# ThrottleStop how to remove Throttle flag



## fm663 (Jan 3, 2019)

My Dell E7440 laptop goes into Throttle mode due to it stopped liking the power adapter, even though there is nothing wrong with it. All component temperatures are still fine, except the fan runs at 100% speed.

How to remove the Throttle indicator so that the laptop does not throttle causing high speed fan?

Also, is there a way to control the fan speed?


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## unclewebb (Jan 3, 2019)

Open up the Limit Reasons window.  What does it show?  Is BD PROCHOT red?  If so, try using ThrottleStop to disable BD PROCHOT.  This is a common throttling method used by Dell laptops.


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## fm663 (Jan 4, 2019)

Thanks for your help, here are my findings so far. If you want me to try other things please let me know.

*With BD-PROCHOT already disabled:*

When I have AC adapter connected, I get the following in the Limit Reasons window, where UTILIZATION blinks between RED and YELLOW. I have tried with three different Dell original chargers 65W, 90W and 130W - all same behavior. Also FAN speed is very high.

When AC adapter dis-connected, UTILIZATION stays YELLOW and fan speed is low

Note for all these testing above, I already had BD-PROCHOT already disabled.






*With BD-PROCHOT enabled:*

With BD-PROCSHOT enabled the laptop CPU speed keeps from dropping from 2.5GHz all the way down to 100MHz and then laptop hangs with super high speed fan. Screenshot below shows the Throttle state.

BD PROCHOT  and CORE POWER and GPU POWER appears where UTILIZATION blinks between RED and YELLOW.


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## unclewebb (Jan 4, 2019)

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_i5/Intel-Core i5-4300U Mobile processor.html

The 4300U uses configurable TDP levels.  The default TDP is 15 Watts, TDP-Up is supposed to be 25 Watts and TDP-down is 11.5 Watts.  Looks like Dell set a power limit way below this.  The last picture shows that your CPU is being forced down to 5 Watts or less so both the CPU and iGPU are throttling excessively. 

Have you tried enabling the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits feature?  You need to first download and install the RwDrv.sys file into your ThrottleStop folder.  Click on the Install button in this section of ThrottleStop for further details.

After you install and check that option, do some more testing to see if it makes any difference.  Also post a picture of the Turbo Power Limits (TPL) window so I can have a look.

Are you using ThrottleStop to undervolt your CPU?  That can help these low power devices too.

Instead of checking Set Multiplier, did you try setting the FIVR - Non Turbo Ratio to 1?  That can help with some throttling schemes.


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## fm663 (Jan 4, 2019)

Thank you for your help. I have disabled Turbo and also unchecked Multipler. Most of the warnings are gone, however I am getting getting GPU POWER in RED. here is a screenshot.

I do not know how to use FIVR Control. What values should I be setting?
There is also a GPU-Z sensors screenshot.


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## unclewebb (Jan 4, 2019)

fm663 said:


> I have disabled Turbo


Why?  I cannot remember recommending to do that.

I said you should check the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits box.  You need to push the Install button first to install the appropriate driver.  Try doing that first. 

 There are a few features in the FIVR window that might be able to significantly help you.


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## fm663 (Jan 5, 2019)

I am surprised by the power of this tool, I am still very new to this and want to learn all the parameters in details.

My laptop seems to be behaving a lot better. Here are the screenshots. Am I doing anything wrong or anything that can be set in a better.


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## unclewebb (Jan 5, 2019)

It looks like you are making progress.  

The first ThrottleStop profile is your Performance profile.  The goal should be maximum performance when you are plugged in.  Why is Disable Turbo checked and why is Set Multiplier only set to 25?  Your CPU supports a maximum multiplier of 29 so Set Multiplier should be set to 29 T.  The T indicates that Intel Turbo Boost will be used.  Intel built this performance into this CPU so do not be afraid to use it.  Keep in mind that Dell is the problem, not Intel.  

Intel CPUs do a fantastic job of looking after themselves.  Get rid of any negative thoughts about what is a safe maximum CPU temperature.  Intel designed all of their CPUs to automatically throttle and slow down if they ever get too hot.  Let the CPU manage its maximum temperature.  ThrottleStop cannot be used to go beyond the Intel maximum safe temperature so no worries.  A low power 4300U CPU cannot be overclocked so using ThrottleStop to maximize its performance is not going to hurt it.  You are only trying to extract the maximum performance that is already there. 

The Intel recommended thermal throttle temperature for the 4300U is 100°C.  ThrottleStop shows PROCHOT 97°C.  Dell has set a -3°C offset to the throttling temperature so it will throttle sooner than the Intel spec.  This means you do not have to worry about your CPU ever reaching the Intel specified maximum temperature.  It will throttle and slow down before it ever gets to 100°C.

In the FIVR window, set the voltage range to 125 mV instead of 1000 mV.  This is safer in case you accidentally move the voltage offset slider and hit OK without noticing what you just did.  No one wants to accidentally feed their CPU an extra +1000 mV.

Same with the VCCIN slider.  You are not using this feature yet but it is still safer to set the max to 1.80 V instead of 2.30 V.

The Power Saver option is intended for early Core 2 Duo mobile processors from about 10 years ago.  I would not use this feature on your CPU.  Modern CPUs use low power C states like C7 to save power.  When idle, sitting at the desktop with nothing open and only ThrottleStop running, a 2 core CPU should be spending well over 90% of its time in the C7 state.  99% in C7 would be ideal.






