CPU Gaming Problem

I noticed a decrease in my FPS recently (in Mass Effect and all Orange Box games) and I narrowed down the problem to my CPU.

I thought at first my GPU clocks were the problem but they checked out fine, but when I ran 3DMark06, the shader scores stay the same while my CPU score was more than halved.

I disabled RMClock and still have the same problem. I also checked to make sure that the power plan was on 'maximum power'. What else would you recommend?

I'm attaching the pictures of my 3DMark06 score before the problem and after. The difference between shader scores are because one is overclocked and the other is stock. Just take note of the CPU scores. Thanks!

 

Maybe your computer's been 'hijacked' by some malware or is busy with some other task. Check your processes, see if anything strange is running.

Also, what anti-virus do you use?

Edit: (100 points is kind of negligible, isn't it?) [nevermind, checked CPU scores] How many frames per second do you believe you've lost? Try a different test, like SuperPi, and see if your results are different than other people with the same processor.

 

I have lost maybe 10-20 FPS off of a normally 60 FPS game. Or in Mass Effect, my gaming is now CPU bound and 1280x720 gets negligible FPS improvement over 1600x900.

 

Is it possible to disable CPU multi-threading? Maybe you messed around with a setting or something.

Try re-installing drivers.

 

If you mean GPU drivers, I did several times to no avail (also went back to a previously stable version) . How do I disable multi-threading?

 

If so, it is in the BIOS. Most manufacturers give you that option.

 

I didn't mess around in the BIOS, and it was working well earlier, so its probably not that issue then.

 

May have a defective core...

 

I took a SS of the CPU-Z output. I noticed that the drag down box for choosing which CPU (between the two cores) is grayed out. Is this normal? If not, how should I go about fixing it?

 

Looks like one core is either defective, or deactivated.

 

I think that both cores are working. I also noticed that the temperatures have not been as high as usual in the games. Ill try to record some CPU frequencies while in game.

 

Do you make sure that both Vista's and your laptop's power settings are on performance?

 

I took an SS of the performance under the vista control panel. How do I check the laptop's performance option? Thanks!

 

There should be an Asus software.

 

The CPU score is actually lowering everytime I run the benchmark...

Would a BIOS update help at all? Also, what is the name of the ASUS utility that I can check? Thanks!

As for super-pi, the time went from 48s to 1m53s to calculate 2M digits.

 

I think I narrowed the problem with the CPU down even further.

While running ORTHOS and using RMClock to monitor the clocks, I found out that the throttle is staying at 1.0 GHz as opposed to going to 2.5 GHz as it used to. Pics attached.

Does anyone know how to prevent the throttle from being locked at a 1.0 GHz max? Thanks in advance!

Notice how in the first picture, the Throttle is ~1.0 GHz, this is the present test (the temperature is also low at ~45C) whereas the second picture has a throttle right around the clock speed (2.5 GHz) and has a temperature of around 55C.

 

Is your IDA engaged?

 

No, IDA is not engaged (in RMClock anyways)

edit: In safe mode, CPU is just fine...

edit: Woo problem solved! Somehow 'Throttling' was enabled under RMClock which applies it even if the program is exited.
Under 'Advanced CPU Settings' --> 'Throttling'

Thanks everyone for their input

 

Glad everything is good now!