#1 ·
Greetings.
To get straight to the point, here are the specs I am working with:
MSI Motherboard 760GM-P34_(FX)
Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX equivalent
Radeon Saphire HD7700 1GB
Chicony Hipro Active 80Plus 400W ATX PSU
Transcend JetRAM 4GB DDR3 1333 DIMM 9-9-9
The issue is this: my processor speed refuses to budge from 1.4GHz, even though it should be hitting 3.4GHz. This happens during stress tests (prime95) and while gaming (mostly Overwatch). I have checked multiple programs—cpuid, core temp, Intel overdrive, and HWMonitor—and they all report the exact same thing. It stays stuck at 200MHz with a multiplier of x7 and will not move. I bought this machine back in 2012. I just reapplied thermal paste today, but prior to that, my idle temperatures (and even under load) were sitting constantly at 69C for quite some time—maybe even a year.
While browsing online, I read that it is possible the motherboard sensors have fried, sending incorrect data to the CPU, but I suspect that isn't the culprit here. Before I applied the new paste, the speed was usually around 800MHz and would occasionally climb to 1400MHz under load. Now that the paste is on, it sits dead at 1400MHz and won't go any higher or lower. I have already checked the UEFI settings; Cool n Quiet is disabled, along with that other option right below it—I forget the name. In the macOS control panel, the power management is set to High Performance. I am at a loss. Do I need to replace the motherboard or what? Currently, after the repasting, my idle/browsing temps are around 44-48C, and it hits about 58-59C during a stress test, so I am confident the temperature is no longer the issue. I am genuinely bothered by whether something has actually burned out.
Furthermore, the power supply could be a factor. I hadn't powered this PC on for about a year. When I finally tried to boot it up, it seems I used a slightly damaged cable, and the computer wouldn't start; instead, there was a faint wisp of smoke coming from the PSU. After swapping the cable and dealing with the absolute mess of wiring inside the case connecting the power button to the PSU (white and green wires on one side, yellow, black, and red on the other), the PC runs. Sometimes it won't even trigger, and I have to unplug the power cord from the case, wiggle it left and right until I hear that electrical sound—like it needs to "make contact"—before it finally kicks over. Looking at the UEFI and the aforementioned software, the PSU is outputting about 1.4V, which, from what I have gathered online, seems quite high given how poorly the processor is performing.
In terms of attempted fixes, I have tried adjusting the macOS settings, uninstalling the latest macOS update via the control panel and system restore, disabling Cool n Quiet and that second UEFI option, applying thermal paste (which lowered the temps), and even looking for that "Slow switch" found on some motherboards, though I doubt mine has it since it is an older model. Right now, I am just sitting here, smoking a cigarette, wondering what else to do. Should I buy new parts? If so, which ones? The CPU cooler is functioning (spinning at roughly 3450rpm according to Intel overdrive), and the paste is applied. As I mentioned, the temperature is currently 47-48C while idling—exactly as I type this post.
By the way, in the UEFI, the Base Clock Speed is 200MHz, and the multiplier is either set to Auto or 7; I have tried testing both. I wonder if I should simply manually set the multiplier to a specific number (like 17, to force the CPU to its 3.4GHz)? That doesn't seem particularly wise, though, because in the UEFI, every multiplier value above x7 is highlighted in red, indicating "Not safe." I am hesitant to just force the multiplier to x17, as that would essentially run the processor at max capacity constantly, wouldn't it?
Additionally, ThrottleStop won't work; it keeps throwing an "CPU not supported" error every time I try to launch it. I was hoping that might be my saving grace, but unfortunately, it has been useless.😢
That would be the gist of it. I’ve kept this relatively brief, though I tried to pack in as much detail as possible to preempt any follow-up questions. I am genuinely hoping someone here can offer some insight; if I can't get this sorted soon, I am going to lose my mind with this machine.
Greetings.
P.S. If you need logs or reports from specific software, just say the word.