Remember, MHz when idle, not that important.  C state residency time, very important.  When a CPU core enters C7, it is disconnected from the voltage rail and it is also disconnected from the internal clock.  This means the core is running internally at 0 MHz and 0 Volts.  Traditional monitoring software can not accurately report what a core is doing when idle in C7 because it would have to wake the core up to sample it.  That's pointless.  Better to leave the dormant core alone so it can save power.  The ThrottleStop C state data is a way to see what a CPU core is really doing without having to wake it up. 

You might have some useless programs running in the background on your computer.  Open the Task Manager and find out what they are.  Click  on the Details tab and click on CPU to organize tasks from highest to lowest CPU Usage.  Turn off and get rid of what you do not need.  The Autoruns program is very useful for tracking down useless items that have been added to your Windows startup sequence.  

Autoruns
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

With only 2 cores available, it is important to run a clean system.  Getting rid of the crap and bloatware on a computer is a science.  Every time you install something, check that it is not significantly interfering with your CPU spending as much time as possible in the C7 state when idle.  

Your undervolt looks OK.  Try running something simple like the built in TS Bench test to make sure your CPU is stable.  Watch for any signs of throttling while that test is running.

The Package C State Limit is locked, probably by the bios to C10.  In ThrottleStop, the Request is set to C1.  Change the Request to C10.  If this register is locked by the bios to C10, there is no use wasting CPU cycles trying to change it to C1.


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## Danez (May 2, 2019)

How to fix that limit problem..and all my settings already good?


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## unclewebb (May 2, 2019)

@Danez - If you look in the Turbo Power Limits window, there is a Lock bit set for both the Turbo Boost Power Limits and the Lock bit is also set for the Primary Plane Power Limits.  These are set by the bios and once these registers have been locked, you cannot use software like ThrottleStop to make any adjustments.  You would need a modified bios that does not lock these registers at boot time and that is probably not available for your laptop.  No software can get around a register that is locked.


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## Danez (May 3, 2019)

unclewebb said:


> @Danez - If you look in the Turbo Power Limits window, there is a Lock bit set for both the Turbo Boost Power Limits and the Lock bit is also set for the Primary Plane Power Limits.  These are set by the bios and once these registers have been locked, you cannot use software like ThrottleStop to make any adjustments.  You would need a modified bios that does not lock these registers at boot time and that is probably not available for your laptop.  No software can get around a register that is locked.



i see ..btw..regarding my settings..all good? and the limit reasons no harm/issues if i continue using my settings?cpu temp while gaming around 70-75..that safe?or i need disable the turbo  and BD Prochot to reduce the cpu temp...


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## unclewebb (May 3, 2019)

Intel rates most of their CPUs to be able to run 100% reliably up to a core temperature of 100°C.
70°C to 75°C is perfectly safe.

BD PROCHOT is a throttling method.  If your laptop is not using the BD PROCHOT signal path to throttle your CPU then there is no reason to use ThrottleStop to disable this.  Limit Reasons will show BD PROCHOT near the top if your laptop uses this.

The Core i3 does not use Intel Turbo Boost so disabling this will not make any difference to your CPU speed.


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## Danez (May 3, 2019)

unclewebb said:


> Intel rates most of their CPUs to be able to run 100% reliably up to a core temperature of 100°C.
> 70°C to 75°C is perfectly safe.
> 
> BD PROCHOT is a throttling method.  If your laptop is not using the BD PROCHOT signal path to throttle your CPU then there is no reason to use ThrottleStop to disable this.  Limit Reasons will show BD PROCHOT near the top if your laptop uses this.
> ...



sry my bad..correction regarding the BD PROCHOT...what i  mean is i need to tick/untick the BD PROCHOT on throttlestop?as far i know..when untick BD prochot..that may increase laptop CPU temp..correct me if im wrong..


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## unclewebb (May 3, 2019)

Your Limit Reasons screenshot does not show BD PROCHOT in yellow or red.  That means that BD PROCHOT is not being used on your computer.  If this is not causing any throttling problems, you can leave BD PROCHOT checked in ThrottleStop.  Not all laptops use this throttling method.  Most do not use BD PROCHOT.

On a computer that is throttling because of BD PROCHOT, Limit Reasons will look like this.






Red box means throttling is in progress.  Yellow box means throttling happened after you turned on your computer.


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## Danez (May 4, 2019)

unclewebb said:


> Your Limit Reasons screenshot does not show BD PROCHOT in yellow or red.  That means that BD PROCHOT is not being used on your computer.  If this is not causing any throttling problems, you can leave BD PROCHOT checked in ThrottleStop.  Not all laptops use this throttling method.  Most do not use BD PROCHOT.
> 
> On a computer that is throttling because of BD PROCHOT, Limit Reasons will look like this.
> 
> ...



i see btw thanks so much bro for the explanation


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## yurikta (Oct 10, 2019)

I'm having trouble with the app, it just won't open.
My cpu is locked at 0.79ghz and I need this app to remove this lock.
Can someone help me????

Intel core i3 3220 2.2GHZ


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## unclewebb (Oct 10, 2019)

yurikta said:


> it just won't open


What antivirus program are you using?  Windows Defender will sometimes put ThrottleStop on its bad list and will prevent it from opening without telling you anything about what it has done.  Are you getting any sort of error message or no message at all?  The free version of Avast does not have this problem.  Every other antivirus program does not have a problem with ThrottleStop.  Only Windows Defender sometimes complains.

