TechPowerUp ThrottleStop 9.2 Released

[AleksandarK]

TechPowerUp has today released an update to widely popular ThrottleStop software made by Kevin Glynn. Used as a tool to "monitor for and correct the three main types of CPU throttling", the new ThrottleStop software received a major update that brings a heap of new features and improvements. Starting off, one of the biggest changes in the new version 9.2, is that the tool finally restores Windows 7 compatibility, which was unavailable for that OS in the previous version 9.0. Now, the tool also brings a few more options to the table like a new TS Bench feature that allows for random MHz testing, adds support for devices that use connected standby, and fixes base clock MHz reporting when using Core Isolation.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp ThrottleStop 9.2



The change-log follows.

• Added access to the default Windows power options.
• Restored Windows 7 compatibility.
• Fixed C0% reporting 0.0 for all threads on some CPUs.
• Updated TS Bench test with random MHz option.
• Fixed BCLK MHz reporting when using Core Isolation.
• Added support for devices that use connected standby.
• Added reporting of suspend / resume times to the log file.
• Removed auto BCLK updates when resuming.
• Fixed GDI handle leak.
• New color and font options.
• New black notification area icon option.
• New option to remove the title bar.
• Removed PROCHOT indicator box.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Assimilator]

@unclewebb I'd be interested to know what happened to Win7 compat in the previous version. Did you remove it because that OS is dead, or was there a technical issue?

 

[AOne]

I was really hoping to see the stretched stats windows, showing all 16 threads at once, but whatever. Still a program I can't live without Hope it will be available in some of the next updates.
BTW, as the PROCHOT thick is removed, how does it show max temp was reached - changing colors like in the Limit box?

 

[HugsNotDrugs]

Is this a TPU program? Or open source and updated by TPU?

The PROCHOT setting is wonderful as it disables unduly low temp throttling by the likes of Lenovo.

 

[unclewebb]

I'd be interested to know what happened to Win7 compat

ThrottleStop 9.0 was fine on Windows 7. The problem happened when I released ThrottleStop 9.1. This was a limited release that accidentally broke Windows 7 compatibility. Modern standby (connected standby) is only available in Windows 8 and newer. When I added a new feature to ThrottleStop to detect modern standby, Windows 7 was not happy. Based on user feedback, I was able to rewrite some code to keep Windows 7, 8 and 10 all happy. I no longer have access to any hardware running Windows 7 so bugs like this can happen without me noticing.

I was really hoping to see the stretched stats windows

A stretched version that shows all 12 threads is still on the things to maybe do list. If I had a laptop with an 8750H or 9750H or similar, I would be more motivated. Maybe I need to set up a GoFundMe page for future ThrottleStop development. Trust me. Most of the money would go to a good cause.

Is this a TPU program?

Not really.

TechPowerUp's servers have been an extremely reliable host for my freeware programming projects during the last 10+ years. I added the TechPowerUp logo to ThrottleStop to show my appreciation. It is also nice having the ThrottleStop.exe file signed by TechPowerUp. It makes it look like a legit piece of software and helps keep the antivirus programs happy. When you download ThrottleStop from TechPowerUp, you can be sure that you are getting an unmolested version.

The PROCHOT setting is wonderful

Being able to lock the PROCHOT Offset value is going to make a lot of Lenovo owners happy. When Intel first introduced this adjustable PROCHOT (thermal throttling) temperature, it could only be lowered by 15°C. Intel's latest CPUs allow manufacturers to reduce the thermal throttling temperature by as much as 63°C. It did not take long for one manufacturer to start abusing this feature. Imagine a laptop that can start thermal throttling at 37°C (100°C - 63°C). Intel has given manufacturers way too much control over this.

It makes Intel and Lenovo both look bad when Lenovo starts dropping the thermal throttling temperature to ridiculously low temperatures on many of their laptops. Not just low end laptops either. Some very pricey business class laptops also have this feature. Whenever they need someone to testify at a future class action lawsuit, they can count me in.

