovery partition is still there.

If neither the Windows 8.1 Intel MEI driver helps, or Windows 8.1 helps, and you think it's memory related, I would go with the Kingston below.....and as the others said...make sure you have the latest BIOS.

https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?DeviceType=&Mfr=ACE&Line=Aspire&Model=88232

I must agree with Jordan. Mainly because the Win10 version your machine started out with is a significantly different animal than what's on it now. The Win10 OS is a moving target that's no longer tweaked like the service packs and updates applied to earlier WinVers or modest changes from Win8 to Win8.1. Win10 now might as well be called Win13 or Win14 relative to its first release. So I still think that an earlier Win10update --- whose restore point is probably long gone by now --- is more relevant to your issue than the water spill. If it were mine, I'd try to upgrade it back to Win8.1 ASAP. Then at least I'd have some assurance of OS stability till about 2023 when its support for Win8.1 is scheduled to end. I'm not saying you can't fix the issue staying with the current Win10 version. It's just that its next major update in about 6 mos or so will probably undo the fix. Jack E/NJ