Using task manager to reduce CPU load/temp

[leebee2110]

For the last couple of months, I've had to use task manager to regulate CPU usage/temperature. Not sure how I stumbled across it as a 'fix' but when my machine is idling, it can sit around the 60c mark. I apply an undervolt (1.075v @ 4ghz all core) and this used to be all I needed to do. This applies to games too, whereby my CPU used to sit around the 60-65c. It then jumped to around 70-75c (with undervolt and accounting for ambient temp.) Essentially if I open task manager, it takes my idling temps to 40-45c and gaming back down to the 60c.

I'm just wondering, if anyone has any clue as it to why? Or heard anything similar going on. Everything is up-to-date. I've also cleaned and repasted since the issue started but didn't change anything. It's not a dealbreaker....Just odd!

It may well have coincided with the 21H1 windows update but I can't recall. I did update and not clean install but only after I followed UBUYSA advice below. Posted specs below that.

Chassis & Display
Nova Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD 144Hz 72% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.4GHz/36MB CACHE/AM4)
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair 2666MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2070 - 8.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1st Storage Drive
1TB PCS 2.5" SSD, SATA 6 Gb (520MB/R, 470MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
1TB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
Memory Card Reader
Integrated Micro-SD Memory Card Reader
AC Adaptor
1 x 230W AC Adaptor
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Battery
Nova Series Detachable 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Wireless Network Card
GIGABIT LAN & KILLER™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 M.2 GAMING + BLUETOOTH 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.2 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.2 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
15" NOVA SERIES UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Keyboard & Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)

 

[ubuysa]

It may well have coincided with the 21H1 windows update but I can't recall. I did update and not clean install but only after I followed UBUYSA advice below. Posted specs below that.

That would not surprise me at all, updates in place often produce all sorts of strange issues. If it were mine I would clean install 21H1.

BTW How are you using Task Manager to regulate CPU usage? If you're changing CPU Priorities you need to be very careful what you change and what settings you use....

 

[leebee2110]

That would not surprise me at all, updates in place often produce all sorts of strange issues. If it were mine I would clean install 21H1.

BTW How are you using Task Manager to regulate CPU usage? If you're changing CPU Priorities you need to be very careful what you change and what settings you use....

Thank you. I may give it a go.

No, I don't change anything. I literally open task manager and leave it open and it keeps usage and temps lower. It has baffled me but it works! If I play any game, my CPU hits 70-75c, but with TM open in the background, it stays at 60-65c

 

[FerrariVie]

Thank you. I may give it a go.

No, I don't change anything. I literally open task manager and leave it open and it keeps usage and temps lower. It has baffled me but it works! If I play any game, my CPU hits 70-75c, but with TM open in the background, it stays at 60-65c

That's really weird and never heard about it, but I'll maybe give it a try? The results sound interesting.

To be honest, not sure if it can be related to windows update alone. If that is the problem, a complete format and clean install of windows should solve your issue. 60C on idle doesn't look too bad to me, knowing that it has 8 cores and 16threads. My quad-core 3100 would be just a bit below that with 3.9 all cores. When gaming, mine goes to a max of 70, so if yours is going to 75, that still looks quite good to me when comparing the performance advantage that you have with the extra 4 cores and 100Mhz in each.

But knowing that, just like me, you have had the Nova for around a year or more, have you ever cleaned the fans (even on the top only or replaced the thermal paste and cleaned them completely)? I've done the repaste and full cleaning process at the beginning of summer and found that my temperatures are just a bit over what they used to be in the winter, so I'm expecting them to be lower than usual from next month onwards.

Can't complain about temperatures on my Nova, they have been about the same since I got it. I'm using W11 beta, by the way, and didn't do a clean install, just upgraded from W10 that has been on the beta channel since I fresh installed it one year ago. Not ideal, but since I'm not having issues, I'll keep it as-is for now.

 

[ubuysa]

No, I don't change anything. I literally open task manager and leave it open and it keeps usage and temps lower. It has baffled me but it works! If I play any game, my CPU hits 70-75c, but with TM open in the background, it stays at 60-65c

Not all CPU instructions are equal, some take only a couple of clock ticks, whilst others take many more to complete. I would expect, though I don't know for sure, that some instructions generate more heat than others because of the way they are processed within the CPU.

What may be happening here is that Task Manager is consuming CPU cycles that the game (or related drivers) can no longer use. There is a finite number of CPU instruction processing cycles available, these must be shared between all running processes. It may be that the types of instructions that Task Manager is executing run cooler than the types of instructions the game (and related drivers) is executing so that the overall result is a cooler running CPU.

 

[FerrariVie]

If that is the case, then in theory the game's fps should drop, right? It's one thing that @leebee2110 should try to notice.

Another thing that I've remembered when reading @ubuysa 's post is to always have the most up-to-date AMD Chipset drivers and use its custom Ryzen power plan in windows. Those updates change CPU thread allocation (don't know how to explain this technically), but they were developed by AMD specifically for the Zen2 CPUs. So if you have never updated it, maybe you could see an improvement by updating those, not to mention the security patches.

Just go to AMD's download page and search for desktop B450 chipset drivers.

 

[ubuysa]

If that is the case, then in theory the game's fps should drop, right? It's one thing that @leebee2110 should try to notice.

Another thing that I've remembered when reading @ubuysa 's post is to always have the most up-to-date AMD Chipset drivers and use its custom Ryzen power plan in windows. Those updates change CPU thread allocation (don't know how to explain this technically), but they were developed by AMD specifically for the Zen2 CPUs. So if you have never updated it, maybe you could see an improvement by updating those, not to mention the security patches.

Just go to AMD's download page and search for desktop B450 chipset drivers.

Excellent point about the AMD drivers!

I don't know about how my theory would affect the FPS. Would that not be more down to the GPU? I'm only guessing really to find a way to explain what's observed.

 

[FerrariVie]

Excellent point about the AMD drivers!

I don't know about how my theory would affect the FPS. Would that not be more down to the GPU? I'm only guessing really to find a way to explain what's observed.

My line of thought was that if the task manager was consuming CPU resources that the game could not use anymore or that it needed to share with, then gaming losing CPU share = less FPS. I get that most of the FPS is based on GPU alone, but still, CPU also plays its part.