A few days ago, I upgraded one more laptop from Windows 7 to Windows 10. After the OS upgrade, I proceeded – as I always do – to test the laptop's performance using the AIDA64 stressing tool.But, when I ran the AIDA64 CPU stress test tool, I found that the CPU was not running at full speed in Windows 10, while in Windows 7 it was working at maximum speed.
In this tutorial you 'll find detailed instructions to resolve the CPU low speed issue in Windows 10 OS.
How to fix: Windows 10 Not Running at Full CPU Speed.
Important: Before you continue to the methods below, first install all available Windows updates and then check if the problem persists.
Method 1. Set the CPU Performance to Maximum.
Method 2. Perform a Clean Boot.
Method 3. Update or Disable the Intel Power Management Driver.
Method 4. Disable the 'intelppm" service from Registry.
Method 5. Increase CPU performance using ThrottleStop.
Method 1. Set the CPU Power Options to Maximum.
The first method to resolve the low CPU speed in Windows 10, is to set the processor performance state to maximum. To do that:
1. At the search box type control panel and press Enter.
2. Change the View By (at the up right) to Small icons and then click Power Options.
3. Click Change Plan Settings.
4. Click Change Advanced power settings.
5. At 'Processor power management' options, set in Maximum processor state to 100% and click OK.
6. Then expand the System cooling policy settings and make sure that is set to Active, in order to avoid overheating.
7. Now check your CPU Speed, and if the problem persists continue to next method.
Method 2. Perform a Clean Boot.
The next method to troubleshoot CPU performance problems, is to start Windows 10 in a Clean Boot State. To do that:
1. Simultaneously press the Windows 
+ R keys to open the ‘Run‘ command box.
2. In run command box, type msconfig press Enter to open the System Configuration utility.
3. At Services tab, check the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox.
4. Then press the Disable all button, to disable all non Windows services that start with Windows. *
* Note: If you own a Samsung laptop then just disable the 'Easy Launcher' service and skip the rest steps.
5. Then select the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
6. Select one by one all startup items and click Disable.
7. Finally click OK and restart your computer.
8. Check if the CPU is working at full speed now. If the speed is normal, then open the System Configuration (msconfig) utility again and enable one by one the disabled services and programs and restart your system, until you find out which one cause the CPU to work with low speed.
Method 3. Update or Disable the Intel Power Management Driver.
The Intel Power Management, manages the power consumption on Intel processor based computers, but sometimes prevents the CPU to run at full speed when needed. To fix this issue:
1. Download and install the latest 'Intel Power Management' * driver, from your laptop's manufacturer support site.
* Note: If you own an AMD based laptop, then skip this step.
2. After installation, test the CPU performance again. If the problem persists, then proceed and disable the Intel Power Management driver, by following the instructions below:
1. Hold down the SHIFT key and go to Power
and click Restart.
2. After restart, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
3. Type the following command to navigate to "C:\Windows\System32\drivers" folder and press Enter:
-
-
- cd drivers
-
4. Then give the following command and press Enter:
-
-
- ren intelppm.sys intelppm.sys.bak
-
5. Type exit to close command prompt and then restart your computer (Exit and Continue to Windows 10).
Method 4. Disable the 'intelppm" service from Registry.
The next method, to fix the "CPU Not Running at Full Speed in Windows 10" issue, is to prevent the "intelppm" service to start, using registry. To do that:
1. Simultaneously press the Windows 
+ R keys to open the ‘Run‘ command box.
2. In run command box, type regedit press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. At the left pane, navigate to the following registry key:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\intelppm
4. At the right pane: *
a. Double click at 'Start' key.
c. Modify the value data to '4'
c. Click OK.
* Note: The above setting, will cause the CPU to work at full speed at all times. If you need the CPU to work at full speed only when needed, change the value data to '1'
5. Close registry editor and restart your computer.
Method 5. FIX Slow CPU Performance with ThrottleStop.
The final method to solve the "Slow CPU performance" issue, is to use the ThrottleStop utility, which is designed to correct the three main types of CPU throttling that are being used on many laptop computers. *
* Important:
1. Keep in mind, that many laptop manufacturers slow down the performance of the laptop if the power supply is not sufficient to fully power your laptop. So, I suggest to check if the "slow CPU speed" issue persists with a new power supply, before using ThrottleStop.
2. Use of ThrottleStop to bypass these throttling schemes is at your own risk and can result in permanent damage to your power adapter or computer or both which may not be covered by your warranty.
To bypass throttling issues with ThrottleStop:
1. Download ThrottleStop utility and then extract the downloaded .zip file to a folder.
2. From the extracted folder, double-click to open the "ThrottleStop.exe" application.
3. At ThrottleStop utility, uncheck the BD PROCHOT checkbox an click Save.
4. Now check your CPU performance. Normally the slow CPU speed problem should be solved. *
* Note: If the problem is solved, follow the instructions below, in order to run automatically ThrottleStop at every startup, by using a scheduled task.
To Start ThrottleStop at Windows Startup:
1. Open Task Scheduler.
2. From the 'Actions' menus choose Create Task.
3. At General tab, type ta name for the new task and select the Run with highest privileges checkbox.
4. At the Triggers tab, click New and at the 'New Trigger' window, select Begin the task: At log on and click OK.
5. At the Actions tab click New, and at the 'New Action' window, select :
a. At 'Action', select: Start a program.
b. Click Browse, navigate to ThrottleStop folder, select the 'ThrottleStop.exe' and click Open.
c. When done, click OK.
6. At the Settings tab, check only the Allow task to be run on demand box and clear all other checkboxes. When done, click OK to save your settings.
7. Restart your PC.
That's it! Which method worked for you?
Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.