How to Use ThrottleStop: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Stage 1

How to Set Up ThrottleStop

Before changing any CPU settings, the setup matters. This ThrottleStop guide starts with preparation and basic monitoring, not tuning (we’ll cover that later). Many problems people blame on ThrottleStop come from skipping this stage. A clean setup helps you confirm the tool is working and reading values correctly before you touch voltage or power limits.

Before You Start

ThrottleStop does not work properly on every system out of the box. On some Windows laptops, Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) can block voltage control. This does not affect everyone. If ThrottleStop shows fixed or strange voltage numbers, or ignores offset changes, VBS is likely active. Here’s how to turn it off:

1
Open Settings. Navigate to Privacy & Security.
2
Click on Windows Security and select Device Security.
3
Here, you’ll see Core Isolation. Switch Memory Integrity off, then restart your PC.

That’s it.

Download and Quick Setup

Download ThrottleStop from our website and extract it into a permanent folder, not the desktop. Open ThrottleStop.exe and accept the disclaimer. The main window shows CPU temperature, usage (C0%), and max recorded heat. Turn on logging to track behavior during normal use.

Open ThrottleStop.exe. A warning pop-up will appear. Read it and continue.

Resetting Settings

Always know when to turn it off. If something crashes or the readings look wrong, close ThrottleStop, delete ThrottleStop.ini, then fully shut down and power the system back on. This restores the factory CPU settings.

To revert everything, delete or rename ThrottleStop.ini inside the program folder.

Stage 2

ThrottleStop Settings Interface Guide

Many users say opening ThrottleStop feels like sitting in a cockpit full of switches and readouts. That feeling is accurate. Before learning optimization, undervolting, overclocking, or Turbo Boost control, you need to understand what each part does. There is no single perfect setup.

Results depend on your laptop, CPU, cooling, and usage. This section explains the ThrottleStop settings so the later steps make sense. If you want to know how to use ThrottleStop on a laptop properly, this interface breakdown is essential.

Some of the Latest Features

ThrottleStop 9.7 introduced layout and control changes that affect where key settings are located. Knowing these changes can help you avoid confusion when following older guides.

Custom logo support: You can replace the default ThrottleStop logo by placing an image named logo.png in the program folder. This feature is for visual purposes only and is not related to setup. The image must be 230 × 90 pixels or smaller.
Quick minimize via MHz or VID: Clicking the “MHz” or “VID” numbers minimizes ThrottleStop. It minimizes the tray or taskbar based on your Options setting.
V/F Point replaces mV Boost @ 800 MHz: Voltage tuning now uses V/F Points (it was mV Boost before) in the FIVR window. Instead of a single offset box, you enter voltage values for specific frequencies (such as 800 MHz) in a table. You must tick the boxes to activate them. The Sync button copies values across profiles.
PROCHOT Offset moved to TPL: PROCHOT Offset controls no longer sit in Options. They now live inside the Turbo Power Limits (TPL) window. Find the PROCHOT Offset adjustment and its Lock checkbox by clicking TPL on the right side of the window next to FIVR.
Profile-based PL1 and PL2: You can assign different power limits to each profile using the dots at the top of the TPL screen. This allows separate limits for plugged-in and battery use.

Main Window: Bottom Section

The bottom bar contains control and testing tools. These do not tune performance directly but support everything else.

Save: Write your current configuration to ThrottleStop.ini in the program folder.
Options: Opens the Options window, where profiles, startup behavior, alarms, and GPU monitoring live. (more on this below)
Turn On / Turn Off: This button no longer meaningfully changes CPU behavior. If ThrottleStop is open, it is active.
TS Bench: A lightweight built-in benchmark. It helps spot instability after small changes. It does not replace full stress tests.
Profiles (top-left radio buttons): The four radio buttons act as distinct presets for different tasks. Since most settings are profile-specific, you can easily toggle between custom power configurations tailored for gaming, working, or battery.

ThrottleStop Profiles Slot: configure custom presets for AC power, battery, or intense workloads.

Main Window: Left Section

The left panel controls how the CPU behaves and how ThrottleStop interacts with power management. This area looks dense, but many options are legacy.