Are you using Windows 10?  What build?  There are some Windows 10 safety features that can prevent ThrottleStop from running.  The Windows 10 - Core Isolation Memory Integrity feature has to be disabled if you want to run ThrottleStop.


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## yurikta (Oct 11, 2019)

I'm using the latest released version of Windows 10.
Starting ThrottleStop This Error Appears


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## unclewebb (Oct 11, 2019)

*ERROR - 0xc000007b*


yurikta said:


> Starting ThrottleStop This Error Appears


You need to download and install the 2013 Visual C++ Redistributable packages.



			https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4032938/update-for-visual-c-2013-redistributable-package
		


Make sure you have installed both the x86 and x64 packages.  You need them both when running ThrottleStop on a 64 bit OS.


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## yurikta (Oct 11, 2019)

Now it worked and I was able to remove the cpu lock.
Thank you my friend!


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## bruno_9000 (Nov 23, 2019)

Thanks unclewebb and all others that helped, after searching and searching this was the final solution. Not only this incredible tool but the tips for running it inspite of the troubles of the dlls.
In my case it is a Dell inspiron i5 3rd gen that currently is running at 60°C and had this PROCHOT issue. But evidently some day may have reached a peak temperature that activated the throttle.


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## unclewebb (Nov 23, 2019)

BD PROCHOT and PROCHOT are two different things.  Which issue do you have?

Many Dell laptops have issues with BD PROCHOT.  Using ThrottleStop to disable these throttling signals to the CPU seems to cause no harm and allows the CPU to run at its full rated speed like Intel intended.

If your CPU ever gets too hot it will activate PROCHOT.  This is a different signal.  The moment your CPU cools down 1°C, this type of throttling will end and the CPU will be allowed to go back up to full speed.  This throttling problem is rarely an issue or even noticed.  Very smooth.  It is the BD PROCHOT one that you have to look out for.  BD PROCHOT induced throttling is typically caused by a bad sensor and usually has nothing to do with the actual temperature of anything.

Glad to hear you dot the necessary drivers installed and got ThrottleStop working for you to solve your issue.


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## frddl (Mar 28, 2020)

Hello everyone. I recently ran into the similar problem - my CPU was working with 0.40 ghz and the problem seems resolved after I removed the tick from BD PROCHOT signal.
However, Intel XTU shows me other two throttling types that my device is facing right now - Current/EDC Limit Throttling and Power Throttling.

I am very new to this type of issues and I would like to ask if something is wrong and if there is a way to fix it without any damage caused.
My device is Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3 2018 edition with i5-8250U (MX150 GPU, if this information is needed).
EDP Other under the Ring and PL2 are blinking between red and yellow.

Posting everything that I think can be helpful.


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## unclewebb (Mar 28, 2020)

The yellow THERMAL box and the check mark beside the PROCHOT 96°C both indicate that your CPU has been doing some thermal throttling because the CPU reached at least 96°C.

BD PROCHOT is a signal path to your CPU.  When a sensor anywhere on your motherboard or in your power adapter sends a signal down this line, the CPU instantly starts to throttle.  It uses the same mechanism as thermal throttling which is why some software like Intel XTU might show you thermal throttling.  In this case, that is not really true.  The CPU is not too hot.  It is often times a sensor, external to the CPU, that is causing this type of throttling.  Without being an engineer at Xiaomi, I have no idea what sensor they hooked up to the BD PROCHOT line.  Using ThrottleStop to disable BD PROCHOT will block these signals from getting to the CPU.  This will allow it to run at full speed again.  You will have to decide if doing that is a good thing.

It looks like you are running a BIOS version that has blocked CPU voltage control.  Xiaomi started doing this with later BIOS versions.  Do a Google search for your specific laptop model and you should be able to find more information.  Being able to under volt a laptop is a good thing.  Less voltage equals less power consumption and less heat.  Your temperature related thermal throttling problem would probably be gone if you could do some under volting.

You need to understand that the 8250U is actually a 15 Watt processor.  According to Intel, it has a TDP rating of 15 Watts.
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...-8250u-processor-6m-cache-up-to-3-40-ghz.html

Some manufacturers decided to ignore this rating.  When you try to run one of these CPUs at 25 Watts or beyond, the cooling system is often times not adequate to keep up with that level of power consumption.  That is why you start seeing PL1 and PL2 flashing red and yellow in Limit Reasons when stress testing.  This means the CPU is trying to use less wattage so it does not overheat.

In ThrottleStop, I would definitely be using the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits feature.  To use this, click on the Install button to the right of that feature and follow the directions.  You need to download a file from Mega and you need to install the file, RwDrv.sys into your ThrottleStop folder before checking the Disable option.  









						MEGA
					

MEGA provides free cloud storage with convenient and powerful always-on privacy. Claim your free 20GB now




					mega.nz
				




This feature can help give ThrottleStop more control over your turbo power limits.  Your settings are 25 and 44.  Run something like Cinebench R20 to load your CPU.



			https://www.maxon.net/en-us/products/cinebench-r20-overview/
		


While this is running, watch Limit Reasons for any boxes turning red which indicates the reason your CPU is throttling.  If your temperatures are OK, you can try increasing the turbo power limits.  If your CPU is reaching the thermal throttling temperature, 96°C, you might have to lower these power limits.

If your C states screenshot above is when your CPU was idle then you really need to clean things up.  When idle, CPU cores should be spending close to 99% of their time in the low power C7 state.  With only ThrottleStop open, if you are seeing a lot less than 99% when idle, you should probably find out what is running in the background on your computer and consider getting rid of it.

