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    Huge down in performence when unplugged (XPS M1330)

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by decon, Jun 21, 2011.

  1. decon

    decon Notebook Guru

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    Hey! I'm still using my good old M1330 for taking notes and DJ and it's been wonderful. As of lately I've run into problems when I unplug my M1330 from the power. CPU-Z Screenshots pretty much speak for themselves:

    Plugged in with power:
    [​IMG]

    Unplugged:
    [​IMG]


    I bought a new battery about a year from ebay.co.uk: 9-Cell Battery For Dell XPS M1330 TT485 WR050 PU556 | eBay UK it works great, but maybe this as something to do with the problem?

    I've checked out my BIOS settings, and it doesn't say anything about lowering the CPU speed when unplugged.

    What could be causing the problem, and does anyone know how to fix it :confused: ?
     
    decon, Jun 21, 2011
    #1
  2. RacingGun

    RacingGun Notebook Consultant

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    It is very typical for laptops to downclock themselves when running on battery only. You can adjust the advanced Power Options to tell it to use more CPU though. Right click on the battery icon -> Power Options. For whatever power plan you are using, click on "Change Plan Settings", then "Change advanced power options", then expand "Process Power Management". From there you can adjust the minimum and maximum processor states.

    Hope that helps.
     
    RacingGun, Jun 21, 2011
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  3. seeker_moc

    seeker_moc Notebook Virtuoso

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    Changing the power settings will probably help some, but you also have to understand that a battery can't put out as much juice as an AC adapter. Trying to drain a full load's worth of current from a battery could cause it to overheat or otherwise fail.
     
    seeker_moc, Jun 21, 2011
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  4. decon

    decon Notebook Guru

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    Thanks for your answers. The thing is, that it used to run great on battery when I first got the laptop. Before I installed Windows 7 (came with Windows Vista when I first got it), I was able to switch between different power modes which would change the CPU speed too. I've tried to change the settings myself as RacingGun suggests, but without luck.

    I do see an decrease in speed when I try to change the "Plugged in" settings to e.g. 50% :S
     
    decon, Jun 22, 2011
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  5. RacingGun

    RacingGun Notebook Consultant

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    Hmm, since the Power Plan settings in Windows didn't help, I don't have any other good suggestions. Best of luck finding a solution.
     
    RacingGun, Jun 23, 2011
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  6. dave-p

    dave-p Notebook Deity

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    You can try using a program like Throttlestop ? to force the CPU clocks high
     
    dave-p, Jun 23, 2011
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  7. floofy

    floofy Notebook Enthusiast

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    It's because your laptop is going into power savings mode, you can turn it off but I wouldn't suggest it unless if your computer becomes useless for your needs with that power. It's the same reason why your screen dims when it's unplugged as well.
     
    floofy, Jun 24, 2011
    #7