The speed at which the CPU runs varies depending on any Windows laptop or desktop. And in case you don’t know, the CPU does not run at full speed all the time as it depends on how the operating system distributes the load so it works accordingly. However, there are instances when it runs at full speed especially if your Windows 10 computer is on a heavy workload. But if you find that even when your computer is already on a heavy workload and the CPU is still not running at full speed, then you need to look into this situation. To verify that your CPU’s speed, you can use any CPU stress test tool.
This kind of issue is common on laptops compared to desktop computers since laptop runs on battery. The Intel Processor on laptops uses the Speed Stepping Technology which means that when you are doing some small tasks on your laptop, the processor’s speed is reduced. On the other hand, if this happens when you are using a heavy application, it can be due to a low charge on the laptop’s battery. Thus, Windows will try its best to keep the computer running for as long as possible by reducing the CPU speed or processor. But there are times when you are ready to sacrifice battery to make sure that the work gets done on time. To achieve that, here are some options you can check out.
Option 1 – Try setting the processor state to the maximum in Power Options
- Type “control” in the search box to view the classic Control Panel as well as the popular options.
- Next, click on Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
- Then navigate to Processor power management > Maximum processor state.
- Now select 100% when it is on Battery and Plugged in.
- After that, expand the System cooling policy option and make sure to set it as Active to make sure that the battery won’t overheat.
- Finally, apply the changes made to all the profiles of the power management and restart your computer. This will ensure that your CPU will run at maximum power at all times.
Option 2 – Try to update or disable the Intel Power Management driver
The next option you can try is to update or disable the Intel Power Management driver. The Intel-powered computers have dedicated software that controls CPU speed and Fan speed when it needs to save battery. You can try disabling it temporarily and check if there are any changes with the CPU fan speed.
- First, restart your computer by holding the Shift key to boot your computer into Troubleshooting or Advanced mode.
- Next, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
- Then change the directory to C:/Windows/System32/driver and then rename the file named “Intelppm” by entering the “ren intelppm.sys intelppm.sys.bak”.
- Now restart your computer.
Note: If you were not able to find the drivers in C:/Windows/System32/driver, check if they are available under C:/Drivers/IntelPPM. After that, the CPU speed should change now with the Intel driver missing from the system. And in case you want to enable it, simply follow the same steps given above and rename the file again.
Option 3 – Try disabling the IPPM using the Command Line or Registry Editor
- Command Prompt:
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “cmd” and tap Enter to open Command Prompt.
- Next, type this command and hit Enter: sc config intelppm start= disabled
- The “sc config” command you entered modifies the value of a service’s entries in the registry as well as in the Service Control Manager database.
- Registry Editor:
- Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Next, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesintelppm.
- From there, double click on the intelppm and change the Start key value to
- Now close the Registry Editor and reboot your computer.
Note: The steps given will make sure that the CPU will run at maximum power at all times.