If EDP OTHER throttling is a problem, try increasing the FIVR - CPU Core - IccMax value.  Also try increasing the TPL - PP0 Current Limit.  I set both of these sky high so they do not interfere with performance.


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## frddl (Mar 28, 2020)

Thank you very much for a detailed answer.



unclewebb said:


> In ThrottleStop, I would definitely be using the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits feature.



Did that. Just run the benchmark using Cinebench - maxmimal value for temperature was 74 degrees, however PROCHOT 96% got a check mark right before the benchmark test ended.



unclewebb said:


> If your C states screenshot above is when your CPU was idle then you really need to clean things up. When idle, CPU cores should be spending close to 99% of their time in the low power C7 state. With only ThrottleStop open, if you are seeing a lot less than 99% when idle, you should probably find out what is running in the background on your computer and consider getting rid of it.



I double checked that. During idle state they were indicating values from 94% to 98%.



unclewebb said:


> If EDP OTHER throttling is a problem, try increasing the FIVR - CPU Core - IccMax value. Also try increasing the TPL - PP0 Current Limit. I set both of these sky high so they do not interfere with performance.



I increased the value before the Cinebench test, however both of the boxes kept switching from yellow to red and vice versa, but I did not notice that on idle state.

I did a little bit of googling for BIOS part and seems like my BIOS needs to be downgraded. I am not really confident about it as I am not sure if this will result in a working device or my BIOS will get bricked. 

I am not confident about leaving the laptop with disabled BD PROCHOT signal. Is there anything I should be afraid of if I keep it?


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## unclewebb (Mar 28, 2020)

The PROCHOT box indicator compares all of the temperature sensors on the CPU package.  Typically during a benchmark test, the hottest spot within the CPU package is usually coming from one of the cores.  If you clear the check mark in the PROCHOT box before you start a test, it would be very rare that the PROCHOT box will be checked afterward if the hottest core was only hitting 74°C.  Remember that it is up to you to clear this box before starting a test.  The CPU retains this record of throttling even when ThrottleStop is not running.  As soon as you start ThrottleStop, it will check the CPU to see if any throttling has occurred since you last booted up and it will show a check mark in the PROCHOT box if there was throttling.  In Limit Reasons you can press the CORE, GPU, RING headings to clear throttling information out of the CPU.  Some times, depending on your settings, even when idle, the CPU will immediately trigger and one or more of these boxes in Limit Reasons will light up in yellow.



frddl said:


> I increased the value


When you say you increased the value, how high did you go?  When I am testing, I set the current limits to the maximum possible.  My goal is to eliminate any reasons for throttling.

Down grading the BIOS is the only way to get the under volting feature back.  If you are not 100% comfortable doing this then do not do it.

Remember that disabling BD PROCHOT only blocks throttling signals that are generated outside of the CPU.  For years, laptop manufacturers never used this type of throttling.  Only recently some engineers thought it would be a good idea, before they realized that some external sensors are low quality and frequently crap out.  Regardless of whether BD PROCHOT is checked or not in ThrottleStop, your CPU will still throttle if it ever gets too hot.  Temperature related throttling is controlled by a separate PROCHOT signal that is generated inside the CPU.  This signal cannot be blocked.  I have seen BD PROCHOT cause way too much unnecessary throttling.  If you decide to keep this checked, the only thing to be afraid of is your CPU dropping down to 0.4 GHz and your laptop being completely unusable.  Is that what you paid for?  A new laptop that runs slower than a 10+ year old laptop?  Do yourself a favor and clear the BD PROCHOT box.

If you need some more advice, check the Log File option in ThrottleStop and then run a Cinebench R20 test.  Before you start logging data, in the Options window, check the Add Limit Reasons to Log File option.  When finished Cinebench testing, exit Cinebench and exit ThrottleStop so it can finalize your log file.  Open up the ThrottleStop / Logs folder and attach your log file to your next post so I can have a look.  Boxes flashing red only tells part of a story.  A log file gives a much better picture of your CPUs overall performance.


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## frddl (Mar 29, 2020)

Dear @unclewebb , sorry for late reply and thank you very much.

For both of the values I put the highest possible (in my case it is 255.75 for IccMax and 1023 for PP0 Current Limit). Boxes keep blinking so I am sharing the log file here as well.

Additionally, what I noticed about the laptop now is that it keeps sometimes going down to 0.40 for 10-15 seconds and gets higher again. Not sure if this is normal.


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## unclewebb (Mar 30, 2020)

frddl said:


> it keeps sometimes going down to 0.40 for 10-15 seconds


The log file you posted does not show any instances of your CPU going down to 0.40 GHz.  If you cleared the BD PROCHOT box, you should not be seeing 0.40 GHz when there is a load on your CPU.

Your log file shows that your constant throttling is being caused by the PL2 turbo power limit.  When your CPU is loaded and throttling, the POWER column mostly shows numbers in the 14.9 to 15.1 range.  If you installed the RwDrv.sys file into your ThrottleStop folder and checked the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits option, there is nothing more you can do to get beyond this 15 Watt limitation.  Your computer has been locked down by Xiaomi to 15 Watts.  I am not sure if the previous BIOS was also locked down like this.  With the BIOS you have now, there is no way to get beyond this limit.  With the previous BIOS, you might be able to go beyond this 15 Watt limit but there are no guarantees. 

