My 2024 ASUS A16 is locking its CPU speed at around 400 MHz, even when the system is under load or I open applications. It stays there on the desktop as well. The fans appear to be working normally. I have already reset Windows, performed a clean Windows 11 installation from a USB drive, adjusted the power plan, and restored the BIOS to its default settings, but nothing changed. The laptop has a Ryzen 5 7535HS, RTX 4050, and 16 GB of DDR5 memory. What could be forcing the processor to run at such a low speed, and what should I check next?
2 Answers
Since a clean Windows installation and BIOS reset did not help, this may be firmware or hardware-level throttling rather than a Windows power-plan issue. Check temperatures and the CPU thermal-limit or throttling flags with a hardware monitor. Also try a full embedded-controller reset: shut the laptop down, unplug the charger, hold the power button for roughly 30–60 seconds, then reconnect the charger and start it again. If the adapter is detected correctly and the CPU is still fixed at 400 MHz, updating the ASUS BIOS and system-control/AMD chipset drivers would be reasonable. Persistent throttling after that points toward an adapter, motherboard, or sensor fault that likely needs warranty service.
400 MHz can be normal when the CPU is idle, but it should increase substantially when you launch a workload. If it remains locked there, check the simple hardware causes first: make sure the original ASUS charger is connected and recognized, try another outlet, and confirm the laptop is not in an extreme silent or battery-saving mode. Armoury Crate or MyASUS may also show a power, thermal, or adapter warning. If the charger is missing or not being detected, many laptops heavily throttle the CPU even when the fans are working normally.
It stays at 400 MHz even when I open programs or put it under load, and I have already reset the power settings and reinstalled Windows.