 

[Berfs1]

See, this is the kind of developer I like. A developer that not listens to user feedback, but also helps the community with using it. Take notes developers

Being able to lock the PROCHOT Offset value is going to make a lot of Lenovo owners happy. When Intel first introduced this adjustable PROCHOT (thermal throttling) temperature, it could only be lowered by 15°C. Intel's latest CPUs allow manufacturers to reduce the thermal throttling temperature by as much as 63°C. It did not take long for one manufacturer to start abusing this feature. Imagine a laptop that can start thermal throttling at 37°C (100°C - 63°C). Intel has given manufacturers way too much control over this.

It makes Intel and Lenovo both look bad when Lenovo starts dropping the thermal throttling temperature to ridiculously low temperatures on many of their laptops. Not just low end laptops either. Some very pricey business class laptops also have this feature. Whenever they need someone to testify at a future class action lawsuit, they can count me in.

Assuming there was no malicious intent behind this, I would suspect their reasoning has to do with lowering power leakage at both idle and under load, because the lower the temperatures, the higher the efficiency. While it may not seem like much at first glance, it does improve the battery usage a bit. I'm just trying to find a way to prove how it can be useful to have a lower PROCHOT temperature. Not that I agree with it for most people, actually I would do that in my laptop so that my CPU does not go over 62°C on battery, so that the fans don't kick on. They are off until the CPU hits 63°C, so it would be helpful in addition to my undervolt and tuning, to have a hard temperature limit to enforce throttling. I know I am not like most users, but I would rather have my fans not kick on at all while on battery, just so that I can brag about having a fanless laptop

 

[AOne]

A stretched version that shows all 12 threads is still on the things to maybe do list. If I had a laptop with an 8750H or 9750H or similar, I would be more motivated. Maybe I need to set up a GoFundMe page for future ThrottleStop development. Trust me. Most of the money would go to a good cause.

Don't even hesitate. I'd be more than happy to participate. This program is a lifesaver, so there should definitely be an option for support and funding.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I no longer have access to any hardware running Windows 7 so bugs like this can happen without me noticing.

It might be a good idea to get yourself an inexpensive Acer, Dell or HP system to test Windows 7 with until that OS popularity diminishes below 8% market share. A system like a Dell Optiplex or Precision with an unlocked CPU and several inexpensive SSD's/HDD's(one for each OS being tested) would make testing easy for you.

A stretched version that shows all 12 threads is still on the things to maybe do list. If I had a laptop with an 8750H or 9750H or similar, I would be more motivated. Maybe I need to set up a GoFundMe page for future ThrottleStop development. Trust me. Most of the money would go to a good cause.

Good idea! A desktop with a 6core i7 or Xeon would also be helpful, unless you are trying to save space...

 

[DanielLong]

Hi! I hope I can reach the developer of ThrottleStop with my ideas regarding the application GUI:

1. Please remove all the functions from the main GUI which are obsolete, because I think it just makes the tool user-unfriendly and less intuitive. Half of the options cannot be used anymore, like clock modulation, speedstep, etc. Instead of them, I would add here the power limit of the CPU, because in my opinion that is a much more important setting.
2. Please somehow make it more visible that the Speed Shift EPP value can be set differently for each profile. It was not obvious for me.
3. Please make the CPU power limit configurable for each profile. In my opinion this would be the best option, because for example 15W is far enough for me on battery mode, but running on AC I would prefer 30-35W.

Or please point me to the topic where I could get into contact with the developers! I am also open to any kind of discussion!

 

[unclewebb]

Please remove all the functions from the main GUI which are obsolete

You posted all of the same complaints back in October.

Throttlestop overclocking Desktop PCs

have seen that you talk mostly about DELLs here. As I also have one T5500 Throttlestop works on any system from any OEM that has a CPU with an unlocked multi. Dell's just happen to be the most popular for various reasons.

www.techpowerup.com

I did listen to one of your complaints. Some day in 2021, you will be able to use different power limits and Speed Shift settings for each profile. How much would you be willing to pay for a feature like that? I am trying to decide how much I should charge.

I have a 10th Gen 10850K and the obsolete functions that you listed all work 100% correctly. Clock Modulation works. SpeedStep and Set Multiplier work correctly as long as Speed Shift is not enabled. Some users prefer SpeedStep over Speed Shift. If I remove a feature to make you happy, it will make some other user unhappy.