Try searching some Xiaomi specific forums about your laptop model.  Other users have found a way to go back to the previous BIOS version.  Doing that would at least solve the voltage control problem you are having and going back to the previous BIOS might unlock your turbo power limits.


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## frddl (Mar 31, 2020)

I just found a way to go back to previous BIOS and unlock XTU. Trying that in a bit and will let you know about the results. I noticed the same 0.40 ghz a bit ago, opened ThrottleStop and checked Limits section. Seems weird to me because BD PROCHOT is not enabled but it appears in the Limits. Attaching the screenshot.


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## unclewebb (Mar 31, 2020)

frddl said:


> Seems weird to me because BD PROCHOT is not enabled but it appears in the Limits.


Your computer is sending BD PROCHOT throttling messages.  That is what those yellow boxes in ThrottleStop are telling you.  Using ThrottleStop to disable the BD PROCHOT signal path is telling the CPU to ignore those messages.



frddl said:


> unlock XTU


Intel XTU does not have an option for you to disable the BD PROCHOT function.  



frddl said:


> I noticed the same 0.40 ghz


Did you notice this in ThrottleStop or some other monitoring software?  Was there a load on your CPU?  Why not turn the ThrottleStop Log File option on.  It takes very little in terms of CPU resources to log your CPU with ThrottleStop.  That way you will have a record of any throttling the next time this happens.


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## Michael19264 (Apr 6, 2020)

I need help. My laptop has the capability to exceed up to 48 watts but instantly goes down again. Is there a way to make it go back up to max performance once Its cool again? @unclewebb any help would be greatly appreciated. I have an acer Aspire E15 E5-576G-81GD.

As you can see in the rightmost image, its indeed powerful enough to go up to 45watts or above.


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## unclewebb (Apr 6, 2020)

Why is Turbo Boost Short Power Max set to 17 and why is this not checked?  Check that box, set it to 44 and see what happens.  You are the second person within a couple of days with that exact same problem.  Did you copy your power settings from a YouTube video or maybe Acer is setting those limits wrong in the BIOS.

Edit - My mistake.  You are just posting the same stuff in multiple threads.  

Some laptop models are completely locked down while others are left wide open.  After you make that change, do some more testing.  If you cannot get beyond this limit using ThrottleStop then there is nothing else you can do.


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## Michael19264 (Apr 7, 2020)

It seemed to improve but still goes back down after a few seconds. I'm pretty sure it might be locked. Better than before though


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## Richo (May 15, 2020)

Hi,

Would really appreciate any help if possible @unclewebb.

I have a Dell XPS 15 - i7 8750H @ 2.2ghz.

Have noticed what seems like significant throttling lately, especially in games. When running CINEBENCH 20, the temperature jumps to 96, 97 degrees too.

I also don't have the install button next to the "Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits" checkbox.

Appreciate any help! Thanks


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## unclewebb (May 15, 2020)

Richo said:


> Dell XPS 15 - i7 8750H


The Dell XPS 15 runs hot and has known throttling problems, especially when gaming. The heat from the Nvidia GPU, when it is active, overwhelms the system and sends CPU temps up to the throttling point. There is not much you can do about bad design other than run your CPU at speeds well below its rated speed to try and reduce overall heat.

The first thing to check is when your computer is idle. With no web browser open or anything else, what does ThrottleStop report for C0% on the main screen? That should show 0.5% or less.



http://imgur.com/Sjo8mtn


Some people have stuff constantly running in the background that really does not need to be running. If you have high idle C0%, check the Task Manager Details tab to find out what is running in the background and get rid of what you do not need. Things like Microsoft Telemetry need to be disabled.



Richo said:


> I also don't have the install button next to the "Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits" checkbox.


Is the RwDrv.sys file already installed in your ThrottleStop folder? That button disappears after that file is installed. You can download it from Mega again but I am pretty sure you already have it installed.









						12.2 KB file on MEGA
					






					mega.nz
				




After that file is installed, check the Disable and Lock box. Some Dell laptops use different throttling schemes so checking this box will probably not solve anything. It is still a good idea to install the above file and check this option just to make sure this throttling method is not being used.

When you undervolt the Intel GPU, usually you need to undervolt the iGPU Unslice equally or else this part of your under volt will not work. Undervolting the Intel GPU is not that important since you are using the Nvidia GPU when gaming. I would not undervolt the Intel GPU. Save this for later or never.

I need to see a ThrottleStop Log File. Before turning this feature on, go into the Options window and check, Add Limit Reasons to Log File and also check Nvidia GPU. On the main screen check the Log File option, go play a game for 15 minutes or so and then exit your game and exit ThrottleStop so it can finalize your log file. Look in the ThrottleStop / Logs folder and then attach your log file to your next post. This will provide a lot more information compared to any screenshots.

When gaming, some people reduce the Turbo Ratio Limits. This slows the CPU down so it produces less heat. Reducing CPU performance is not ideal but there is not much you can do when the entire chassis is overwhelmed with too much heat. Slowing the CPU down is a good thing to do when games are not overly CPU dependent.

Your undervolt for your cache looks OK. Try running Cinebench and try reducing only the CPU core voltage further. Some users have seen reduced heat and improved performance by setting these two voltages differently. An offset of -110 mV for the cache and maybe -200 mV for the core. Bump the core in -20 mV steps and see if there are any improvements while maintaining stability. Not sure why this works but it definitely does on some laptops with the 8750H and 9750H.


