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    Pentium M Slow after extended Flash playback

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by Wigster, Jun 6, 2008.

  1. Wigster

    Wigster Notebook Guru

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    Hi,

    I have a rather ancient Inspiron 600m, based on the 1.5 GHz Dothan Pentium M. I am running Win XP SP3 with all the latest patches.

    For a while now I have had the following issue: after watching video in a flash-based player through a browser (all of: Firefox 2, 3RC1 and IE7) for an extended period of time (say 15 minutes), the computer slows down terribly and the processes start taking up 100% of CPU time.

    I am using the computer plugged into the A/C power supply.

    I have just realised that the CPU seems to be switching to the power-saving mode, clocking down to 600 MHz (as reported by both the My Computer application and RMClock). My power settings are to never save power when plugged into A/C.

    The only way to get everything to work again is to reboot. Running more applications etc does not help.

    Is this a known problem and can something to be done to stop it from occurring?

    Thanks.
     
    Wigster, Jun 6, 2008
    #1
  2. millermagic

    millermagic Rockin the pinktop

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    Maybe try reinstalling flash?
     
    millermagic, Jun 6, 2008
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  3. Wigster

    Wigster Notebook Guru

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    I have tried that before and it never helped.

    Is there some application that would allow me to force the speedstep clock-rate reducing technology to never engage? The problem with RMClock is that once the computer switches to the 600 MHz mode it then thinks that that is the maximum speed of the CPU.
     
    Wigster, Jun 6, 2008
    #3
  4. Bowlerguy92

    Bowlerguy92 Notebook Deity

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    Give that a whirl. I have used it for years on my older computers.
     
    Bowlerguy92, Jun 6, 2008
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  5. Wigster

    Wigster Notebook Guru

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    Well, the current New York City heatwave is good for something: The above problem got so frequent in the last few days (and not just on Flash playback, but all the time) that I started thinking it must be an overheating issue.

    And indeed: it seems that when the CPU overheats, the motherboard slows it down dramatically to a crawl (I'm sure it's much more severe than the reported 600 MHz), and then nothing short of a hibernate/dehibernate cycle will help.

    And the overheating was all to do with my having lost nearly all the little rubber feet on the base of the laptop. I bought replacements at Radio Shack for $2 and my CPU temperatures have gone from 75 C to 50 C. Now the laptop is again snappy like it hasn't been for a long time.
     
    Wigster, Jun 10, 2008
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  6. Forte

    Forte NBR's Supreme Angel

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    Its a pentium M. What did you expect? jk,

    Congratulations on fixing your laptop though. Amazing what effect the little rubber feet can do to affect heat. Saved yourself quite some $$$ having to buy a whole new laptop.
     
    Forte, Jun 10, 2008
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