How to Tweak Processor Speed

The processor is the key component of any computer. It handles all instructions and calculations it receives from other hardware components in the computer and software programs running on the computer. The speed of the processor directly influences the power and performance of the PC itself. Tweaking processor speed is easily done using the power management features native to the Windows operating system. A slow processor decreases performance but extends the life of the processor, while a speedy processor increases performance but may suffer a decreased lifetime due to overheating.

Instructions

1. Click on the Windows "Start" icon near the bottom left of your screen and select "Control Panel." From the "Control Panel" select "System and Maintenance", and then "Power Options."

2. Select a power setting from the choices on the right side of the window. Choose "Power Saver" to slow you CPU's speed and restrict its power. Choose "Balanced" to have decent CPU speed and power without major overheating. Choose "High Performance" to max your CPU speed and power at the price of some overheating.

3. Click the "Change plan settings" button under the plan you choose. Press the "Change advanced power settings" button. Scroll down the list to "Processor power options" and expand the field.

4. Highlight the number in the "Minimum processor state" field and type in a number between 1 and 100. The number you type into this field sets the smallest amount of the CPU the computer uses at one time. In example, a value of 100 makes the computer use all of the CPU constantly.

5. Highlight the number in the "Maximum processor state" field and type a number between 25 and 100. The number in this field determines the max amount of CPU speed and power the computer is allowed to use at one time. Click "OK" to save any changes and back out of the window.

Tips & Warnings

• Restore your processor power settings to their defaults by clicking the "Return to Defaults" button in the advanced power management menu.

References

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