Clock Modulation / Chipset Clock Modulation: These target an old throttling method that forced CPUs to run at partial capacity. Modern CPUs do not use this method. Changing these usually does nothing.
Set Multiplier: Another legacy option. On modern Intel CPUs, raising it does not push clock speeds higher. Lowering it behaves the same as leaving it unused.
Speed Shift – EPP (Energy Performance Preference): Introduced with Intel Skylake (Core i7-6700K, Core i5-6500, etc.), Speed Shift allows the CPU to manage frequency changes internally instead of relying on software. This improves response time and efficiency. If supported, it should stay enabled.
Speed Shift – EPP values (0–255): Speed Shift EPP values (0–255) control CPU boost aggression. Lower values like 0–32 prioritize high speeds for performance, while 128 or higher favor efficiency and cooler operation. Lowering the value increases clock speed responsiveness.
Power Saver: A legacy option that only works when Turbo Boost is disabled. On modern CPUs, it adds no value.
Disable Turbo: Stops the CPU from boosting above its base clock. This reduces heat spikes and power draw but caps performance. Useful on laptops with weak cooling or shared GPU heat.

Disable Turbo: check to keep base clocks cool, or uncheck for maximum boost performance.

BD PROCHOT (Bi-Directional Processor Hot): This allows other components, usually the GPU, to trigger CPU throttling when they overheat. Only use it if the goal is to prevent external components from forcing CPU throttling.

BD PROCHOT setting: allows external sensor throttling override.

⚠️

Tip! Disabling BD PROCHOT can stop unexpected throttling caused by external signals, but it may also allow higher temperatures in the laptop or other components. This increases risk and is not recommended for most users.

Task Bar: Keeps ThrottleStop in the taskbar instead of minimizing the tray. This also affects where the app goes when clicking MHz or VID.
Log File: Creates a timestamped text log of temperatures, clocks, and power usage. Useful during testing. Leave it off during daily use.
Stop Monitoring: Pauses sensor reading and logging.
SpeedStep: ThrottleStop SpeedStep controls software-based clock scaling on pre-Skylake CPUs. Modern systems rely on Speed Shift instead.
C1E: Allows CPU cores to enter low-power idle states. Leaving this on reduces power use. Turning it off keeps clocks higher and raises heat.
On Top: It keeps the ThrottleStop window above other windows.
More Data: Logs data eight times per second instead of once. Helpful for short tests, but unnecessary for daily use.

Main Window: Right Section

This is the most important monitoring area. It shows what the CPU is actually doing in real time. Each row represents one CPU thread. CPUs with Hyper-Threading show twice as many rows as physical cores.

At the top, you’ll see your CPU model, current voltage, and active clock speed. Here’s table column meanings:

ThrottleStop Main Window: Live per-thread telemetry, multipliers, and thermal readouts.

Column	What it means	Example
FID	Frequency ID. This represents the clock multiplier. Multiply it by ~100 MHz to estimate speed.	`FID 40 means 4.0 GHz`
C0%	How busy that thread is. Low at idle, high under load.	`5% idle, 90% gaming`
Mod	Clock modulation status. On modern CPUs, this should read 100%.	`100%`
Temp	Current temperature of that core or thread (°C).	`72°C`
Max	Highest recorded temperature. Large gaps between cores can signal poor thermal contact.	`92°C`

Under the table, you’ll find:

Package Power (PKG Power): Estimated total CPU power draw in watts.
Temp (Package): Overall CPU sensor temperature. This may differ from individual core readings.
Limit Reasons: Highlights why throttling happened.
TDP Throttle means power limits were hit.
PROCHOT means a temperature limit was reached.
CLR: Resets temperature and throttling history.
DTS: Shows temperature distance from the thermal limit instead of absolute values.
C#%: Displays how often cores enter low-power states.
BCLK: Requests a recalculation of base clock values.
TPL: Opens Turbo Power Limits for power and PROCHOT control.
FIVR: Opens Fully Integrated Voltage Regulator settings for undervolting and frequency tuning.

Options

Clicking Options opens a separate window for automation and quality-of-life settings. These settings control how ThrottleStop behaves, not CPU performance directly.

Here, you can rename profiles, assign profiles to AC or battery power, and control startup behavior. Many users run ThrottleStop minimized in the tray with automatic profile switching.

If your laptop has a dedicated GPU, you can enable GPU temperature monitoring here. After selecting Nvidia or AMD, restart ThrottleStop to activate the sensor. GPU monitoring is optional unless you plan to trigger profiles based on GPU temperature. Here are the main things you’ll need to set:

PROCHOT Offset: The default offset is 5, meaning throttling begins at 95°C. Setting it to 0 raises the limit to 100°C. Locking it prevents changes. This increases thermal headroom but also risk.
Automatic profile switching: Profiles can change automatically based on power source. Profile names are placeholders. Each profile stores its own independent settings.

Most remaining options affect appearance or convenience. Once profiles and startup behavior are set, this menu rarely needs attention again.

Stage 3

How to Use ThrottleStop for Undervolting (Reduce Heat & Power)

Undervolting lowers the voltage sent to your CPU without lowering clock speeds. Less voltage means less heat, lower fan noise, and fewer throttling drops. This works on most Intel laptops, but results vary by chip quality.

