Imagine sitting at your computer, enjoying a high end game, stretching your rig to its limit. Suddenly a message pops up on your screen, saying something about power limit throttling. You start to panic, thinking something is seriously wrong with your PC. Not to worry though, since power limit throttling is a common issue and thankfully you can easily fix it.
Power limit throttling is especially common amongst gamers running custom rigs, however it can affect just about anyone. Fortunately, it’s not an incredibly serious issue, and there are ways to quickly deal with the problem.
If you need an answer fast, not to worry, we’ve got you covered. In short, Power Limit Throttling is when your CPU generates too much heat, that then takes time to dissipate.
What Is Power Limit Throttling?
Power Limit Throttling is a preventative measure taken by your PC to prevent serious damage to your CPU.
When the core of the CPU exceeds the throttle temperature limit, set by your BIOS settings and processor, your PC will reduce the amount of power to the CPU, to ensure the temperature reduces, and damage is avoided.
Now if there was a situation where the temperature was too intense and your PC couldn’t bring the heat down, such as when you’re overclocking your rig way too much, the PC will instead shut down, to prevent damage to your system.
It could be one of three things, limited cooling capacity, lower core voltage of the CPU or, if you’re using Intel XTU, PL1/PL2 Power Limits are set too low.
The great news is that all these issues can be fixed very easily.
If you’re needing better cooling for your system, we’re here to help.
Here’s a great liquid cooling option Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix Liquid CPU Cooler or if you prefer air cooling try this highly rated, Noctua NH-D15 chromax.Black, Dual-Tower CPU Cooler (140mm, Black).
Thermal Throttling Vs Power Limit Throttling
The difference between thermal throttling and power limit throttling is pretty easy. Thermal Throttling is when the speed of the CPU is reduced because of excessive heat.
Power Limit Throttling has the CPU speed reduced according to its thermal design power rating.
CPU Throttling Fix FAQ
Should I Turn Off Power Limit Throttling?
If you have a basic PC it’s not recommended to turn off power limit throttling, since it prevents your CPU from overheating and causing serious damage.
However if you have a high end rig, with adequate cooling, you can go ahead and turn off power limit throttling and you should get much better performance.
Why Is My Power Limit Throttling?
This would be occurring due to either overclocking of the CPU or inadequate cooling systems.
Both can be fixed by either upgrading your cooling, Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix Liquid CPU Cooler or Noctua NH-D15 chromax.Black, Dual-Tower CPU Cooler (140mm, Black) are both great options.
You can also install software to monitor the temperature of your CPU.
How To Disable CPU Throttling In BIOS
In order to disable CPU throttling in BIOS follow the below steps:
- While booting your PC, press the delete button to enter the BIOS
- Navigate to Advanced CPU Configuration, then Advanced Power Management Configuration
- Then you want to change Power Technology to Custom and Energy Efficient Turbo to Disable
- Navigate to CPU P State Control and deactivate EIST (P-States) and Turbo Mode
- Lastly go to CPU C State Control, change Package C State Limit to C0/C1 state and deactivate CPU C3 Report, CPU C6 Report and Enhanced Halt State (C1E).
Final Words About What Is Power Limit Throttling & How To Stop CPU Throttling
Overall Power Limit Throttling is a great thing, as it prevents unnecessary damage to your PC. Gamers with high end rigs probably don’t need it since their cooling systems are advanced enough to prevent their CPU from overheating.
However, if you are experiencing the issue, you now know, all you need to do is either upgrade your cooling system or change your settings.
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