You might have come across a message in windows about power limit throttling. Well, when I got this message for the first time I thought that there is something wrong with my hardware. And this is a problem that I’ve faced on my personal laptop rather than my desktop PC. So I’ve found a solution to overcome this problem which you can find here in this article.
What is Power Limit Throttling?
Power Limit Throttling is when your CPU generates too much heat that takes some time to dissipate. So this is a process carried out by your CPU to protect itself from rising temperatures. Basically, there are two ways through which a processor protects itself, that is automatic shutdown or throttling. So throttling is there to protect your CPU from further damage.
There is a default throttle limit for each core in your CPU, and when the temperature exceeds that limit, the CPU will automatically decrease the power to bring down the temperature.
Limit throttling is more often seen in systems that are overclocked to higher speeds. If you push the limits of a CPU, it will end up in more heat. And this is when you will see such kind of notifications in Windows.
This might also happen if you are using a low-quality CPU cooler of thermal solution. If you are into overclocking, make sure you opt for high-quality CPU coolers.
Main Reasons Behind This Error
Basically, these three reasons are mostly involved in this case
- Limited Cooling Capacity
- In XTU, the PL1/PL2 Power Limits are set too low
- Lower Core Voltage of CPU
How Power Limit Throttling is Different from Thermal Throttling
It is very simple, in thermal throttling, the speed of the CPU is reduced due to excessive heat. In power throttling, the CPU speed is reduced down according to its TDP power rating.
How to Do I Fix Power Limit Throttling
One of the best ways to keep this notification off your screen is abundant cooling. We all know that this message appears due to the higher temperatures of a CPU. And having the right cooling solution helps your CPU to stay under the throttling limit.
You can also follow these guidelines:
- Make sure you have a spacious PC case with proper ventilation. Plenty of airflow helps in cooling down your PC.
- Place your PC or laptop away from sunlight. Choose a corner in your room that is nearby a window to let fresh air come through.
- Dirty PC fans and heatsink trap more heat. So it is important to clean PC fans or heatsink once a month. This trick really helped me get rid of this notification forever.
- Case fans also help in reducing the temperature inside a PC case. Make sure you use at least 2 case fans for proper airflow. One fan will pump cool air inside the case, and the other one will throw heated air outside.
- Your power supply comes with a pre-installed fan that is responsible for the outward flow of hot air. Make sure you check that clean that fan to avoid any heat build issues inside your case.
- Water cooling is a great option to keep your CPU cooler. There are many affordable liquid CPU coolers that keep your CPU temperature below the throttling limit. We highly having a water cooler if you overclock your CPU for gaming and other demanding tasks. Water cooling is the best solution to avoid power limit throttling errors.
Conclusion
So power limit throttling mostly occurs when you either overclock your CPU or you have cooling issues. if you are into overclocking, you should always monitor the temperature of your CPU to avoid any errors like these. Therefore, better cooling is the better option if you don’t want to see errors like these pop up on your screen. And if still, the errors pop up right after following the above procedures, you should visit a nearby computer repair shop to troubleshoot the problem.