Before You Start:

Undervolting must be allowed by firmware. Some systems require BIOS options or disabled Windows security features, while others are permanently locked.
If voltage sliders do nothing, turn off Memory Integrity (Core Isolation) in Windows
Disable Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform, and Windows Sandbox if enabled
Reboot after changes
If values revert or stay at 0.00, delete ThrottleStop.ini and retry

Setup for CPU Core:

Open ThrottleStop
Leave BD PROCHOT and C1E enabled by default. But uncheck both of them if there’s sudden throttling caused by external sensors.
Click “FIVR”
Check “OK – Save voltages immediately”
Select CPU Core (other options will include Intel GPU, CPU Cache, etc)
Check Unlock Adjustable Voltage
Set voltage mode to Adaptive
Use Offset Voltage only
Start with -60 mV to -80 mV
Click Apply

FIVR Control window: unlock adjustable voltage and apply negative offset voltage to CPU Core & Cache.

CPU Cache Settings:

Select CPU Cache
Unlock adjustable voltage
Set offset close to Core (it’ll be a slider)
Example: Core -80 mV to Cache -60 mV
Drag IccMax to maximum for all items
Click Apply

Core and Cache usually need similar values. Cache limits how far the Core can go. If you experience instability, you can try setting the Cache to about 3/4 of the Core’s value (e.g., -100mV Core and -75mV Cache). Another setting is for Intel GPUs. We recommend leaving it at 0 mV unless you know what you’re doing. GPU undervolts can cause wake-from-sleep crashes.

Stability Testing:

Run TS Bench 960M for 60 seconds or use Cinebench R23
Increase voltage by 5-10 mV and test again. If you see:
- Freezes
- Blue screen
- TS Bench errors
If it completes without errors, you're stable
Keep increasing in -10 mV to -15 mV steps
Test after each change
Stop when you get any of the above errors.
Go back to your last stable value (reduce by 10mV from crash point)

Typical Stable Ranges

Every CPU is different but here are safe ranges:

CPU Core

-60 to -120 mV

CPU Cache

-50 to -100 mV

If undervolting alone does not stop throttling, move to power limits.

Stage 4

How to Use TPL in ThrottleStop

Power limits control how many watts the CPU can draw. Laptop makers often set these very low using hidden limits. Turbo FIVR Control manages these limits to balance heat and performance. Here’s what ThrottleStop TPL Windows means:

Setting / Term	What it is / Purpose	Why it Matters
MSR	Internal CPU Registers. These are the standard limits set by the CPU architecture.	This is what you normally edit to increase or decrease performance.
MMIO	Memory Mapped I/O. An external set of limits often "hidden" by the laptop manufacturer.	Even if MSR is high, a low MMIO limit will force your CPU to throttle.
Sync MMIO	A checkbox that forces the MMIO limits to match your MSR limits.	Vital for stopping the "secret" manufacturer limits from overriding your custom settings.
MMIO Lock	A checkbox that completely disables/locks the MMIO register.	Recommended if your laptop keeps "resetting" its power limits during games.
PL1 (Long Power)	Sustained Power Limit. The wattage used during long tasks (gaming/rendering).	Controls the "steady state" temperature of your laptop.
PL2 (Short Power)	Boost Power Limit. A temporary high-wattage burst for quick tasks.	Helps with snappiness, but can cause instant heat spikes if set too high.
Turbo Time Limit	The duration (in seconds) the CPU can stay at PL2 before dropping to PL1.	Prevents the laptop from overheating during a long "boost" phase.
Clamp	A hard restriction. If checked, the CPU must stay below the limit.	If unchecked, the CPU might briefly ignore the limit, leading to better spikes but higher heat.

Step-by-Step TPL Setup:

Open ThrottleStop
Click TPL
Check MMIO Lock. Do not enable Sync MMIO when MMIO Lock is checked.
Set power limits (for safe starters):
- PL1: 45-65W
- PL2: Match PL1 for stable behavior
Find “Turbo Ratio Limits” in the TPL window and start to lower 1-core and 2-core ratios by 3-4 steps (like 58 to 54). Set the all-core ratio to the clock your CPU can hold under full load (Example: if it throttles at 3.9 GHz, set all cores to 39).
Enable Speed Shift. Leave Turbo Time Limit unchanged.
Check both Clamp boxes.
Click Apply
If red POWER text appears under load, clock speeds stop bouncing, and temperature spikes reduce, then it’s working.
If heat is still high, then try lowering turbo ratios, not wattage (see step 5).

Adjust Turbo Ratio Limits in FIVR/TPL to prevent aggressive overheating during peak load.