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## Richo (May 15, 2020)

Thanks so much for the reply @unclewebb.

My C0% does seem to be high at idle with nothing specifically open, sitting at around 10-15%.

And you're right about the "Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits", I already had the RwDrv.sys file in the folder, just didn't realise I didn't need the install button anymore.

Also, some likely obvious information, but I disabled Turbo just to keep the temperatures down, which worked and stopped throttling, but not sure if it's something I have to resort to.

I've attached the log file where throttling did occur.

Thanks again.


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## unclewebb (May 15, 2020)

I thought idle CO% was high. That is why I mentioned it. Go to the Details tab in Task Manager. There has to be stuff running in the background that really does not need to be running. You can see from my screenshot that running Windows 10, including ThrottleStop, takes up hardly any CPU cycles. Useless background tasks will add unnecessary heat and can cause stutters while gaming.

I would not disable turbo. Your CPU reaches the thermal throttling temperature in the log file but only once. Look at ways to reduce heat without sacrificing turbo boost. You can even lower the turbo ratio limits slightly to keep the temps down without having to completely disable turbo boost. 

Have you done some Cinebench testing yet with reduced CPU voltage?


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## Richo (May 15, 2020)

Thanks @unclewebb.

I'll have to find some items to stop running in the background, although when checking, almost all have a CPU usage of 0, although I suppose that may change from time to time. I thought I saw in a previous post you wrote, there was a program used to eliminate some of these unnecessary processes? Do you happen to remember what it's called?

I have changed the CPU voltage in stages, now its at -200mV. There were gradual improvements to CINEBENCH, although still instant throttling and red icons for THERMAL and EDP OTHER in the Limit Reasons. 

I've attached the log again for during CINEBENCH if that's useful. 

Thanks.


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## unclewebb (May 15, 2020)

O&O Shutup 10 might have been the free tool that I mentioned before.





						O&O ShutUp10++ – Free antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11
					

With the freeware O&O ShutUp10++, unwanted Windows 10 and 11 features can be disabled and the transfer of sensitive personal data onto Microsoft prevented.




					www.oo-software.com
				




Use the Details tab in Task Manager. There is no way that ThrottleStop will report 10% to 12% in the C0 state with the Task Manager showing 99% idle. Something must be running on your computer. Find it. Click on the CPU heading in that window to organize your running tasks.



http://imgur.com/wtyyoP6


Not much you can do with constant thermal throttling. Apple made a fortune selling thin laptops that depend on thermal throttling because there is no room for an adequate heatsink and fan. I guess Dell decided to follow their business model. A CPU that is capable of running at 70W to 80W is too much for this chassis.


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## BikeHelmet (May 16, 2020)

Have you tried dropping the Turbo Boost power limits? If it can't draw as much power, it won't turbo as high. Maybe try 35 or 45 watts or something, and see if it changes the turboing behaviour to be more acceptable? I have an older i7-6600U which can turbo two cores into the mid 3's off a 25w power limit with the IGPU going. With a more efficient manufacturing process and a slightly higher limit, you might still be able to get a reasonable 2-core turbo on that six-core CPU. Worth a shot, anyway?

I'm talking about the Turbo Long Power Max specifically. (Drop to 35w or 45w to control turboing and temperatures?) The short power max can stay up there, perhaps adjusting the duration downward. You still want web browsing and stuff as snappy as possible, after all.


I do computer tuneups all the time. For disabling background stuff, I would:
-Run Services.msc
Disable (If you don't use file sharing / networking): Distributed Link Tracking Client, Server, Webclient, MAYBE Windows Update. (If you don't want it running when you're gaming. Or get Sledgehammer if you HATE Microsoft updates.)

-Run CCleaner
CCleaner has annoying popups now, so I typically block all its EXE's in my firewall - and then disable the smart cleaning so it isn't running in the background. But it's an invaluable tool for enabling/disabling startup programs and removing junk. Seeing all version numbers in its uninstall list is also invaluable when scoping out updates for software.

-Run Autoruns
Disable anything where the file is missing. Be careful not to turn off too much. You can turn off some extras like WinRAR or Adobe explorer hooks, if they're slowing your OS (and right clicks) down and you don't want them - but be careful disabling Microsoft stuff or anything that you don't recognize.

-Run WinAeroTweaker
Turn off LiveTiles, disable any other Microsoft stuff that you don't want running. Not long ago Cortana was gobbling GB's of RAM and re-indexing stuff while games were up, while using 100% of one core. How they define an "idle" computer has since been improved, but with Microsoft I have found that the more disabled their apps are, the quicker a machine runs. If you're not using it, disable it. I also purge the start menu myself, and go with OpenShell. Although not an issue on modern SSD powered systems, the performance difference is night and day on older computers, or performance starved ones like ancient Netbooks. I have seen netbooks take 7 or 8 minutes to search out a control panel setting in Win10, while OpenShell can get there in about 20 seconds on such lowly hardware. Obviously on your laptop you wouldn't notice much of a difference, but it is lighter and searches quicker and more thoroughly, and is a more customizable start menu, so I give it thumbs up all around.

Shutup10 can finish off disabling some things that WinAero Tweaker misses. I like to disable Edge running in the background. I'm a background software minimalist. Only what I need and choose, none of that pushy Microsoft stuff gobbling my GBs!

