The standard advice found here and elsewhere is for audio PCs to set the processor power to minimum and maximum = 100%. I have always done that until recently but my computer started to give a constant high-pitched whine. I checked the CPU processor temperature and it was running at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. That's too high. [Aside: I've built all my own computers for thirty-five years and I know something about thermal paste, fans, CPU cooling etc.].

So, I lowered the minimum and maximum processor percentage to 80% and the CPU temperature dropped to 100 degrees within minutes. The whine also stopped immediately.

I then experimented raising the percentages of both minimum and maximum until the CPU temperature reached 140 degrees, which turned out to be a processor power setting of 84% on my system. I'm comfortable running at that temperature, and I don't notice any slowdown.

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For anyone who isn't sure what I'm talking about, on Windows 10 follow steps that should look something like these. They may differ depending on what you have already set:

Open Control Panel
Power Options
Choose or create a Custom power profile
click on Change the Plan Settings
[while you are there, Display and Sleep should both be set to Never, or a long time]
Click on Change Advanced Power Settings
Click to expand Processor Power Management
Click to expand Minimum Processor State
If that is very low, like 5, raise it to 90 or so
Click to expand Maximum Processor State
Make that the same number you chose for Minimum

Also, while you are there, check other entries in that power settings area, such as making sure USB Selective Suspend is Disabled. Windows Update will on occasion make its own changes in these settings, thinking it knows best.

Great info Matt because after I made some changes last week I'm getting some weird things. Nothing like what you got just odd stuff about some hard drives going into hibernate too soon, another one constantly popping up that "what do you want to do when this HD turns on" message.

It looks like I need some new power management. However that "Header" error I was getting if I left Biab on with no input too long is finally gone so what I did fixed that but it seems to have created some new stuff.

Bob

Between those settings I saw the System Cooling Policy for fan speeds. Mine is on Active. This could be a factor in overheating too if you are set to Passive.

Steve, true, that should be Active although it assumes your motherboard supports that. I assume most would.

Bob, make sure Fast Boot is disabled. And, if your Windows just got updated to 1809 like mine did this week, recheck every custom setting.

Thanks for the heads up Matt

Hey Matt,

200 Degrees?!?! I haven't seen those temps on a CPU's since Over Clocking my Opteron back in the day.... Jokes aside, certainly not a comfortable temperature to be running at.

What CPU Model is this? Are you Over Clocking at all? Are you running the stock heat sink, since you mentioned you're familiar, did you switch out for a third party one?

The Power Management option can vary depending on your default Windows, and manufacturer setting if you are running a prefab build. Typically, I run all my machines at 100%, without issue. Although I regularly boot up and boot down my system, and only run it when I am actively using it (Gotta save the rain forest somehow).

The power management setting has been a pretty great tool for fixing a lot of oddities in Windows, so I am curious to see what your experiences are, as this is the first time I am hearing these reports of odd things happening in this state. Will be following to hear of any other oddities caused by the Power Management Settings.

Matt, wow! 200 degrees is way over the top. I wonder if something else is amiss there.
Just thinking out loud...... because that just doesn't seem right at all. As always, YMMV!

I've "rolled my own" Windows PC's for many, many years also, and never encountered temps that high.
My mobo, Corsair liquid cooler, and Corsair power supply are constantly monitoring voltages and temps with an app from Corsair, auto alarms if anything goes out of spec. Been running this rig for 3 years, mostly always on, through all the variations of Windows 10 to the current 1809.

Power Management is always on High Performance, 100% on Minimum and Maximum, Active management. Temps on the actual i7-6700K CPU cores have never gone above 95F, and the water cooler temps have always been right around 85F.

In my case, I've seen plenty of weird settings get changed through Win10 updates, but I just haven't seen anything in my Power Management ever change.
I can only hazard a guess, remotely here, but I'd at least consider that "something" mechanical / thermal paste / air flow could be the culprit.
You really "should" be able to run at 100%. My .02 !

My CPU is an Intel i7-4770K which was pretty high end three years ago.

The CPU fan is aftermarket, I forget which brand after three years. Corsair, perhaps; I’ve bought several of those. It is not a liquid cooled system, just a fan and heatsink above the CPU with a grain of rice worth of thermal paste. I also have three case fans and keep them all clean, as well as the two large case filters. Speedfan is a good utility to show that all the fans are working correctly.

This CPU actually is rated to run at 100 degrees Celsius for short periods. Yes, that surprised me.

No, I never overclock. It runs at 3.4 GHz.

As I say, things now are fine. It runs between 90 and 140 degrees F. depending on what I’m doing.

Matt,

One of the fasteners for the cpu heat sink may have come loose. Another possibility may be the heat sink paste may have dried out.

I’ve never heard of the second idea. Something to research.

The first one, I’ll check. Thanks!

The theory is if the paste ever gets too hot the capability to transfer heat is diminished. A few years ago Dell had to issue a recall because of heat sink paste drying out and damaging the cpu.

Yes, I read a lot after you posted. I use the good stuff; I’d be very surprised if it failed after three years. Besides, my CPU seems be be unusually highly rated for maximum temperature, and with lower CPU percentage it’s running fine, and cool.

Thanks for the interesting information, Matt.
My new to me WIN 10 seems a little warm. I didn't know how to check processor temperature, but went ahead and set Min/Max to 50.

Go here https://openhardwaremonitor.org/

and DL it. It says it is beta but it works fine on my systems.

This will tell you exactly what is happening to your hardware, including CPU temperatures.

good luck

Thanks Mario. I'll get it.

BTW, setting the Min/Max to 50% (from 5%)
eliminated the warm deck. Thanks to
Matt and the forum.


Later PS: Mario, what a cool thing. I think something like that was included in my WIN 7.0 P Ultimate. Great thing to have. 36-40 degrees Centigrade.