This tool supports a wide variety of Intel CPUs. If I make too many changes, people will complain. That is why I only make a few minor changes each year. I try to keep everyone sort of happy. Just because you are not using a feature does not mean that someone else is not using that feature. ThrottleStop is for everyone, not just for you.

Or please point me to the topic where I could get into contact with the developers!

I keep telling you that I am the developer. You can contact me anytime. You know who I am and where I am.

There is not a team of developers working on this project. Only me. One developer that has to do everything. I buy and build computers that I do not need with money from my own pocket that I cannot afford. No one is helping out with this. It has been a huge waste of time and money but I carry on, trying to help out as many people as I can.

If you want a better looking program, use Intel XTU. I am sure that they have a team of developers. I have no team. Just me.

 

[DanielLong]

Hey, I did not mean to offend you in any means!
Previously when I wrote my comment I was just told that you are the developer but I didn't know how to reach you (yeah I was a little lazy...).

As for the money, I would definitely pay for the software and I hope that others would do so as well.

About the obsolete functions: actually I did not mean to remove the settings, I just wanted to hide them from the main window. I think with a 8th or newer gen Intel CPU most people want to configure Speed Shift, voltage and power limit. Or at least as far as I know these are the most important and effective parameters for a user like me. By removing the "not that important" options the main GUI would become more user friendly and intuitive and then hopefully even more people would choose to use your piece of work!

Perhaps a Basic and an Advanced view?

 

[unclewebb]

Hey, I did not mean to offend you in any means!

No worries. I have a dark sense of humor. All is OK.

Your feedback is valuable. When I get the different power limits for different profiles feature finished, I will send it to you for free so you can test it for me. I think that is going to be a valuable and long awaited feature for many users.

Perhaps a Basic and an Advanced view?

I would like nothing more than to spend a huge amount of time to improve the general layout of ThrottleStop. I agree that the 1990s programming tools I use are getting old. As much as I would like to give ThrottleStop an extreme makeover tomorrow, it is probably not going to happen for at least a year. Realistically, probably never. It would be too time consuming with no reward.

hopefully even more people would choose to use your piece of work

That sounds nice in theory but every time more people use ThrottleStop, that means I have to spend more of my own money so ThrottleStop properly supports their new hardware. To me, that does not make any sense. Developing a popular freeware app does not cover the cost of new hardware.

 

[AOne]

Well, I think it's finally time to add a donate button somewhere. I don't understand why aren't you doing it. This software might be freeware, but is a lifesaver for millions (no, I'm not exaggerating). I bet a lot of people would like to buy you a beer at least. Please add it finally, cause it's really embarrassing, not to be able to say thanks in the proper way to the guy who turns PCs and laptop (some of which worth thousands of dollars) from scrap metal to awesome machinery

 

[unclewebb]

I don't understand why aren't you doing it.

ThrottleStop used to have a Donate button but it was rarely used so I removed it. Too embarrassing when my wife out earned me by collecting bottles one summer day compared to what I was pulling in with 6 months of ThrottleStop donations. I learned that donation software does not work. It might make people think that someone, somewhere must be donating when the reality is, virtually no one does. The stats for 2020. 1.4 million downloads from TechPowerUp resulted in 5 donations. With a donate button maybe I could have doubled that. 10 donations per year was typical during the early days of development.

For 2021 I am thinking over some new ideas to raise some cash. I hate ad laced software so maybe something like a special version with a few extra features for Patreon supporters. That might help me buy some new hardware for this project without my own pocket taking a hit all of the time. Sadly, software piracy will probably make this a waste of time just like the Donate button was.

 

[AOne]

Well, I've never seen a developer answering every single question and putting so much effort in supporting a paid service and we're talking about freeware here. It's insane and deserves all the RESPECT in the world.
Nevermind. Put the donate button back and I think no one would be disappointed, whatever method you use to raise some cash. Most users would not give a dime, but there are others, realizing what an effort it takes, wanting to play fair paying for all this sweat and tears involved. Lets hope the world is constantly changing for the better and such people are getting more and more in numbers.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'd be cool with a donate function. Never saw it before, either because you removed it before I started using TS(likely) or because it just wasn't front and center enough to be noticed(less likely). I generally donate to programs and apps that I find useful and ask for such. I would be perfectly happy to send some generosity your way. Most recently I bought several music albums made by RemixCat(here in TPU). Solidly enjoyable music, she got talent! I think the key is to know your audience and strike a cord with them.

