I have been experiencing power throttling on my Dell G5 5587 laptop with an Intel Core i7 8750H CPU. This laptop was purchased in December, and is marketed as a gaming laptop. However, when gaming or performing any other CPU and GPU intensive tasks, the power limit is reduced from its standard 45W to 15W, causing the CPU to throttle down to 0.8 GHz from its Turbo speed of 4.0 GHz.
The configuration of the laptop is as follows:
- Dell G5 5587 chassis
- Intel Core i7 8750H 6×2.2GHz (up to 4.2 GHz)
- 16 GB DDR4-2666 RAM
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX1060 Max-Q Design with 6 GB VRAM
- Toshiba 512GB M2 SSD
- Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD
- 15.6″ 4K HDR screen
- Windows 10 x64 Enterprise Insider Preview Version 20H1 Build 18865 + Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
I have tried numerous solutions, including updating the BIOS (multiple times, currently on version 1.9.0), updating drivers and software, following guides for the CPU (including undervolting the CPU and cache, and reducing Turbo boost speeds), removing Intel DPTF, disabling Turbo Boost, and contacting Dell Support (which was not helpful). I have also installed Dell Power Manager and set the cooling to Ultra-Performance.
Despite these efforts, the problem persists. My only remaining option may be to wait for the release of 9th Gen Intel CPUs and see if I can exchange the laptop under warranty. I have not extensively tested the issue under Linux, but do not recall experiencing this problem in that operating system. This seems to be specific to Windows.
3 Answers
Introduction
The Dell G5 5587 is marketed as a gaming laptop with impressive specifications, including an Intel Core i7 8750H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX1060 Max-Q Design graphics, and a 4K HDR screen. However, users have reported power throttling issues that limit the CPU’s power output, causing it to throttle down to 0.8 GHz from its Turbo speed of 4.0 GHz. In this blog post, we will explore the possible causes of this problem and suggest some solutions that could help resolve it.
Causes of Power Throttling
Power throttling occurs when the CPU’s power limit is reduced, causing it to slow down to prevent overheating. This can happen due to various reasons, including:
1. Poor Thermal Management
One of the most common causes of power throttling is poor thermal management. When the CPU temperature exceeds a certain limit, it will reduce its power output to prevent overheating. This can happen due to a variety of reasons, including inadequate cooling, dust buildup in the fans, or improper thermal paste application.
2. BIOS Settings
Another possible cause of power throttling is incorrect BIOS settings. Some BIOS settings may limit the CPU’s power output to prevent overheating, even when the cooling system is adequate. This can happen due to incorrect power management settings or outdated BIOS firmware.
3. Software Issues
Software issues can also cause power throttling. Some software applications may use a lot of CPU resources, causing the CPU to overheat and throttle down. Similarly, some background processes or services may consume a lot of CPU resources, causing the CPU to throttle down to prevent overheating.
Solutions to Power Throttling
There are several solutions that you can try to resolve power throttling issues on your Dell G5 5587 laptop. Here are some of the most effective solutions:
1. Improve Thermal Management
Improving thermal management is the most effective solution to power throttling. You can try the following steps to improve thermal management:
- Clean the fans and vents to remove dust buildup.
- Apply new thermal paste to the CPU and GPU.
- Use a cooling pad to improve airflow.
- Set the cooling profile to Ultra-Performance in Dell Power Manager.
2. Update BIOS and Drivers
Updating the BIOS and drivers can also help resolve power throttling issues. You can try the following steps to update the BIOS and drivers:
- Download the latest BIOS firmware from Dell’s website.
- Install the latest drivers for your hardware components, including the CPU, GPU, and chipset.
- Update Windows to the latest version.
3. Adjust Power Management Settings
Adjusting power management settings can also help resolve power throttling issues. You can try the following steps to adjust power management settings:
- Disable Intel DPTF (Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework) in the BIOS.
- Disable Turbo Boost in the BIOS.
- Undervolt the CPU and cache using ThrottleStop or Intel XTU.
- Reduce the Turbo Boost speed using ThrottleStop or Intel XTU.
4. Uninstall Problematic Software
Uninstalling problematic software can also help resolve power throttling issues. You can try the following steps to uninstall problematic software:
- Identify software applications that use a lot of CPU resources.
- Uninstall or disable those software applications.
- Disable unnecessary background processes and services.
5. Contact Dell Support
If none of the above solutions work, you can contact Dell Support for further assistance. Dell Support may be able to provide additional solutions or replace your laptop under warranty if the problem is hardware-related.
Conclusion
Power throttling can be a frustrating issue for Dell G5 5587 users, but there are several solutions that you can try to resolve it. Improving thermal management, updating BIOS and drivers, adjusting power management settings, uninstalling problematic software, and contacting Dell Support are some of the most effective solutions. By following these solutions, you can ensure that your Dell G5 5587 laptop performs optimally and does not suffer from power throttling issues.
I’m sorry to hear about the throttling issues you’re experiencing with your Dell G5 5587. Throttling is generally a measure that is taken to protect the system from overheating or other forms of thermal damage, so it’s not uncommon for a laptop to reduce its power limit under heavy load. However, the extent to which your system is throttling does seem unusual.
There are a few things you can try that might help resolve the issue:
- Make sure that the laptop is adequately cooled. If the laptop is getting too hot, it may be throttling the CPU to prevent damage. Make sure that the vents are clear and that the laptop is not being used on a soft surface that could block the vents.
- Check the power settings in Windows. Make sure that the power plan is set to “High Performance” and that the maximum CPU speed is set to 100%.
- Check the temperature of the CPU. If the CPU is running at a high temperature, it may be causing the system to throttle. Use a utility like HWMonitor or Core Temp to monitor the temperature of the CPU and make sure it’s not getting too hot.
- Try undervolting the CPU. Undervolting can reduce the amount of power the CPU consumes, which may help prevent throttling. There are a number of utilities that can be used to undervolt the CPU, such as Intel XTU or ThrottleStop.
- Contact Dell Support. It’s possible that there may be a hardware or firmware issue that is causing the throttling. If none of the above steps help, you may want to consider contacting Dell Support to see if they can assist you further.
I hope these suggestions are helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
After much struggle, I have found a partial solution to the power throttling issue on my Dell G5 5587 laptop with an Intel Core i7 8750H CPU.
The first step is to download and install ASUS GPU Tweak II. In the Advanced mode, increase the thermal limit by one step (for example, from 78 to 86 degrees). So far, my laptop has been able to handle GPU intensive workloads for around 48 hours with this change.
The next step is optional: undervolt the CPU. This may require downgrading the BIOS, as recent versions of the Dell BIOS have disabled this feature. I recommend undervolting the cores by 0.100-0.150 V and the cache by 0.075-0.125 V, depending on your specific CPU.
Finally, I plan to try using Grizzly Kryonaut thermal paste instead of Arctic MX-4. Based on reviews, this further reduces temps by 5-7 degrees, which I hope will help with the issue.
Overall, I have been able to play games for about an hour without experiencing throttling and frame rate drops. However, when running GPU intensive workloads for extended periods of time, the CPU still throttles down to 0.8 GHz due to the power limit. This behavior is strange and I am still trying to find a complete solution.