ACEPC T11 with CPU 30% in IDLE

[iancilos]

Hello everyone, I am an owner of ACEPC T11, 4GB and 64GB MMC model.
I have a really unpleasant problem... I always have the CPU at 30% in idle, even if I don't do anything it's always the "ntkrnlmp.exe" process at 30% of the CPU.
I reinstalled OS Win 10 (both old and new versions) reinstalling the drivers kindly linked by admin but still this problem.
I also reinstalled the official ACEPC image for T11, again kindly linked by admin.

All this happens as soon as I install the drivers, without drivers installed you don't have this problem, however this causes performance and heat problems that make this otherwise wonderful MiniPC unusable.
With Ubuntu this doesn't happen, I also tested RAM and MMc, all OK

I think it requires some driver update (which I can't find anywhere) or bios adjustment/update.
I am at your complete disposal for any clarification or provision of other details.
Thanks in advance for anyone who wants to help me

ACEPC T11 with CPU 30% in IDLE

[barry777]

Suggestion 1: Uninstall or disable unnecessary applications
Suggestion 2: Check if Windows Update is running in the background
Suggestion 3: Use Driver booster to update the driver version (you can use the free version, no need to use the paid version)



Also consider trying to upgrade your device for a better experience.

[dragonpoo]

Along with what Barry recommended, a few other suggestions.

There are plenty of websites that explain ntkrnlmp.exe issues and BSODs can happen, and the fixes can be various. All BIOS menus include an option to reset it back to the factory/vendor default, so try that if you're not sure what could have changed.

I'd also suggest making sure Windows is updated. Your screenshot shows Windows 10 version 2004, which has been out of support from Microsoft since 2021. Get updated to 22h2 if possible, and make sure your OS is reporting 19044.3xxx (build 3448 is out today, Patch Tuesday for September 2023). It's likely that some updates have already fixed these performance issues.

Windows 10 Update History: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/top ... 7be1ef3562

As for drivers, I typically use the default ones from Windows Update, and only install missing ones if necessary. You mentioned some drivers seem to cause issues, so if you can identify those, then uninstall them and see what Windows does to recover. It's possible that some of those drivers aren't necessary for your daily use of a system.

Sometimes, systems just need to run for a few hours; especially after a new Windows install or updates, the security software needs to scan everything again. MMC is slow storage, so I'm not surprised it could take some time. I usually give my systems a fresh reboot after everything is installed, and just let them sit overnight.

[iancilos]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies!
I am a computer technician and I have performed various tests:

1 No applications installed, only OS and drivers
2 Windows update has no process running, as per the screen
3 tested both with the official AcePC drivers in this forum and the updated ones
4 Tested both with the official ACEPC images. Windows 10 version 2004 in the screenshot is the official ACEPC one, specifically put there to demonstrate that it also has problems with the official image.
5 Tested Windows 11, both with drivers installed automatically by Windows and with the official ACEPC ones and those updated via Snappy Driver
6 The ntkrnlmp.exe process is powered due to the iaioi2c.sys driver (or iaioi2ce.sys in another updated driver) but the fault is not of the driver but of a bug in the management of the BIOS, this busy CPU will never disappear even after all the night
7 BIOS reset to factory settings, even with CMOS reset
8 Tested with Linux, it has no problem with processes busy in loops like with Windows.
9 Tested hardware, RAM, EMMC no errors. The mainboard was also inspected to check that there was no dirt, foreign covers or damaged parts.

It's not the fault of the drivers, it's the fault of the BIOS which causes this problem on certain revisions of the motherboard released by ACEPC.
Because of this problem, many have lost trust in ACEPC precisely because they blame the slowness of the system.
The Z8350 processor manages to do a great job if not crippled with 30% of the CPU occupied by ntkrnlmp.exe.

BIOS inspection and update required!

[brandoman]

I did a quick google search on this, because the issue only happens in Windows, I don't think it is bios related as the issue should in theory follow to linux,

https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-NU ... -p/1461949
https://appuals.com/fix-system-interrup ... cpu-usage/
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums ... rhigh-cpu/

Can you see if any of the above helps?

@Barry777, I know the BIOS on these unit's are usually fairly "unlocked" Could there be a component that windows is trying to utilize (Serial is a big one) that is not "installed" leading to a loop from a Kernel perspective? I'd take a few guesses, but I don't have one of these unit's to play around with.

[dragonpoo]

Iancilos, is there a reason you think this is a BIOS issue, and not a Windows issue? Since the problem is only happening on Windows, the suggestions from brandoman would be a good starting point.

I'll also point out, you said you tested Windows 11 on this, but... well, Z8350 doesn't support it. I wouldn't go that route. I have hacked Win11 on a few unsupported systems and I've been unimpressed (but I don't like Win11 right now, anyway.) If anything, I would recommend testing something like Windows 10 Enterprise or LTSC, without the Store.