 

[DanielLong]

For 2021 I am thinking over some new ideas to raise some cash. I hate ad laced software so maybe something like a special version with a few extra features for Patreon supporters. That might help me buy some new hardware for this project without my own pocket taking a hit all of the time. Sadly, software piracy will probably make this a waste of time just like the Donate button was.

Actually I'd find an agressive pop up window with recommending some donation totally acceptable at the first run of ThrottleStop in this case. I hate the ad-filled applications on Android for example, but a premium or special version sounds much better.
Another idea is a monthly membership fee. I support a similar developer who created a very handy mobile app and the premium costs less than 1$/month. This is a tiny amount but I can't see any reason why I would stop the membership in the next years.
I was just brainstorming...

 

[DelphianAus]

When you have display scaling set to 160 and above and you enter the FIVR screen it doesnt show the OK button as the screen doesnt scale to show everything. Issue i have is when i goto change the base clocks of my 9750H down i can see the OK button and it wont save. The only way is to disable the scaling and this makes everything at 1080*1920 very small and hard to read.

 

[unclewebb]

@DelphianAus - ThrottleStop has a special feature. Left click on any blank spot of the user interface, hold the mouse button down and you can drag any ThrottleStop window anywhere you like. This gives you access to the OK button regardless of you are using scaling or your screen size. Do not grab the FIVR window by the title bar. Grab it in the middle somewhere. The whole app and FIVR window are like giant title bars.

 

[Jern]

Hi @unclewebb, wish to feedback following observation:

1. Throttlestop running and click stop data to reduce refresh rate
2. Set Windows power plans to High/Ultimate performance
3. Check CPU frequency in Task Manager, I5-8400 consistently clock at ~3.8GHz
4. Upon data refresh in Throttlestop, CPU clock down to minimum (~900MHz) and frequency varies with load as if Balance power plans.
5. Check Windows power plans, still at Ultimate Performance with minimum processor state set to 100%
6. Tried #2 with various method (powercfg.exe -setactive GUID, Windows Power Options GUI, Throttlestop GUI) does not make any difference
7. Only way have CPU consistently clock at ~3.8GHz is exit Throttlestop

Not sure others has the same encounter. It seems like Throttlestop data refresh is interfering Windows power plans setting.

Thank you very much

 

[unclewebb]

@Jern - The ThrottleStop Stop Data feature changes the refresh rate from once every second to once every 60 seconds. This should not have anything to do with your CPU MHz.

If you have a problem, post some screenshots of how you have ThrottleStop setup. The main window, the TPL window and the FIVR window are important. Does ThrottleStop show SST in green on the main screen? That confirms whether Speed Shift Technology is enabled or not. Most modern laptops enable Speed Shift automatically but some do not. Your problem might be related to your Speed Shift settings.

Do you have the Speed Shift EPP box checked on the main screen of ThrottleStop? What is EPP set to? Open the FIVR window and watch to see what Speed Shift EPP value the CPU is using. If you want full CPU speed when idle, Speed Shift EPP should show 0 in the FIVR monitoring table.

My computer runs all threads at full speed when idle when set like this.

 

[Jern]

Hi @unclewebb,

Thank you very much for your guidance. I think I found my own problem...

Observation above only occur when both Speed Shift - EPP and Windows Power Plan box in Throttlestop are checked. Uncheck Speed Shift - EPP [128] box (SST), check only Windows Power Plan box and select Ultimate Performance, CPU frequency consistently clock @ 3.8GHz.

It seems Throttlestop will update Speed Shift setting during data refresh when Speed Shift box is checked. Therefore overwrite Window Power Plan Speed Shift setting that update only once upon user select. Verify thru FIVR, Speed Shif EPP for Balance [84] or Ultimate Performance [0] power plan change to [128] upon data refresh.

In case observation above match with implementation:

1. User shall check either Speed Shift or Windows Power Plan box, not both
2. When Speed Shift box check, Windows Power Plan may not work as expected