CPU performing way lower than expected

[Aristotless]

Hi,

I just recently upgraded my computer with a Q9550. I currently have it running at 3.57GHz (CPUZ reports as such, as well as the BIOS). It runs seemingly fine until I noticed my benchmark scores were significantly lower than most other people with a similar setup. For example, my SuperPI score for 1M is OVER 30s but I've seen people with 12s with a setup like mine. Encoding things in ConvertXtoDVD seems to be at around 105fps, while others with "worse" computers have about 220fps. And my CPUmark score returns way below average.

I have checked everything I can think of in the BIOS, updated chipset drives, updated BIOS, using only 2 sticks of RAM, etc

This Vista install was originally installed when I had a P5B-E and E6400 - but that should not make a difference should it (at least in the case of decreased performance)?

System Specs:
Q9550 @ 3.57GHz
Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
6GB RAM (2x1GB Mushkin EM DDR2-800, 2x2GB Mushkin HP2 DDR2-800)
Antec 550W PSU
Radeon 3870
Vista Business 64-bit
320GB 7200.10 Seagate SATA drive

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

 

[happy medium]

Your cpu is overheating and is throttling down?
Check your temps during load?

 

[sgrinavi]

Some say to change your OS everytime you change your MB, I generally do, but have seen many that don't with success..

Going from a C2D to C2Q with a chipset change you shoudl to do a fresh OS install.

 

[happy medium]

Originally posted by: Aristotless
Hi,

I just recently upgraded my computer with a Q9550. I currently have it running at 3.57GHz (CPUZ reports as such, as well as the BIOS). It runs seemingly fine until I noticed my benchmark scores were significantly lower than most other people with a similar setup. For example, my SuperPI score for 1M is OVER 30s but I've seen people with 12s with a setup like mine. Encoding things in ConvertXtoDVD seems to be at around 105fps, while others with "worse" computers have about 220fps. And my CPUmark score returns way below average.

I have checked everything I can think of in the BIOS, updated chipset drives, updated BIOS, using only 2 sticks of RAM, etc

This Vista install was originally installed when I had a P5B-E and E6400 - but that should not make a difference should it (at least in the case of decreased performance)?
System Specs:
Q9550 @ 3.57GHz
Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
6GB RAM (2x1GB Mushkin EM DDR2-800, 2x2GB Mushkin HP2 DDR2-800)
Antec 550W PSU
Radeon 3870
Vista Business 64-bit
320GB 7200.10 Seagate SATA drive

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Oh I missed that part . So your saying you changed your motherboard and cpu and didn't do a fresh install of windows?
Thats definitly a no no.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: happy medium

Originally posted by: Aristotless
Hi,

I just recently upgraded my computer with a Q9550. I currently have it running at 3.57GHz (CPUZ reports as such, as well as the BIOS). It runs seemingly fine until I noticed my benchmark scores were significantly lower than most other people with a similar setup. For example, my SuperPI score for 1M is OVER 30s but I've seen people with 12s with a setup like mine. Encoding things in ConvertXtoDVD seems to be at around 105fps, while others with "worse" computers have about 220fps. And my CPUmark score returns way below average.

I have checked everything I can think of in the BIOS, updated chipset drives, updated BIOS, using only 2 sticks of RAM, etc

<<<<This Vista install was originally installed when I had a P5B-E and E6400 - but that should not make a difference should it (at least in the case of decreased performance)?
System Specs:
Q9550 @ 3.57GHz
Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
6GB RAM (2x1GB Mushkin EM DDR2-800, 2x2GB Mushkin HP2 DDR2-800)
Antec 550W PSU
Radeon 3870
Vista Business 64-bit
320GB 7200.10 Seagate SATA drive

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Oh I missed that part . So your saying you changed your motherboard and cpu and didn't do a fresh install of windows?
Thats definitly a no no.

As long as you uninstalled the previous drivers, it doesn't matter. I've done it. If it works it works.

With that said, it looks like it's not working

Try reformatting; would probably fix it.

 

[dguy6789]

I also suggest just formatting it and seeing if that helps. Use cpu Z to verify that the processor clocks aren't being lowered while you run Super Pi. For reference, my machine(in sig) runs Super Pi 1M in 13 seconds.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

LOL, more than likely its not reinstalling when you swapped mobo's ...

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: happy medium
Your cpu is overheating and is throttling down?

This should be the issue. I have crossed from AMD to Intel without reformatting /reinstalling windows and it worked without problems. As long as all the drivers are uninstalled properly, there should be no issue.

 

[sgrinavi]

Originally posted by: error8


This should be the issue. I have crossed from AMD to Intel without reformatting /reinstalling windows and it worked without problems. As long as all the drivers are uninstalled properly, there should be no issue.

I have done just as you have described without any problems too; OTOH I have also switched mobo's with a new chipset, kept the same CPU and had issues. I have found that it's a good insurance policy just to reinstall.

 

[error8]

Originally posted by: sgrinavi

Originally posted by: error8


This should be the issue. I have crossed from AMD to Intel without reformatting /reinstalling windows and it worked without problems. As long as all the drivers are uninstalled properly, there should be no issue.

I have done just as you have described without any problems too; OTOH I have also switched mobo's with a new chipset, kept the same CPU and had issues. I have found that it's a good insurance policy just to reinstall.

So, sometimes it works, other times it doesn't? Oh well, I will always try the simplest solution and only if I ran into problems I'll reinstall everything.
Before OP should reformat, he should take a look at the temperatures first.

 

[Aristotless]

My temps are around 60-65 C under full load - not great but not terrible either (I think). I will be putting on some fresh thermal paste tonight and see if that helps, if not I will be reformatting tomorrow. Thank you for the suggestions so far.

 

[dbcooper1]

Another option is to do an install on a spare drive and see if it even fixes the problem. That way if it didn't, you wouldn't have to reinstall all your apps etc. to get back where you are now without solving your problem.

 

[Aristotless]

Well, with a new thermal paste on there my temps went down to 44 - 53 C under load, depending on the core. Is it normal to have such a big temperature delta between cores?

But I guess I will be trying a fresh install of Vista tomorrow.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Originally posted by: Aristotless
Well, with a new thermal paste on there my temps went down to 44 - 53 C under load, depending on the core. Is it normal to have such a big temperature delta between cores?

But I guess I will be trying a fresh install of Vista tomorrow.

That's interesting . . . . you say you went from a load temperature (for whatever stress-test program used) of 65C (average across cores?), reinstalled the heatsink and new paste, and the cores range between 44 and 53C?

You should see variation among the cores. Lapping the IHS of the processor might narrow the variation, but it won't eliminate it.

First, these Yorkie and Wolfie cores have limited reliability for the core sensors. I trust the accuracy of the legacy TCAse sensor more, and anyway -- TCase is the reference for the thermal spec.

Second, the temperature measuring program may need to be calibrated -- CoreTemp and RealTemp show temperatures about 5C apart (if I recall correctly). And a program like Everest loads up one core for reading all the sensors, showing a higher temperature in that core.

 

[Aristotless]

Sorry for bumping an old topic, but I thought I would give closure if anyone were to read this in the future with a similar problems.

Turns out a fresh install of windows fixed it, albeit I'm not entirely sure why. I had uninstalled all previous drivers including "hidden" and non present devices in the device manager...its quite possible I simply missed something however.

Thanks to all those who helped.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

OVer the years, reinstalling an OS and all the software, even with very good backups of data files -- seems like changing homes after an earthquake . . . . It's always a P-I-T-A after using a machine for a multitude of practical things, and establishing habits with everything from desktop icons to hardware configurations.