# BSOD or screen freeze while using ThrottleStop



## kelphs (Sep 21, 2021)

Hello everyone,

I have a acer nitro 5 AN515-54, with i5 9300h and gtx 1650, and I'm having some problems while using throttleStop.
Since I bought it I tried using ThrottleStop to avoid daming the hardware while playing games (temp would go beyond 90ºC and thermal throttle). After some time using it, idk if I did mess up with some configs, but it started giving BSOD, especially while playing. At the same time I added a 8 Gb RAM. I thought it could be the problem, but I ran memtest86 without any error and tried using the notebook with only the new memory, and it worked fine.
In a desperate attempt, I did a clean windows install, and tried to useThrottleStop again, with the preset config for i5 8300h (ThrottleStop Undervolt Profiles Pre-Made — Acer Community).
While Throttlestop is running, suddenly the screen freezes and I have to shut it down by holding the power button (the sound and keyboard stops working, just the keyboard backlight continues working).
What I know is i'm having some warnings in event viewer, and idk if it's related somehow. I just want to know if it's related to Throttlestop config or it's a hardware problem, because it's still under warranty.
Is there a log for throttlestop, so I could find why is it freezing my system?


The attached prints show the last config I tried, but still froze the screen.


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## unclewebb (Sep 21, 2021)

It is always a bad idea to use a preset configuration.



kelphs said:


> preset config for i5 8300h


You do not have a 8300H. You have a 9300H. The voltage requirements for these two CPUs are not the same. The 9300H needs more voltage. Running an undervolt of -133.8 mV on a 9300H is rarely if ever 100% reliable. It might be reliable in some games and it might crash in others or your computer might lock up when the CPU is lightly loaded. You are more likely to have problems when lightly loaded when you undervolt too much.

The voltage a CPU needs varies from one CPU to the next and it is not unusual for the voltage needed to be stable to change over time. If your computer is freezing, you have to reduce your undervolt until this problem goes away.

Take a big step back from the cliff. Set the core and cache offsets to -100 mV and test your computer at this voltage for a week. Make sure you can pass the TS Bench 960M test without any errors being reported. If it is OK for a week, then try -110 mV or -120 mV. If it is not OK, undervolt less. You have to find a voltage that allows your computer to be 100% stable.

Intel CPUs can run safely up to 100°C. Acer low balled the thermal throttling temperature to only 92°C so your CPU has no chance of ever exceeding 100°C. There is no reason to slow your CPU down. If it gets too hot, it will automatically slow down like Intel designed it to do. In the FIVR window I would set the Turbo Ratio Limits back to their default values, 41, 41, 40, 40. If your laptop is constantly over 90°C, you might need to open it up and clean it out. Replacing the thermal paste can help.


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## kelphs (Sep 21, 2021)

unclewebb said:


> It is always a bad idea to use a preset configuration.
> 
> 
> You do not have a 8300H. You have a 9300H. The voltage requirements for these two CPUs are not the same. The 9300H needs more voltage. Running an undervolt of -133.8 mV on a 9300H is rarely if ever 100% reliable. It might be reliable in some games and it might crash in others or your computer might lock up when the CPU is lightly loaded. You are more likely to have problems when lightly loaded when you undervolt too much.
> ...


Thanks unclewebb for the help. I'll lower the voltages and test again. With these settings on the print I could run the TS bench without any problem. When TS is running and I open an app it freezes the mouse for a very brief moment.
Is there anything that needs to be set on TS? Should I leave IccMax to standard value?  And should I set core and cache voltage the same? I saw something about setting -250mV to core and -125mV to cache, but it didn't work for me.


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## unclewebb (Sep 21, 2021)

kelphs said:


> and I open an app it freezes the mouse


Do you have a SSD or do you have a mechanical hard drive in your system. Mechanical hard drives are a common cause of freezes. ThrottleStop should not be the cause of any freezes unless you set the voltage too low.

I prefer to set IccMax for the core and the cache to the maximum value, 255.75. I also set Power Limit 4 in the TPL window to 0. This helps avoid EDP OTHER throttling that happens to some computers.



kelphs said:


> should I set core and cache voltage the same?


These two voltages do not need to be set to the same value. I recommend leaving these voltages set to the same value until you find a voltage where your computer is 100% stable. After that, do some Cinebench R20 testing.









						MAXON Cinebench (R20.0) Download
					

CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer's performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON's award-winn




					www.techpowerup.com
				




If -100 mV for both voltages proves to be stable, then you can try bumping only the core in steps of -25 mV. Perhaps -100 mV cache and -150 mV or -175 mV core will be stable and will improve your Cinebench results. If you set the cache offset too high, you will quickly lose stability when trying to set different voltages. Settings that are 100% stable in Cinebench might not be game stable. Adjust slowly so if things go wrong, you will have a stable point to go back to.


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