How to Reduce Processor Speed

Decrease your processor speed to prevent heat damage to your computer system.

Computer processors or CPUs, perform all the calculations needed for the computer to complete tasks. Constantly performing numerous calculations for the computer causes the processor to heat up considerably, which can damage the processor itself or hamper other computer components from functioning properly. In order to slow down a processor to prevent overworking, a few settings in the power section of your computer's options are changed. The settings that can be changed include the power mode and the maximum CPU usage.

Instructions

1. Open the "Start" menu, right-click the "Control Panel" link and choose "Open." From the Control Panel, click "System and Maintenance" and then "Power Management."

2. Choose either the "Balanced" or "Power Saver" power settings from the list in the rightmost portion of the window. The "Balanced" and "Power Saver" options limit the power and speed of your CPU, with "Power Saver" having the greatest effect.

3. Press the "Advanced" link near the power setting previously chosen. Scroll down the window to the "Maximum CPU Usage" field in the Processor category. Type a number between 25 and 50 into this field. The number entered into the field dictates the maximum amount of the CPU's speed and power the computer is allowed to use. For example, a number of 50 would limit the computer to using half of the CPU's speed and power.

Tips & Warnings

• To undo the changes made to your computer's power settings, simply click the "Restore to Defaults" link in the Power Management menu.

References

• Computer Hope: CPU Information
• Intel: Power Management Information