And finally - make sure you have the latest Intel RST drivers for your Intel powered laptop. The latest driver for your computer depends on your CPU/chipset. In my case with an i7-6600U, it seems to be v17.7, but slighly older processors like the 4th gen max out on 14.8.16.1063 - but for yours it will be the very latest, as long as this is being read in 2020. Try different versions and find out. If it's the wrong one, go back a version. Some of the newer Intel graphics drivers also delivered significant improvements all around, although I doubt you need them since you have discreet graphics.

Hope that helps.


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## musty_exp (May 17, 2020)

Hello all. I have a brand new acer swift 3 315-52g laptop with i5-8250u. I can't use any features of throttlestop except disabling turbo. I can't even use any stress test program. Because thermal throttling or a power throttling (I don't know which one) steps in when temperature reaches 70C and causing to decrease frequency to like 2.3ghz. Isn't it too early to throttle? In games, it reaches 75C, but haven't seen anything more than that level. Since all these reasons, when i start a stress test, cpu freq drops to 2.3ghz in 10 seconds with %100 throttle and 70C. It's like something prevent it to go above that 70C level. I'm not sure if it's thermal throttling or something like power throttling. Same laptop users didn't experience such a thing.
I'd appreciate any help.


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## unclewebb (May 17, 2020)

musty_exp said:


> I'd appreciate any help.


I would appreciate seeing some pictures. Try running Cinebench R20. Post a picture of ThrottleStop with Limit Reasons open while your CPU is throttling. If you do not know if your problem is temperature or power related, Limit Reasons will tell you.



			https://www.maxon.net/en-us/products/cinebench-r20-overview/
		


Most throttling is power related. The 8250U has a 15W TDP rating. In some laptops, you cannot go beyond this power limit so CPU throttling is the result. It is not a good idea to buy a laptop with a low power CPU if gaming is important to you.

Post lots of ThrottleStop pictures of all of the windows, FIVR, TPL, etc. and maybe I can make some suggestions.


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## musty_exp (May 17, 2020)

unclewebb said:


> I would appreciate seeing some pictures. Try running Cinebench R20. Post a picture of ThrottleStop with Limit Reasons open while your CPU is throttling. If you do not know if your problem is temperature or power related, Limit Reasons will tell you.


I sent it to the Acer service to increase the RAM without harming warranty conditions. I'll be sharing pictures when i have it again. I actually preferred it for office works but i occasionally play some old games with decent graphic quality. Thanks a lot for your answer.


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## musty_exp (May 23, 2020)

Here are my throttlestop limit results. cpu freq setttles in 2.3 after reaching 70C. Cinebench R20 multicore score is around 1100.


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## musty_exp (May 28, 2020)

Any thoughts? I succeded to increase cinebench score by reducing voltage by -.050v. My cinebench r15 score is 503 now. PL still shows up, but a bit lately now. By the way, I'm open to any advice on how to set a certain frequency value like 2.5ghz. Throttlestop doesn't help on this.


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## unclewebb (May 28, 2020)

@musty_exp - In the TPL window what are your turbo power limits set to? Your screenshot above shows that you have not tried checking the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits feature. Try using that feature.

Are you undervolting the CPU core and CPU cache? Did you try undervolting the CPU core more than the cache?

Did you try increasing the PP0 Current Limit? If you need help, post a screenshot of the TPL window.

Post a screenshot of ThrottleStop with Limit Reasons open while the CPU is loaded with Cinebench.


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## musty_exp (May 28, 2020)

Thank you @unclewebb for your suggestions. I fixed the freq in FIVR. I also increased the short turbo power max to 25. Decreasing the max turbo frequency to 2.9ghz. Powers were stable at around 24W, I didn't face any power limit throttling and cinebench score was increased to 600 with around 84C. I think i'm gonna fix it to 2.4 and give it a go when playing games. I undervolted both cpu core and cache. I think I kinda solved my problem but still curious about current limit. Decreasing it should decrease the power created, no?


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## unclewebb (May 28, 2020)

Intel CPUs use a variety of limits, both power and current. These two overlap. If you reduce the current limit too low, you will see EDP OTHER throttling before you see PL1 or PL2 throttling.

Have fun making adjustments. Hopefully you can find the right combination. Computers should be simple but they are not.


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## BikeHelmet (May 29, 2020)

@unclewebb I have a Core i7-6600U. It had 25w limits. I bumped it up and PL1/PL2 red throttling disappeared when running dual heavy benchmarks. (Ex: OCCT + a GPU bench or 4K YouTube)

However, Ring EDP Other continues to blink red during benchmarks. Occasionally it will also show up for Core, and once in a blue moon for GPU, but that's quite rare.

What would you recommend that I do to the PP0 current limit to try to eliminate this?

Cheers,


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## unclewebb (May 29, 2020)

When you see PL1 in the Core column and EDP OTHER in the Ring column lighting up red at the same time, it is your long term turbo power limit causing this. Either increase that limit beyond 30W or be happy with the 30W performance you are getting out of a CPU that has a 15W TDP rating.









						Product Specifications
					

quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.




					ark.intel.com
				




When the PP0 Current Limit is set to 0, that usually means that it is not being used. You can try setting this to 100 but I do not think it will make any difference. It is the Turbo Boost Long limit that is causing the throttling in the screenshot you posted.


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## BikeHelmet (May 30, 2020)

It doesn't seem to increase beyond 30w even if I set it at a much higher number. Could it be limited in the BIOS or somewhere else? I don't think I'd go higher than 35w even if I could, due to cooling limitations.

Edit: Figured it out by tinkering with values. iccMax was too low in FIVR. Played with that and got a higher wattage pull.

