i3 2120 only running half speed?

[PRogers86]

My 3dmark 11 results indicated that my CPU clock was only 1.6ghz. Could this be right? I checked CPU-Z and it seems to be idling at 1.6ghz. How do I know, if I'm doing something CPU intensive, if the CPU is running at full speed?

 

[drescherjm]

My 3dmark 11 results indicated that my CPU clock was only 1.6ghz. Could this be right? I checked CPU-Z and it seems to be idling at 1.6ghz.

This is normal and part of the power saving features of the cpu. When the processor has a load it will automatically adjust the multiplier to at least the stock.

How do I know, if I'm doing something CPU intensive, if the CPU is running at full speed?

Run Prime95 and look at CPUZ.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

1.6GHz is the speed that the processor will run at when it is idle. This is a power saving feature is called Intel® SpeedStep®. I think we have had this feature on our processors since the old Intel Pentium® III processors.

 

[LigTasm]

3Dmark records that info after the run is complete when the CPU has already dropped back down to idle, its pretty common. Mine always say 1200 or 1600mhz depending on the CPU on newer SB/IB systems.

 

[PRogers86]

3Dmark records that info after the run is complete when the CPU has already dropped back down to idle, its pretty common. Mine always say 1200 or 1600mhz depending on the CPU on newer SB/IB systems.

Ah, okay. That explains the reading from 3dMark then. Thanks!