i5 7300HQ maxes out at 26W and slows down to 800MHz in AAA games after a While

[JMont51]

System: Dell Inspiron 15 5577 (i57300HQ, GTX 1050, 8GB DDR4)

I've done several stress test and benchmarks with Intel XTU and in games like The Witcher 3, Doom 2016 and Rise of the Tomb Rider. It passes all the XTU tests but it doesn't go over 26W. I know the CPU's TPD is 45W. What's happening? While I play temps don't go over 77C and after a while the CPU slows down to 800MHz making the games unplayable. It happens under heavy loads mostly. Dota 2 is not an issue normally.

When I first bought the computer the CPU was capable of going up to 85C. It seems like is a driver related thing. I don't know if Dell wants to protect the system or is a VRM throttling issue. I want to know if this could be somehow mitigated with the ThrottleStop utility. Any info about it is appreciated

[Abigail_G_Intel]

Hello JMont51,

Thank you for posting on the Intel Communities.

I would like to confirm that Intel® XTU was developed mainly for Intel® Core™ X and K Processors/Unlocked processors and in this case you are using a mobile processor as you can confirm in here:

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/97456/intel-core-i5-7300hq-processor-6m-cache-up-to-3-50-ghz.html

Although it is supported by other platforms, the results may vary and users may only use it for monitoring purposes.

In addition, Intel Extreme Tuning Utility displays various controls and provides access to features based on the system's motherboard and processor configurations. Not all processors provide real-time support for all controls. Motherboard manufacturers can restrict access to various controls that prevent the user from overclocking or optimizing those settings. In other words, the performance of this tool when running on mobile platforms may be limited by BIOS and power management features laptops usually implement.

Based on the information that you have provided, I would recommend you to check with your computer manufacturer if any customization has been made to the computer for power saving that could be implemented over BIOS or firmware update.

To mention one of the features that have been made for this purpose, the Intel SpeedStep® Technology is a BIOS feature that allows the system to dynamically adjust processor voltage and core frequency. Some manufacturers provide access to the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology for Intel® Processors via a physical switch on the motherboard instead of an option in BIOS. 

Regarding your question about the ThrottleStop utility, we do not recommend any third-party application that can be used to monitor/correct the CPU performance or values since the information provided might not be as accurate as expected and could affect the system performance.

Best Regards, 

Abigail G

Intel Customer Support Technician

A Contingent Worker at Intel