AMD 790GX - CPU Frequency 100% Problem? (like 690G)

CX23882-19 · Post by **CX23882-19** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:38 pm

I'm currently using an MSI K9AG Neo2-Digital board (AMD 690G/SB600) but I'm itching to replace it for various reasons. One issue that bugs me with the X1250/690G is that when playing back video files with the EVR renderer (default on Vista), the minimum processor speed (in Vista's power options) is set to 100% whilst the video is playing. This is an unnecessary waste of power because the CPU usage is around 15-20%. Worse still is that sometimes it doesn't get set back to the original setting of 5% when the video playback is finished. I remember that similar behaviour occured on XP and I wonder if it's intentional behaviour to "help out" the relatively weak 690G.

I'm interested in the 790GX boards with the sideport memory but if they suffer this same affliction I think I'll go with something else.

Does anyone know for sure if the 790GX (or even the 780G) has this problem?

It's so difficult to get an answer anywhere else, maybe I've been phrasing my question wrong, but it seems that "dude, my CPU usage is like 10%" is the typical response. I know that SPCR members are more likely to know what I mean.

Edit: Please don't tell me that "Vista sucks" either. This is not a Vista issue.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:44 pm

Are you saying that what you currently get is it ramping up the CPU clockspeed to full bore instead of tooling along at a slower speed (ie CnQ ramps up to full bore because it considers the CPU under load)?

I can't imagine you have a CPU running at 5% speed of stock so I am somewhat confused.

also...
"duuuuuuuuude, the CPU usage is only 10%, just chill...."

CX23882-19 · Post by **CX23882-19** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:10 pm

psiu wrote:Are you saying that what you currently get is it ramping up the CPU clockspeed to full bore instead of tooling along at a slower speed (ie CnQ ramps up to full bore because it considers the CPU under load)?

I can't imagine you have a CPU running at 5% speed of stock so I am somewhat confused.

The default minimum in Vista is 5% - it doesn't mean that the CPU will actually run at 5% but instead at the lowest possible speed. I never bother changing this to my actual achievable minimum (46%).

Unfortunately, it isn't just CnQ ramping up the speed - the minimum speed as set in the Vista power properties is CHANGED to 100% from whatever it has been set by the user (i.e. 5% or 46%). Usually it gets set back to the original value when the video playback finishes but sometimes it gets "stuck" on 100%.

During video playback, the Minimum processor state changes from 46% to 100%

A workaround is to disable the ATI External Event Service. Now, it works as intended but I'm concerned that it might control other things.

psiu wrote: also...
"duuuuuuuuude, the CPU usage is only 10%, just chill...."

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:11 pm

Hopefully someone on here who is using the onboard video can test this out. Actually...I'll look into it tomorrow. I have a 780G board but use a 4670. I'll try switching to the onboard tomorrow and see what I end up with. Well, if I remember this thread anyways.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 11:50 am

What kind of video files is this for? Any good examples to download that can be compared to what you get your results with?

I want to compare with the 4670 first and see my results then try the onboard. Will give it a go in XP and Vista.

I have the Klite codec pack installed in XP, but don't remember if I did in Vista yet.

CX23882-19 · Post by **CX23882-19** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:16 pm

Any video type does it on my system.

I wonder if this has something to do with it:
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3430&p=6

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:30 pm

Downloaded the X-Men Origins: Wolverine 720p clip from Apple.

System is Athlon X2 BE-2300 (1.9GHz), Asus M3A78-EM (780G), 4GB DDR2 800, and Radeon 4670.
XP SP3 x86, and Vista Home Premium SP1 x64. Catalyst 9.3 in both.

First test: XP, 4670, video playback in VLC.
CPU utilization probably averaged 20%. Peaks at 40, down to 5. Watching the Asus CnQ monitor, clock speed jumped up and down. GPU load rarely went up, didn't appear to be putting any of the load onto the GPU as far as I could tell.

Second test: Vista, 4670, video playback in WMP 11.
CPU utilization was higher. Closer to 40% average, higher peaks. Clock speed up and down, reset properly when done. A little bit more GPU load, but that could be attributed to Aero.

Third test: Vista, 780G, video playback in WMP 11. Similar utilization, clock speed varying, reset back to normal at end of video.

No test in XP with 780G--went through progress bar loading screen and then just black (but monitor on) at the login screen (I had to let Vista do the driver shuffle for it, and apparently XP is a little less jolly about it).

Interestingly, when IGP is not the primary in BIOS, and not being used, GPU-Z doesn't detect it. But when using the IGP, and the 4670 was not being used, it was detected and running at full speed with no load.

Would appear that Vista in general is okay, it's just your copy that sucks

. In all fairness, I only ran the video a couple times but it reset each time, and not only that, CnQ was active and adjusting clock speed through the video, not just cranking up to 100% and staying there.