I used Control Power Power Options on the CPU, and reset to default. That really set all items, but it included CPU. The processor speed now seems normal, and variable.

This may have been at the root of my problem with FF speed or lack of.

The editor on this reply is typing a full speed.

start => in the search tape (( msconfig )) & chose startup then advanced after that number of processors chose them all :)

unless you are running an insane amount of background apps I strongly suggest you keep processing speeds at "Auto". By pumping up the speeds it will not only consume more electricity but it will also generate more heat. With more heat you are exposing it to thermal throttling which will cause performance degradation. You will need a decent cooling system to keep it working at 90% especially with insane loads to keep it healthy.

Thanks, the fix to "default" power management seems to have returned the CPU to auto and variable. That helped with my ongoing Firefox performance. I have it set to not run "Flash" and whenever I need some pics and streaming info I have to enable "Flash". This doesn't seem to be as much of a problem with IE in which "Flash" is always "on".

I am also notw running a manual test by switching between DSL at 8 Mb max and Cable at 105 Mb max. Neither ever test at "max" and the Cable i usually under 25 Mb. Strangely I can not see any performance advantages in the higher cable speed. I may nonetheless drop my long time relationship with the telephone company (over 50 years) and go for the Cable Triple Play... more tv channels and less cost compared to Telephone/DSL and limited Cable TV.

Jerry, i think you'd be happier if you stopped messing around with settings and control areas of your PC that you really don't understand. Default settings are optimized for a balance of situations. You're more likely to screw something up than to improve your experience by changing defaults. If you don't like the performance of your PC, sell it and buy one with better specs.

Internet connections are described by the measurement of megabits per second (Mb/s). Whether you get the stated spec depends on many variables - the age and quality of the wiring, the distance between your house and the end of the telco's fiberoptic connection (DSL), the age of the provider's neighborhood equipment, other users in the neighborhood (for cable), etc. The internet provider will always qualify any service tier description with language saying it depends on local factors.

Think of a higher number as bandwidth and capacity, not "speed". To illustrate, connect a 1/2 inch pipe and a 2 inch pipe to the water main in your street and then turn them on. The water flows at the same speed through each but more water flows through the bigger pipe. That's how an internet connection works. A higher number is a bigger pipe that provides more throughput (at the same speed as a smaller pipe) .

Higher "speed" connections are important when there are multiple simultaneous users. For one user, once you get above a speed that eliminates delays (say like around a consistent 5 Mb/s) you're not going to see much difference in your experience. The originating websites you connect to flow out information like a garden hose, not like a fire hose, because that's all that's required.

Thanks, my most troublesome PC (laptop) is my newest and W8, that may be part of the problem.

While I am more an electronic type than an plumber, your pipe description is great and I hope others read it - I found it helpful, if accurate on the part about content providers.
. As for "it depends" on local, I can say I ran tests offered from the web end-to-end and while the tests were not runs simultaneous (DSL verses Cable) they were in the same week. My DSL is spec'ed at 8 Mb max, and is consistently over 6 Mb and consistently delivers the same, maybe faster on initial delivery of my browser home page which is DSL ISP provided. Your statement about the content provider controlling via a garden hose size connection determines how much data is being sent my way, is sufficient, in their minds. To my mind it isn't as I see sprits of unsynchronized autio/video and even delay/breaks occassionally Worse, when I want to advance (even with Netfilx) to a later point in the program it take way to long to advance and seems to be totally independent of the access speed.

As for my slow too old W8 PC I can say when new about a year ago, I did not have any browser (Firefox) delay complaints.

One of the helpful contributors here took me to "help2go" to analyze test dumps on my subject W8 machine, and while a number of hand selected deletions were made, the problem continues. The problem, as is not the case right now as I type, I have "Flash" on request only - it is not now on and there are no troubling delays in the display of the typed words,. I think Flash Off may also spare me a lot of marketing crap being shoved my way... I have noticed low volume which is another complaint I have on laptops in general and the newest W8 in particular, is the on-board speakers are first Crap and second do no produce sufficient volume to be useful, even in a quiet room and when wearing hearing aids. Yes, one of the benefits of old age, failing hearing... and I suppose thinking.

" I see sprits of unsynchronized autio/video and even delay/breaks occassionally Worse, when I want to advance (even with Netfilx) to a later point in the program it take way to long to advance and seems to be totally independent of the access speed. "

I don't know enough nor see enough through the ether to give you a conclusive diagnosis, but what you're describing are symptoms of slow hardware. I can experience this on my smartphone or a netbook (with a 1.6 GHz 2-core processor), but not on a more normally equipped PC or laptop, all of which would be using the identical internet connection (tested at >20 Mbps).

Try rebooting your modem and router (if separate), and try using the fastest PC you have. I promise you there is no transmission lag for Neflix (other than a few moments for a bit of caching) on a 6 Mbs line.

By the way, on an "8" connection, you'll normally not see anything north of 7 on a speed test, because of so-called transmission "overhead" that consumes 10-15 % of the available bandwidth.