CPU frequency puzzle

[allthunbs]

Hi:

I've just swapped out a Celeron D CPU (2400Mhz) for a Pentium D 3400 Mhz dual core "XE 945".

The chip is published to run at 3400Mhz but when I load PCWizard and CPU-Z both indicate that I'm running at 2,400Mhz. Howcum? Do I need to reset the clock speed in the BIOS?

I'm running an ASUS P5RD1-VM with 1.2GB RAM and a selection of drives totalling 2440GB, 3 heads and a host of stuff hanging off the side.

Interesting note, PC Wizard shows frequency moving from 2399.34 MHZ to somewhere over 3,400 MHZ but CPU-Z shows only Core #0 running at 2400 and only occasionally at 3400. Howcum?

I'm also finding that the CPU is running at 16 degrees celcius whereas the old one was running at 40 to 50 degrees celcius. What did I do wrong installing the old one or is my contact not right with the new one?

[Agent]

It's the power management - your system doesn't need the full CPU power so it downclocks it to save energy.

You can turn it off in the power management section in your BIOS.

[KeyboardDemon]

Lol. I had the same thing when I built my first Phenom II rig.

[allthunbs]

It's the power management - your system doesn't need the full CPU power so it downclocks it to save energy.

You can turn it off in the power management section in your BIOS.

I think I'll just leave it like it is. That way I don't have heating and cooling problems. I'm after the speed, not the horse power and if the computer can give me the speed without burning up, I'll definitely go for it.

Thanks for the help.

[scaryjim]

If you want to be sure, you can download something like wprime, which lets you do a quick load test of your system. Fire up PC Wizard/CPU-Z/some other monitoring tool, then start a wprime 32M test. While the test is running your CPU should jump up to 3.4GHz and stay there, then drop back to 2.4GHz once the test has finished running!

[allthunbs]

If you want to be sure, you can download something like wprime, which lets you do a quick load test of your system. Fire up PC Wizard/CPU-Z/some other monitoring tool, then start a wprime 32M test. While the test is running your CPU should jump up to 3.4GHz and stay there, then drop back to 2.4GHz once the test has finished running!

Thanks Jim:

Works like a charm. I've only been learning this stuff for 40+ years and it seems no end in sight ;-)