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Tech Help: Charging Causes Laptop to Slow?



Rob

Rob

ClioSport Moderator
Right geeks, time to earn your CS keep. This one has me stumped.

Just been given a "new" work machinie, it's a right POS, weighs about 20 tonnes but has a decent spec. Before I got it, it got a brand new SSD put in, and a full fresh install of windows. (i7 16GB of RAM etc etc). It's a Dell Precision M4800

It was fine at first, then I started to experience severe speed problems, couldn't scroll through a PDF without it juddering like mad, the act of opening a tab in Chrome is too much to be done smoothly, and CS is abysmally slow.

Randomly it started working faster again, and then I saw the correlation, when it's plugged in to the mains, it's slow as hell. It also only charges at approx 1-2% per hour?!?!"?

I've tried three different dell chargers supplied by IT, none are doing the trick.

Opinions appreciated. Urgently as I'm at about 25% battery :eek:
 
H182

H182

  182
We had a new precision 6800 recently and the user kept complaining of slow downs, similar to how you describe. Tried various things and it still did it. In the end I got pissed off and wiped it then did a fresh install. I think it may have been caused by some of the dell software that comes pre installed as I didn't put any of it back on unless it was required.

A bios update may help if there is one. We haven't had any charging issues with ours though.
 
Rob

Rob

ClioSport Moderator
Addicted said:
Go to the battery settings in windows, and change when On Power to High performance, should fix your issues - it's probably set to Power Saving!
Click to expand...

Seriously, what do you think I am? LOL

I'm not talking about power saver slow, I'm talking that I can type in this window at a pace that's about 5 words ahead of the screen....
 
A

Addicted

Yes, but power-saving mode can also affect the Speedstep as well - have you checked to see what its set to?

Tbh it sounds more like a gpu slow-down than cpu, but could be either. But again, both can be caused by that.
 
Rob

Rob

ClioSport Moderator
ThomasBrentnall said:
To disable speed step, go into device manager and disable all the logical processor cores.

Let me know if that improved things
Click to expand...
JP83 said:
My shout would be as above - pre-installed Dell power software.
Click to expand...

Addicted said:
Yes, but power-saving mode can also affect the Speedstep as well - have you checked to see what its set to?

Tbh it sounds more like a gpu slow-down than cpu, but could be either. But again, both can be caused by that.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help chaps, problem is now solved.

I had a google of what this beast of a machine is supposed to have charger wise. It turns out it runs on some unit of a 240W charger. All of the office ones were max of 130W.

So I went and bugged IT to let me in the store, found a charger that resembles 5 ipads stacked ontop of one and other (actually not kidding).

Plugged that in and I'm away. Can't believe the difference it makes.
 
G

Gray

  340i
Where you not given the correct power pack / charger that came with the laptop?

Most 'normal' laptops run a 90w power pack, new models with a L-ion battery use 45w. But a mobile workstation like you have needs 110w / 130w like you've said above.

If you aren't using the correct wattage power supply you'll bugger up the laptop battery.
 
Rob

Rob

ClioSport Moderator
Gray said:
Where you not given the correct power pack / charger that came with the laptop?

Most 'normal' laptops run a 90w power pack, new models with a L-ion battery use 45w. But a mobile workstation like you have needs 110w / 130w like you've said above.

If you aren't using the correct wattage power supply you'll bugger up the laptop battery.
Click to expand...
Was I buggery. It was just whatever was laying around. The IT here are so pro I had to find the issue myself after complaining it was dog s**t slow and getting "it's lightning quick" back.

I know most at 90w, then you get to 130... this thing is 240 FFS!!!!!!! I've never seen a power brick this big (other than the xbox :eek: )
 
I

iain187

  DCi
Rob said:
Was I buggery. It was just whatever was laying around. The IT here are so pro I had to find the issue myself after complaining it was dog s**t slow and getting "it's lightning quick" back.
Click to expand...
I found out in my work when we started issuing small laptops to execs they came with smaller chargers

Users realised they had no chance of small laptops but they were asking for the smaller chargers and an unknowing member of staff obliged causing your issue.

I took great pleasure in mocking all the users who asked for the small packs.
 
Rob

Rob

ClioSport Moderator
iain187 said:
I found out in my work when we started issuing small laptops to execs they came with smaller chargers

Users realised they had no chance of small laptops but they were asking for the smaller chargers and an unknowing member of staff obliged causing your issue.

I took great pleasure in mocking all the users who asked for the small packs.
Click to expand...
Well what happened with me was I gave it to IT with a full charge, and they didn't plug it in because it didn't need it.

When I got it back it was fine, I put it on charge and it just died off again.
 
Rob

Rob

ClioSport Moderator
iain187 said:
Did you know when you handed it in about the link to power causing your issue
Click to expand...
Course not! LOL

Basically, I got it. It was good for a few hours. Then it went pete tong. Then every day I came in and was plugging it in instantly because it was basically a desktop replacement for me.

After 2 days I got fed up and gave it to IT.

Got it back with no changes saying its fine.

I figured out the link to plugging it in. And noticed that it only charges at 1% an hour. Reported that and they were both stumped so I went off and did my own research.
 
Rob

Rob

ClioSport Moderator
Addicted said:
IT at their best!
Click to expand...
Standard.

They seem like good guys, but what frustrated me is that they seem to treat everyone the same. From the guy who's "trackpad has broken" (when he's accidentally turn it off with the function key) and then people like myself who has enough PC knowledge and knows when something isn't right but doesn't have the admin rights/time to fix it.
 
welshname

welshname

ClioSport Club Member
Rob said:
Standard.

They seem like good guys, but what frustrated me is that they seem to treat everyone the same. From the guy who's "trackpad has broken" (when he's accidentally turn it off with the function key) and then people like myself who has enough PC knowledge and knows when something isn't right but doesn't have the admin rights/time to fix it.
Click to expand...

When you work in IT support you will soon realise it's like groundhog day and you'll wonder why there isn't a massacre at your work caused by one of them snapping once a month.

Seriously.
 
I

iain187

  DCi
Rob said:
Standard.

They seem like good guys, but what frustrated me is that they seem to treat everyone the same. From the guy who's "trackpad has broken" (when he's accidentally turn it off with the function key) and then people like myself who has enough PC knowledge and knows when something isn't right but doesn't have the admin rights/time to fix it.
Click to expand...
In fairness to the IT guys, wrong power supply is a bit of a curve ball and your complaint was essentially 'my computers slow' which never goes down well - and you mentioned they didn't / couldn't replicate the fault at first

In fairness to you it was a brand new PC so they should have realised it was probably an issue but that really does hinge on repeating the fault otherwise slow PC just isn't priority in most IT departments that I've come across...

Devils advocate and that
 
M

mace¬

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio
Rob said:
Standard.

They seem like good guys, but what frustrated me is that they seem to treat everyone the same.
Click to expand...

Did you create the folder for them with the details they needed to diagnose the problem?

IT will be able to resolve any IT issue if you create the C:\Performance Logs\ folder and place naked pics of your Mrs in it. It is one of those strange phenomena.
 
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