Summary of issue: Idle CPU frequencies will stay at the base clock after an USB-mouse click until another mouse click.
System Configuration:
Laptop: Lenovo Legion 7 16ACHg6 2021
Operating System: Windows 11 Enterprise 21H2 build 22000.376, clean install
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, no overclock
GPU: NVIDIA Geforce RTX 3080 16GB
RAM: 2x16GB 1Rx8 DDR4-3200 Samsung CL22
Mux off (AMD GFX off, only NVIDIA adapter)
All Windows 11 updates, latest firmware (GKCN49WW), latest drivers, NVIDIA driver v496.49
AMD chipset driver v3.10.08.506 with the AMD.Power.Processor.Settings provisioned package v7.0.3.5
No Lenovo Vantage, Corsair iCUE, NVIDIA Display Container LS services or any other controversial apps in the background
Hi! I have this rather weird peculiar issue with my CPU clock frequencies. This is driving me a little crazy and forces me to scratch my head.
Whenever I click the mouse button anywhere (it's not important where: on the desktop, in an app, on the taskbar, on a title bar, etc) my Ryzen clock frequency goes from its idle values (1.0-2.4 GHz) to the base clock speed 3.3 GHz and stays put no matter what. Voltages and temperatures also rise. Usage stays the same 0-1%.
It all then goes back to idle frequencies only when I click another time. And idles at normal clocks until another click. Sometimes it's two or three clicks with a little delay between them. It is like I turning some invisible CPU frequency switch on/off.
I monitor with the HWiNFO64 and the Task Manager also shows same behavior.
This is reproducible on any power plan (Balanced, High Performance) with any settings (USB selective suspend, PCIe power-saving, Minimum/Maximum processor state: now they are set to 0% and 100%). This also reproduces on any of the laptop modes: Quiet, Balanced, Performance. With or without PSU connected.
This reproduces with any USB mouse (wired, radio) and also any Bluetooth mouse (the Bluetooth controller is connected to the USB bus). And with any mouse button (left, right, middle, forward/back).
However, some interesting observation is that there is not such problem when I use the trackpad and click or tap with it. When I use the trackpad the issue is gone. The trackpad is connected to the I2C bus and not the USB. Another crazy thing is when I pump up the clocks to the base speed with the mouse and then turn the mouse off, I cannot then reset the frequency with trackpad clicks whatsoever. And only connecting back the mouse and clicking it helps bring it down to normal.
I've tried to remedy this problem with the disablement of devices/services/apps/tasks, playing with settings and even remotely related ones. Turned on and off Windows Defender real-time protection, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDR, refresh-rate, "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power", etc. I've also removed the AMD.Power.Processor.Settings package. No changes.
No matter what, this always reproduces. And it is frustrating!
In the attached video I'm just clicking with the left mouse button on the desktop wallpaper. See how the clocks fluctuate and stay. See how they go down with my another click. No other apps in the background, besides XBox gamebar recorder. The idle clocks when I record is a little higher as you see. Without screen capturing it is lower, but the clicking behavior is the same.
Can someone from Legion owners with AMD and Win11 test this behavior? Or other 5900HX owners? Do you have any thoughts of what it could possibly be?
Solved! Go to Solution.
Found the culprit finally: the CPPC Autonomous Selection ("Processor performance autonomous mode" inside a Windows powerplan). This setting is, speaking in simple terms, transfers the control of the performance level selection from an OS to the CPU itself. I think, because of a bad feature realisation, or a certain bug in the Windows scheduler or in the firmware, or even inside my CPU die, this mode enabled worked like a switch, when it reacted to the mouse click or Enter key USB-bus interrupt workload, setting the frequency and voltage to the base values and back. I've disabled this mode and this behavior is gone and the CPU is idling fine now.
UPDATE: Just noticed that the Enter key of the laptop's keyboard when it acts on something (command window, notepad, menu item) also reproduces this issue, so actually you don't need a USB mouse to summon this problem!
I also have one and will try to reproduce later today. I'm using the Minisforum HX90.
UPDATE2: Just tested under Windows 10 21H2 and it demonstrates the same behavior. Under Ubuntu 21.10 there is no such problem even with the performance governor.
Found the culprit finally: the CPPC Autonomous Selection ("Processor performance autonomous mode" inside a Windows powerplan). This setting is, speaking in simple terms, transfers the control of the performance level selection from an OS to the CPU itself. I think, because of a bad feature realisation, or a certain bug in the Windows scheduler or in the firmware, or even inside my CPU die, this mode enabled worked like a switch, when it reacted to the mouse click or Enter key USB-bus interrupt workload, setting the frequency and voltage to the base values and back. I've disabled this mode and this behavior is gone and the CPU is idling fine now.