Stage 5

How to use ThrottleStop to Overclock CPU

Hardware Compatibility: This works only on unlocked Intel K or HK processors such as 6820HK or 7820HK. If your CPU is locked, skip this section.

Overclocking raises CPU frequency by increasing turbo multipliers. Higher multipliers increase heat and power draw quickly, which limits their usefulness on laptops. This approach only makes sense after temperatures are already stable.

On most modern CPUs, multiplier control happens through turbo ratio limits, not the Set Multiplier option:

Open ThrottleStop
Click FIVR
Check Turbo Ratio Limits
If marked “Not Supported”, overclocking is blocked
If not, then increase ratios by 1-2 steps (Example: 45 to 46)
Click Apply
Monitor the FID column on the main screen (46.00 would mean 4.6 GHz)
Stress test using TS Bench or Cinebench.

If you see “Thermal Throttling” or experience a BSOD, you have pushed the frequency too high for your cooling system. In practice, undervolting delivers more consistent performance than overclocking on laptops.

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Note! ThrottleStop for AMD Systems

ThrottleStop does not support AMD CPUs. You will see a “CPU Not Supported” message. You can use AMD APU Tuning Utility (AATU) for laptops. ThrottleStop can only monitor temperatures on AMD systems. Do not use it for tuning.

Best Practices

Tips For Using ThrottleStop Safely

Here are some tips we've gathered from undervolting and overclocking different setups. These can help you keep temperatures controlled, avoid crashes, and get consistent performance from ThrottleStop on most laptops.

Use Multiple Profiles Smartly

Set separate profiles for charging and battery use. Keep the plugged-in profile performance-focused with lower Speed Shift values. Use a battery profile with Turbo disabled and higher Speed Shift values to cut heat and extend battery life without manual switching.

Create a Temperature Failsafe Profile

Add a third profile that activates automatically at a chosen temperature. Use alarms to trigger it. Lower turbo ratios or raise Speed Shift values in this profile to cap heat. Once temperatures drop, ThrottleStop switches back automatically, giving you a custom thermal ceiling.

Run ThrottleStop on Startup

ThrottleStop resets after reboot unless it starts with Windows. Use Task Scheduler to launch it at startup. This keeps undervolts, power limits, and profiles active every time, preventing sudden performance drops caused by default manufacturer settings loading first.

Test Stability Under Real Load

Always stress test after changes. Short benchmarks show limits, but longer runs confirm stability. Use Cinebench or demanding games. Any crash, error, or blue screen means the undervolt is too aggressive. Increase voltage slightly and retest until daily use stays stable.

Watch the Log File Over Time

Enable the log file to track temperatures, clock speeds, and throttling behavior. Logs reveal patterns you miss in short tests. This helps spot power limits and compare results after tuning changes instead of relying on memory or guesswork.

Start Tuning While Plugged In

Begin all tuning with the charger connected. Power limits, turbo behavior, and voltage response change on battery. Stable results on AC give a reliable baseline. Afterward, adjust battery profiles separately to avoid confusing results or false instability during testing.

Optimize Turbo Ratios for Real Gains

Lowering turbo ratios is often more effective than undervolting alone. High boost clocks add heat fast with little benefit. Set all cores near the sustained clock where throttling starts. This cuts power draw, reduces noise, improves gaming stability, and helps the GPU breathe.

Summary

Conclusion

ThrottleStop is not magic, and it will not fix every laptop instantly. When used correctly, it gives you control over heat, power limits, and boost behavior that manufacturers often lock down. This guide showed how throttlestop works in real conditions and how to use throttlestop to stop overheating without guesswork. Results depend on hardware, firmware limits, and patience. Test slowly, trust data, and adjust based on sustained behavior, not short wins.

Common Inquiries

FAQs

Should I use ThrottleStop or Intel XTU?

ThrottleStop gives better control over CPU throttling, undervolting, and temperatures. It runs reliably in the background, while Intel XTU often resets settings or crashes after sleep.

What’s the best undervolt setting for i5-9300H?

Most i5-9300H CPUs stay stable between -100mV and -150mV on core and cache. Start small, test stability, and stop lowering voltage once errors appear.

What’s the best underclock setting for Intel i7-8750H for gaming use?

Lower turbo ratios slightly instead of heavy underclocking. Combine mild clock limits with undervolting to reduce heat while keeping stable FPS during long gaming sessions.

Is it possible for ThrottleStop to break your PC undervolting?

Undervolting does not permanently damage a CPU. An unstable setting can crash the system, but hardware stays safe once you reboot and adjust voltage back.

How can I maintain gaming performance while using ThrottleStop?

Use undervolting to control heat, keep Turbo enabled, set Speed Shift EPP to 0, and use High Performance mode to avoid power or thermal throttling.