Dell Latitude D600 CPU Stuck At 600MHz

[mindless1]

I'm working on a Dell Latitude D600 with a Pentium 1.6GHz CPU in it, running WinXP.

CPU stays at 600MHz no matter the load. Dell had a Speedstep for XP patch that I applied but it made no difference. I also changed power management to Always ON and a few others, and tried setting it to Max Performance with SpeedswitchXP, a 3rd party utility. It starts out at 600MHz, does not appear to be overheating.

The laptop is used as a desktop replacement by a senior citizen in a nursing home, it never needs to conserve power as it's never running on battery. I don't think the battery is even viable as it is installed but the system doesn't detect it is there. I just want to force the system to always run at 1.6Ghz.

After some research I began to suspect the problem is it is using a charger that lacks identification pins in the connector, and this causes the laptop to drop to the base 600MHz frequency and not charge the battery though I don't care about the battery.

Any ideas how to force it to run at full speed?

 

[Kenmitch]

What happens if you just take the not needed battery out?

Maybe the correct charger would work?

 

[mindless1]

If I take the battery out it makes no difference... except it weighs a little less

Looking again at the charger, it IS the right charger but the middle identification (or whatever it's called) pin is mangled, bent down into the plug in a way that makes me doubt I can straighten it.

I suppose the issue is one of time and money. If there was a software fix for this that is what I'm hoping for, otherwise since the laptop owner has quite limited funds and the whole laptop is only worth $75 or so (still 512MB memory and a broken screen hinge too), I didn't want to buy a new power brick or do surgery to replace the plug or hardwire the ID pin... IF that part of the PSU even works now, there's the possibility that the mangled pin is shorting out on the side wall of the power contact in the plug, and I can't get two multimeter probes in the connector at the same time to check whether it's shorted.

No screws found on the PA-12 power brick casing, can't get it open without forcing the seam apart violently. Anyone know where I might find the special power plug on it so I can solder a new one on?

 

[mindless1]

Destructively cracked open the power brick & determined the center signal pin was shorted against the inside of the barrel connector which is the positive DC output.

Does anyone know what type of signal this pin has and whether it would cause damage for it to be shorted to the positive DC output? There does seem to be a 130 ohm resistor in series with that output but the circuit is too small and hard for me to see to trace or identify it.

I found a replacement cord on eBay but without knowing if the power brick itself is damaged or not...

 

[imagoon]

Dell PA-12 is dirt cheap I have seen them on ebay for $10 for 5. There is also about 15 other dell adapters that will work with that laptop including D610 D620 D520 D530 E6500 E6400 E6510 E6410 to name a few laptops that use the same or higher powered adapters. The center pin is the AC adapter 1 way data pin. If this pin is missing the laptop assumes the charger does not have enough capacity to run the machine at full power or charge the battery.

Here is the Dell PA-10 for $17

http://www.amazon.com/Dell-PA-10-Pre...bxgy_pc_text_b

Generic for $7

http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-In.../ref=pd_cp_e_3

PA-10 is 90W PA-12 is 65W. They are interchange able on that laptop.

 

[mindless1]

Thanks imagoon, I just didn't know if the cheap/generics had the data pin functional or if I'd be in the same boat with it running at 600MHz still. One of the reviews for the $7 generic mentioned "it keeps your computer on but it doesn't charge the computer." and some mentioned it being light and running hot.

Think I'll give up on the repair idea and just order an original Dell branded brick off Amazon or eBay.

 

[gsethi]

I remember having the same problem with my D610 back in the days. Tech support had me disable Speedstep (or something similar) in Dell Bios. It didnt make sense to me but it fixed the problem.

Speedstep still worked in xp afterwords. Might be worth a try.

 

[gmaster456]

I had this problem with my D600 as well. It would get stuck at 600mhz. Don't remember what I did but it started running at normal speed again. And then finally, it just got stuck at 200mhz. Reinstalling windows fixed it.

 

[mindless1]

Thanks for the suggestion gsethi. I've tried that and it still stays at only 600Mhz.

I bought a replacement genuine/Dell branded PA-12 for $11 delivered on ebay yesterday and will know for sure whether that's the solution when it arrives next week, assuming the new one isn't DOA.

Although My Computer properties show it at 200-something MHz, then at 600MHz if Speedstep is disabled in the bios, in either case it's equally slow and in both, CPU-Z reports 600MHz.

 

[jjsbasmt]

Ensure that you're running the latest BIOS update for that notebook. Also are there any temp sensors on that MB that you can monitor?

 

[mindless1]

^ I know it's not overheating because there's no indication it would be... doesn't even feel warm including with the keyboard off and checking the heatsink assembly, fan works but doesn't ramp up in RPM, minimal dust, light load.

Seems very unlikely Dell would have not found a BIOS flaw as significant as being able to run at spec'd speed, though I suppose it's possible they could have removed the throttle back "feature" after user complaints. I did notice one bios version available from Dell but haven't yet checked to see whether that's the original bios or an update... but I'm going to wait as there's no other reason to update the bios if the replacement AC power brick solves the problem.

If it were my own laptop or a high budget project I might spend the time to tear the laptop apart and trace the circuit to figure out what the signal needs to be to remove the throttle back feature completely but at this point it's charity work and I'm pausing on it until I receive the already purchased power brick to see if that resolves the issue. I probably should have just done that in the first place but you never know when someone has a new idea how to solve a problem.

 

[imagoon]

Also in the bios turn on "adapter alerts" if the BIOS thinks the adapter is toast it will give you a message at post.