To get straight to the point, here are the specs I am working with:
MSI Motherboard 760GM-P34_(FX)
Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX equivalent
Radeon Saphire HD7700 1GB
Chicony Hipro Active 80Plus 400W ATX PSU
Transcend JetRAM 4GB DDR3 1333 DIMM 9-9-9
The issue is this: my processor speed refuses to budge from 1.4GHz, even though it should be hitting 3.4GHz. This happens during stress tests (prime95) and while gaming (mostly Overwatch). I have checked multiple programs—cpuid, core temp, Intel overdrive, and HWMonitor—and they all report the exact same thing. It stays stuck at 200MHz with a multiplier of x7 and will not move. I bought this machine back in 2012. I just reapplied thermal paste today, but prior to that, my idle temperatures (and even under load) were sitting constantly at 69C for quite some time—maybe even a year.
While browsing online, I read that it is possible the motherboard sensors have fried, sending incorrect data to the CPU, but I suspect that isn't the culprit here. Before I applied the new paste, the speed was usually around 800MHz and would occasionally climb to 1400MHz under load. Now that the paste is on, it sits dead at 1400MHz and won't go any higher or lower. I have already checked the UEFI settings; Cool n Quiet is disabled, along with that other option right below it—I forget the name. In the macOS control panel, the power management is set to High Performance. I am at a loss. Do I need to replace the motherboard or what? Currently, after the repasting, my idle/browsing temps are around 44-48C, and it hits about 58-59C during a stress test, so I am confident the temperature is no longer the issue. I am genuinely bothered by whether something has actually burned out.
Furthermore, the power supply could be a factor. I hadn't powered this PC on for about a year. When I finally tried to boot it up, it seems I used a slightly damaged cable, and the computer wouldn't start; instead, there was a faint wisp of smoke coming from the PSU. After swapping the cable and dealing with the absolute mess of wiring inside the case connecting the power button to the PSU (white and green wires on one side, yellow, black, and red on the other), the PC runs. Sometimes it won't even trigger, and I have to unplug the power cord from the case, wiggle it left and right until I hear that electrical sound—like it needs to "make contact"—before it finally kicks over. Looking at the UEFI and the aforementioned software, the PSU is outputting about 1.4V, which, from what I have gathered online, seems quite high given how poorly the processor is performing.
In terms of attempted fixes, I have tried adjusting the macOS settings, uninstalling the latest macOS update via the control panel and system restore, disabling Cool n Quiet and that second UEFI option, applying thermal paste (which lowered the temps), and even looking for that "Slow switch" found on some motherboards, though I doubt mine has it since it is an older model. Right now, I am just sitting here, smoking a cigarette, wondering what else to do. Should I buy new parts? If so, which ones? The CPU cooler is functioning (spinning at roughly 3450rpm according to Intel overdrive), and the paste is applied. As I mentioned, the temperature is currently 47-48C while idling—exactly as I type this post.
By the way, in the UEFI, the Base Clock Speed is 200MHz, and the multiplier is either set to Auto or 7; I have tried testing both. I wonder if I should simply manually set the multiplier to a specific number (like 17, to force the CPU to its 3.4GHz)? That doesn't seem particularly wise, though, because in the UEFI, every multiplier value above x7 is highlighted in red, indicating "Not safe." I am hesitant to just force the multiplier to x17, as that would essentially run the processor at max capacity constantly, wouldn't it?
Additionally, ThrottleStop won't work; it keeps throwing an "CPU not supported" error every time I try to launch it. I was hoping that might be my saving grace, but unfortunately, it has been useless.😢
That would be the gist of it. I’ve kept this relatively brief, though I tried to pack in as much detail as possible to preempt any follow-up questions. I am genuinely hoping someone here can offer some insight; if I can't get this sorted soon, I am going to lose my mind with this machine.
Greetings.
P.S. If you need logs or reports from specific software, just say the word.