Also, if I do 4K video + OCCT + Heaven, I get this. Temps go up to 94C, though with a 35w pull - I think I found the cooling limit. I'll likely back it off to around 25-30w and be happy, now that I understand how it works a little bit better.


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## unclewebb (May 30, 2020)

Are you using the FIVR - Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits feature? Before checking that box, you need to download, unzip and install the RwDrv.sys file into your ThrottleStop folder.









						12.2 KB file on MEGA
					






					mega.nz
				




Install that and set the long power limit to 35W. If you are still limited to 30W, there is nothing else you can do. I think you are doing pretty good if you have been able to get a CPU with a 15W TDP rating to run reliably at 30W.


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## BikeHelmet (May 30, 2020)

Yep, I am!









I am pretty happy with these settings. I don't need to roast my CPU. I want it fast but stable and not cooking itself or its voltage regulators.

Edit: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/28724922

It says CPU throttled to 92%. That happens even when I unlock higher current/wattage in ThrottleStop. I will ignore since I'm already in the 95th to 98 percentile for this CPU.


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## Richo (May 31, 2020)

Thanks for your help and suggestions @unclewebb & @BikeHelmet. I did clear some items up in the startup and the cpu is running at least under a little less stress. I've found even after all the suggestions, that Disabling Turbo Boost at certain times has been the only way to prevent throttling during games. Some of these games which run fine still with it disabled. So this has been a very helpful thing to discover at least. 

I'm thinking perhaps re-pasting will be the only solution left, or I was also considering if laptop cooling fans are worth the time/money. Thanks again for all the help.


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## BikeHelmet (May 31, 2020)

For extended gaming sessions? Yes, probably worth having a cooler. (At least if you tend to set up in an area and game.) At the very least, less heat usually results in longer lifespan. They're not too expensive, and some act as usb hubs if you're low on ports.





						Amazon.com: GARUNK Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad for 13.3-17.3 inch Laptop / PS4 with 4 Quite 125mm Fans at 1500 PRM and Colorful LED, Dual USB 2.0 Ports and Adjustable Mount Stand, Black: Computers & Accessories
					

Amazon.com: GARUNK Laptop Cooler Cooling Pad for 13.3-17.3 inch Laptop / PS4 with 4 Quite 125mm Fans at 1500 PRM and Colorful LED, Dual USB 2.0 Ports and Adjustable Mount Stand, Black: Computers & Accessories



					www.amazon.com
				




Having a bit of extra positive pressure coming into the vents, plus having additional cooling across the entire chassis should help if you tend to play for extended time periods.

I would re-paste if you haven't in a long time. I put Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut paste on mine. Every few degrees help!





						Amazon.com: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut The High Performance Thermal Paste for Cooling All Processors, Graphics Cards and Heat Sinks in Computers and Consoles (5,55 Gram /1,5 ml): Computers & Accessories
					

Buy Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut The High Performance Thermal Paste for Cooling All Processors, Graphics Cards and Heat Sinks in Computers and Consoles (5, 55 Gram /1, 5 ml): Heatsinks - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com
				




If you get temperatures well  under control, you can then play with power limits to get a bit more power when you have heavy CPU+GPU load.


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## Richo (Jun 1, 2020)

Thanks so much for the links and recommendations. 

Do you recommend this cooling pad then?

I haven't pasted with thermal paste on this laptop before, but seen it has been recommended generally regarding Dell XPS's. So may give that a go. Cheers!


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## BikeHelmet (Jun 2, 2020)

I recommend whatever cooling pad is cheap, has large quiet fans and adequate airflow to cover a laptop's entire body. There's no reason that slapping 2-4 $3 fans (in China) onto injection moulded plastic (< $1)  equals a $60 cooling pad. That's some crazy markup. BOM is $6-15 for all these cooling pads. Go for whatever appeals to you. They're probably all equally reliable. Just make sure to prioritise large quiet fans with good airflow. I linked that one because of that, plus the USB hub. But as I said, look around and see what appeals to you.


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## Richo (Jun 12, 2020)

Thanks, I managed to pick one up. 

Also just to update, I took apart the Dell and found a really surprising amount of dust in and around the fans. So I think that was causing some big issues.

I also cleaned and applied the new thermal paste.

Seems to be performing much better now.  

Achieved 2,900 on Cinebench20. Temperatures still get quite high during the test, but no more thermal issue showing on Throttlestop Limits. However am getting PL1 and EDP Other about half way through.

I did push the cpu offset voltage quite a bit from what it was, so would appreciate an opinion on if they look okay and safe. (Or if I can/should try fix the PL1 throttle)

Thanks so much!


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## unclewebb (Jun 12, 2020)

Initially your log file shows your CPU running at the full 39.00 multiplier with no throttling. After a short amount of time, the CPU switches to the long term power limit which you have set to 56W. The CPU throttles a little and runs a little slower so it does not exceed 56W. If you want to avoid throttling you can bump this power limit up to 60W or 65W. At 65W during long term full load use, you might run into thermal throttling instead of power limit throttling. 60W might be a good compromise.

When under volting the Intel GPU, you need to under volt the iGPU Unslice equally as well. As long as your CPU is stable, your CPU under volt settings are fine.


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## Richo (Jun 18, 2020)

Okay, thanks very much for all your help. 

PC is definitely running a lot better than it was before. I've learnt a lot too. 

Thanks for throttlestop and all the dedicated support your giving.


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