The speed of processor x in group 0 is being limited by system firmware

Anonymous
2013-11-30T23:32:10+00:00

Hello all,

I have a new Surface Pro 256 and I keep noticing these warnings (Event ID 37) in my System Event Log and wonder if anyone else is getting these.  There are 4 warnings in a row as follows (see attached screenshot):

The speed of processor 2 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.

The speed of processor 0 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.

The speed of processor 3 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.

The speed of processor 1 in group 0 is being limited by system firmware. The processor has been in this reduced performance state for 71 seconds since the last report.

Thank you in advance!

Hal

Surface | Surface Pro | Power and battery

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Anonymous
2014-03-28T13:43:08+00:00

Did you change the advanced options in the power plan such as the PCI express and processor power management?  I know the default for the cooling policy is passive which will slow the processor before increasing fan speed.  Active will do the opposite increase fan speed before slowing the processor.  Also the minimum processor state will need to be changed it allows allow the CPU to automatically down clock.  Default is 5% increase it to 100%.  Also change the graphics to max performance since it is built into the CPU.  Changing all of this will really cut the life of your battery an heat things up. 

I will warn you though, if you are in a situation where some rouge process is unknowingly maxing out the processor for a period of time and the fan can't keep up with the cooling the thermal protection will kick in and shut your pc off with no warnings.  Bad flash is a prime example.

I think you all are getting this warning because you are running hot at times and some function is kicking down the processor speed to dissipate the heat and this is where the firmware and power saving in windows is conflicting generating the warning.  A example might be a windows process says I need 100% CPU and the firmware says sorry I am to hot you only get 5% and logs it as a warning or vice versa.

Not all warnings are bad and if you see this in your event log and can't tell when it is being logged expect by looking into he event log I say ignore it.  If you are crashing and see this event logged right before the crash its something to worry about and I would suspect heat.  My guess is unlike a desktop and laptop the fans in the surface are not running all the time or barely spinning to preserve battery power and if the surface heats up real fast it dials back the CPU to cut down on heat and logs the warning and if it still does not cool down it cranks up the fans.... if that does not cool things down it just shuts off - just a guess.

The only 2 scenarios I can come up with that would cause this warning is aggressive power management so they can say the battery lasts 4 hours give or take or heat.

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Anonymous
2015-09-13T20:04:49+00:00

I stopped-in to the MSFT store.  They immediately agreed that this is problematic.  They uninstalled all drivers and let Windows (10) reinstall all drivers.  Device Manager showed all sorts of problems.

After this process, the issue in Device Manager went away.  I have been using the machine for hours since then without any issues.

They did say, however, that if the issue comes back, this would be a candidate for a swap-out for a new Surface.

On a side note, I can't say enough how helpful the folks at the MSFT store have been, in multiple locations.  Nice to see it from MSFT.

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63 additional answers

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-22T08:28:15+00:00

    Microsoft. Do the newer hardware revision of the Surface Pro 2 have this issue? I know the CPU has been upgraded quietly, I read that recently. I think we should all call Microsoft and demand the new model as a replacement, as I have had so many un-expected reboots, when working on it (I am an Wintel Engineer, so I need it to be reliable). Also, my power adapter is starting to malfunction, sometimes it does not charge my SP2 and also the cord that plugs into is it is wearing out, I can see the brown and blue wires that are underneath the insulation right where the plug connects coming apart. I am looking at hitting up my warranty for a replacement one. The firmware update this year improved things definately, but still not perfect.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-22T15:35:01+00:00

    Microsoft. Do the newer hardware revision of the Surface Pro 2 have this issue? I know the CPU has been upgraded quietly, I read that recently. I think we should all call Microsoft and demand the new model as a replacement, as I have had so many un-expected reboots, when working on it (I am an Wintel Engineer, so I need it to be reliable). Also, my power adapter is starting to malfunction, sometimes it does not charge my SP2 and also the cord that plugs into is it is wearing out, I can see the brown and blue wires that are underneath the insulation right where the plug connects coming apart. I am looking at hitting up my warranty for a replacement one. The firmware update this year improved things definately, but still not perfect. 

    I have both a 4200 256gb and a 4300 512gb and I get the same messages in Event Viewer on both--So I don't believe it has anything to do with the Model--

    Jack

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-22T16:08:39+00:00

    Well almost 4 months have passed since I started this thread and I can unfortunately say that I AM still seeing these warnings in my system event log.  FWIW I can also say that I am NOT experiencing all the unfortunate crashes and unexpected reboots Allan and Peter are seeing.  I do see where my Surface will occasionally "crash" during shutdown but that's really it for me.  Sorry guys I can only imagine how frustrating that must be!

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