Alternating Processer speed in Control Panel, System

So I have a t2500 2.00ghz and I just got my new computer. When I checked my system, it originally said 1.99ghz (not sure why it's slightly less), then I went on battery for the first time for a few minutes and I noticed it dropped to 997mhz. So I assume some program is undervolting my processor when going mobile. Problem is, I'm now back plugged in and it is still at 997.

So, why is it slightly under what it should be? (1.99vs2.00 and 997vs1.00), and why is it not going back up, even after a reboot and plugged in?

 

it doesnt matter whether the system is plugged in or running on battery. Speedstep controls the processor speed based on the requirements. It will increase the processor to full speed only when it is needed and wll instantaneously bring it down to 1GHz. So it reduces the heat output(when plugged) as well as increase battery life when you are unplugged.

 

Ok so what is speedstep(is it windows based?) and are there settings which I can control?

 

Speedstep is an Intel technology which controls the power saving features of the cpu(as I explained above, search the web if you want more info). It is cpu based and interacts with the OS. If you want to disable it set your Power option to 'Always On'. If you want it to dynamically change the clock speeds then set it to 'Portable/laptop'. if you want it to stay at low power state(1GHz) then set it to 'Max battery'. Do note that some manufacturers do disable the ability to control Speedstep through windows power schemes. In such case try using an alternative third party applications like NHC or RM Clock which provides you lot more customization/options than stock Speedstep.

 

THink of your CPU as the Heart of your machine. When there's work to be done it should speed up. When it's idle it should slow down. Now think of third party software that lets you force the CPU to work at full power as those dietary supplements on TV people use to lose weight. Don't go through trouble of downloading third party software to force your CPU to run full throttle all the time unless you are just looking to burn some fat---in this case, electricity from either your battery or your local power station.

 

there are places to get freeware where you can control both voltage and clocking on your cpu. just google and you'll get plenty of hits. or check out the software forum. as noted, there's really no need to control this feature; just let the throttling control do it's job.