Surface Book 2 throttles excessively, often down to 0.4 GHz

Anonymous
2018-05-30T14:41:18+00:00

I've recently purchased a 15" Surface Book 2.

When compiling large projects in Visual Studio 2017, I find that the processor often throttles excessively, often down to 0.4 GHz. As a result, compilation takes several times longer than it does on my 5 year old MacBook Pro. 

The Core Temp app shows that the CPU at this point is at 50-55 degrees Celcius or so.

The following question touched upon this problem, but the proposed solution did not work for me:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_10-performance-winpc/cpu-clock-speed-sometimes-capped-at-04ghz/315d06ac-a40a-41f8-8314-b370f8b51618

Any ideas on how to fix this?

Thanks.

T

Surface | Surface Book | Power and battery

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-05-14T12:30:13+00:00

    Lately the MS tech representatives have shown some interest in trying to reproduce and solve this issue. So i would welcome any method with which i could easily reproduce the issue for them. Currently i can only reproduce it if i run some build routines which i cannot share and they cannot use them in their labs. So it would be best if this is done with some standard testing software suites or software which is accessible on the web.

    Any help would be very appreciated by all members of this thread! and many other unhappy SB2 users :)

    a plugged in surface book in a room with temperature higher than 25°c 

    even watching youtube can cause throttling

    Yup I was able to demonstrate it for them just closing the lid of my SB2. I kept telling them the fan used to come on when it needed to cool and its no longer coming on with the lid closed. They said my apps were making it overheat. I said Outlook and a Chrome web browser? They said yes. I said OK lets close those two and open some other apps. They couldnt understand that it was not the apps causing the throttling but likely the heat and no fan situation. And this was tier 3 support who I spent a couple hours with on the phone.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-05-14T11:29:42+00:00

    Lately the MS tech representatives have shown some interest in trying to reproduce and solve this issue. So i would welcome any method with which i could easily reproduce the issue for them. Currently i can only reproduce it if i run some build routines which i cannot share and they cannot use them in their labs. So it would be best if this is done with some standard testing software suites or software which is accessible on the web.

    Any help would be very appreciated by all members of this thread! and many other unhappy SB2 users :)

    a plugged in surface book in a room with temperature higher than 25°c 

    even watching youtube can cause throttling

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-05-14T11:19:28+00:00

    Lately the MS tech representatives have shown some interest in trying to reproduce and solve this issue. So i would welcome any method with which i could easily reproduce the issue for them. Currently i can only reproduce it if i run some build routines which i cannot share and they cannot use them in their labs. So it would be best if this is done with some standard testing software suites or software which is accessible on the web.

    Any help would be very appreciated by all members of this thread! and many other unhappy SB2 users :)

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-05-14T11:01:42+00:00

    the same problem

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  5. Anonymous
    2019-05-01T20:22:40+00:00

    Add it to my list of issues! I am getting throttled down to .4ghz constantly which yields programs freezing up. I.e. if I am playing audio, the audio stutters. If I am trying to browse a website, it keeps freezing. If I am trying to navigate Outlook to read an email, it freezes up a few times. I am using the Surface Book 2 closed with Surface dock. Latest windows 10 1809 and SB2 firmware/drivers. Brand new machine and install. I never ever had these issues a year ago (when the SB2 was closed and docked). The past year I stopped using the Surface dock since I was traveling. Now I am back. I am going to guess one of Microsoft's famous software updates caused the problem in the past year. Could be a Windows 10 update or Surface Book 2 driver/firmware, I dont know but do know they broke something. I'd also like to note that if its heat-related, why is the fan never coming on when the lid is closed and connected to the Surface Dock? The second I open it, the fan goes full speed. Effing Microsoft.

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