My HP ProBook 445 G11 periodically gets stuck running at only 0.40 GHz while using Windows 11. This happens even during light workloads, and the laptop becomes noticeably slow and stuttery when CPU usage rises to around 60–70%. Restarting temporarily restores normal performance, but the problem eventually returns. The issue does not seem to happen when I use Linux. Windows is already set to Best performance on both battery and AC power. What could be causing this, and how can I diagnose or fix it?
4 Answers
The 0.40 GHz reading is not normal if the whole laptop is actually lagging. Changing Windows to High performance may not override a hardware-level power or thermal limit. Since this is an AMD-based ProBook, Intel-specific tools such as ThrottleStop are not the right solution. Look for power-limit or thermal-throttling indicators, test with the correct AC adapter, and consider having HP inspect the machine if the BIOS or embedded controller is forcing the minimum clock.
Check CPU temperatures and whether the clock drops because of thermal protection. When the slowdown happens, monitor temperature, CPU package power, and throttling flags with a hardware-monitoring tool. If temperatures are normal, update the BIOS, AMD chipset drivers, and HP power-management components from HP’s support page. A firmware or driver problem could explain why this mainly occurs in Windows rather than Linux.
Start by checking the charger and power delivery. Make sure you’re using the original HP adapter with the correct wattage and that Windows recognizes it properly. An underpowered, incompatible, or failing adapter can make a laptop reduce the CPU to its lowest speed so it can keep running while charging. Also compare what happens on battery versus when plugged in, and check whether the system is set to Balanced or Best performance.
Because a restart clears the problem temporarily, I’d also try installing all Windows and HP firmware updates, then reset the BIOS to its default settings if any power or performance options were changed. If the issue continues with the original charger, normal temperatures, and current drivers, run HP’s built-in hardware diagnostics. A failing adapter, battery, motherboard power circuit, or sensor could be triggering an emergency low-frequency mode.
I checked the temperatures before and they appeared normal, but I’ll monitor them again together with the power and throttling readings.