Is my Intel 9650 processor running too slow?

jasonp36

New member
Hi guys, just wondering if you could kindly help me out here. Just got my new pc and am slightly confused about what speed the processor is running it. It is a Intel core 2 extreme 9650 which should be running at 3.0 GHz. However, when I view system properties it says:

Intel core 2 extreme CPU X9650 @ 3.0GHz 2.33GHz

I just ran futuremarks virtualmark too and it says my processor clock is : 2333 MHz

Sorry, totally a newbie question here but I thought my processor should be running at at least 3.0 GHz, so what does the 2333 MHz and 2.33GHz in my system properties mean then?

Is something wrong or has be processor been set to run slower for some reason as I thought 2333 MHz = 2.3GHz?

Thanks in advance guys,

Jay
 
That's just Intel SpeedStep kicking in, which reduces your clock speed (by reducing the multiplier to 6x) when the processor is idle to save power and lower temps. If you're not overclocking, then it's best to leave it enabled. If you do plan to overclock, make sure to disable SpeedStep in the BIOS.
 
Hi and thanks for the useful reply. However, I am not currently overclocking and have noticed that speedstep is NOT turned on yet? Should I turn it on then?

Thanks once again and all the best,

Jay
 
Thanks for th reply. However, in my Bios I can see the speedstep option and it is not enabled yet.

Cheers,

Jay
 
Check windows power saving options, particularly on Vista. Automagically it set % levels for cpu use. (just like u were using a laptop)
 
Its not only intel speedstep technology you need to disable but a function in the bios called C1E these are two different things.

What board are you using? Also have you checked also that the board has identified the processor correctly, the BIOS may need to be flashed to the latest version.
 
Thanks again for the info. The computer was custom built for me so I would have hoped this would have been set to the best setting anyway, as I requested the fastest machine I could buy at the time and made it clear it was for 3d modelling and photographic work. It all runs very fast but if my processor is running that much slower than it could then I would like to sort it out. I have also tried many 3D bench mark programs and did not get exactly fantastic results either. As I spent about £3000 on this I really need to find out how I can improve this. I am using an XFX nforce 780i mobo too.

Thanks again,

Jay
 
It looks like the problem was that my multiplier was set too low. It was set to 7 when it should have been on 9. I managed a far better result in 3Dmark since changing it (obviously) but my system now seems to be getting a lot hotter which I hope is ok. Its not as if I am overclocking it so I preume it should be fine.

Cheers,

Jay
 
Hi s1ick, thanks for the reply. It is re-assuring to know.

My CPU is running at about 39/40

My board is also running at about 39/40

Then there is MCP running at about 59/60

I am presuming this is ok, but will also download the program you mentioned too.

All the best,

Jay
 
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