 

[javier_machuk]

i had a similar problem sometime ago, but it was with a hp dm4 (win7) core i5 430m. when the computer was plugged in, the processor stuck around 500-600MHz. The diference is that mine worked fine when on battery power. Never found a solution to the problem, i had to buy another notebook. I know my comment doen't help much, but it might serve you as a reference.

 

[mindless1]

New/used power brick arrived, now it works as expected at full speed when load dictates it.

 

[addoraa]

Good to hear issue was resolved. Another option would have been to run RM Clock, where you can lock the multiplier down and also undervolt. I have had to do that in the past with some customers old 600's, for they were using generic power supplies and did not want to purchase one of the dell units.

 

[mindless1]

^ I didn't want to reduce the speed, it was stuck at too low a speed and the software I tried seemed unable to increase the speed.

The battery that wasn't even showing up previously, also not charging, now charges and is usable with the new power adapter.

Curiously (unless it was the default which I doubt) someone had disabled the bios setting to put up a notification text on screen if the power adapter wasn't identified, so I wonder if the owner of this laptop bought it dirt cheap from someone who already knew it didn't run at normal speed as-was, or at least knew about the power adapter's broken pin. The owner had no idea what the problem was, her friend told her it seemed to run way too slow so she brought it to me for that reason.

 

[imagoon]

^ I didn't want to reduce the speed, it was stuck at too low a speed and the software I tried seemed unable to increase the speed.

The battery that wasn't even showing up previously, also not charging, now charges and is usable with the new power adapter.

Curiously (unless it was the default which I doubt) someone had disabled the bios setting to put up a notification text on screen if the power adapter wasn't identified, so I wonder if the owner of this laptop bought it dirt cheap from someone who already knew it didn't run at normal speed as-was, or at least knew about the power adapter's broken pin. The owner had no idea what the problem was, her friend told her it seemed to run way too slow so she brought it to me for that reason.

That is commonly the response to the alert. Also even though you edited your "stupid dell" comment, they do it because they have one connector. You can buy an Alienware 280watt brick and run your D600 just fine. They just want to make sure the AC adapter can supply the wattage rather than overload it and cause a fire hazard. I personally think that is better than say Sony who seems to have 1500 laptops 1485 AC adapters. It makes the Dell adapters less than $20 while most Sony ones are $200+.

 

[mindless1]

^ But they didn't have to make the center pin so fragile and there are other ways to detect overloaded power bricks without a signal pin at all, like a voltage drop. If other manufacturers manage to do without the pin, I'll all for keeping things simple with the Dells too, or at the very least there should be a bios setting to override the forced slowdown and lack of charging.

Of all the laptops I've repaired, none ever had a power adapter fire while almost half had power socket issues... which to me is the same thing, socket was designed such that it bent the pin in the adapter plug when someone didn't precisely align it during insertion.

 

[imagoon]

^ But they didn't have to make the center pin so fragile and there are other ways to detect overloaded power bricks without a signal pin at all, like a voltage drop. If other manufacturers manage to do without the pin, I'll all for keeping things simple with the Dells too, or at the very least there should be a bios setting to override the forced slowdown and lack of charging.

Of all the laptops I've repaired, none ever had a power adapter fire while almost half had power socket issues... which to me is the same thing, socket was designed such that it bent the pin in the adapter plug when someone didn't precisely align it during insertion.

You're the first person I have heard of having one of those pins bent actually. The entire fortune 400 I worked for was dell exclusive the entire 7 years I was there. More often than not the AC adapters had the cords rolled over or whatever.

 

[mindless1]

^ While it's not exactly proof of anything, googling Dell Adapter Center pin returns over 1 million hits, I came across quite a few posts on the net about having the pin broken off after starting this topic although a lot of the adapter related hits were about using an aftermarket power adapter/source not that the original had the pin break, but some didn't mention either way how the problem started, asking only how to get around having the pin and signal on it.

However I should mention I'm against this kind of fragile plug or socket arrangement on many types of devices including SATA plugs, mini and especially micro USB, 1/8" or smaller surface mount headphone jacks, etc. I want bullet proof connections even if it means adding a centimeter to the size or an ounce to the weight of something.

A pin that size does not belong on anything a customer will be plugging and unplugging. Merely making it larger diameter than a needle would greatly reduce the chance of breakage so I have to consider it either incompetent design or a deliberate failure point. Either way = fail.

 

[brianstouts]

I'm working on a Dell Latitude D600 with a Pentium 1.6GHz CPU in it, running WinXP.

CPU stays at 600MHz no matter the load. Dell had a Speedstep for XP patch that I applied but it made no difference. I also changed power management to Always ON and a few others, and tried setting it to Max Performance with SpeedswitchXP, a 3rd party utility. It starts out at 600MHz, does not appear to be overheating.

The laptop is used as a desktop replacement by a senior citizen in a nursing home, it never needs to conserve power as it's never running on battery. I don't think the battery is even viable as it is installed but the system doesn't detect it is there. I just want to force the system to always run at 1.6Ghz.

After some research I began to suspect the problem is it is using a charger that lacks identification pins in the connector, and this causes the laptop to drop to the base 600MHz frequency and not charge the battery though I don't care about the battery.

Any ideas how to force it to run at full speed?

I was having the same problem with my laptop, after reading this thread I put in a new battery and the laptop runs at full speed again! Thanks for the heads up.

 

[brianstouts]

I was having the same problem with my laptop, after reading this thread I put in a new battery and the laptop runs at full speed again! Thanks for the heads up.