The more you work on your computer, the hotter your CPU (processor) gets, especially when you’re gaming or doing heavy video editing. Your CPU is more susceptible to overheating if it has poor ventilation or if the thermal paste on the chip has worn off. However, there is a process that can help you reduce your processor’s temperature called “undervolting.”
This process is an effective way to cool down your computer using software. This article will use Throttlestop to cool down your CPU.
Note : If you don't know about the health status of your CPU, you can read the article How to check the CPU temperature of your computer? .
Before we get into the specifics, there are a few things to know about the process. While undervolting won’t damage your CPU, doing it too much can make your system unstable (although this process can be easily reversed). On the other hand, overvolting can damage your CPU if you overdo it, but if done carefully, you can overclock your CPU to higher speeds.
Undervolting simply reduces the amount of power/voltage going directly to the CPU. The more power going to the CPU, the higher the temperature; conversely, the less power going to the CPU, the lower the temperature. Another benefit of undervolting is that it can extend the battery life of your laptop . And undervolting doesn't affect performance even when you're doing intense activities like gaming.
1. In Ryzen Master, you can do this by selecting Curve Optimizer in the settings section on the left, then setting Control Mode to Default . Below that, Curve Optimizer Control will be Included with Auto Offset enabled . You can leave the settings as is. Note that Curve Optimizer is only available for AMD 5000 series processors and above.
2. Select Curve Optimizer or Per Core next to Curve Optimizer Mode . The example will proceed with All Cores for automatic optimization. Click Start Optimizing on the right side of the row and click OK to confirm the prompt.
3. Depending on your CPU cores and system configuration, the automatic optimization process will take about 30 to 60 minutes and may restart your system a few times, then display the all core offset value in the CO All Core Value section .
4. Now leave the Difference Offset Value section and click Apply to use the Curve Optimizer. Run the Cinebench test to compare your scores and maximum temperatures with the default settings.
Eco-Mode runs your CPU at lower power conditions to reduce temperatures in situations where you don't even need native performance.
Open any profile on the left, enable Eco-Mode under Control Mode and click Apply . Ryzen Master will reboot the system for the changes to take effect.
You'll find a Reset option in the lower left of the Ryzen Master window to reset your CPU to factory settings. Additionally, Basic View shows you some basic CPU monitoring values, and you can do some quick overclocking with the options on the right.
Additionally, you can also undervolt your CPU using Throttlestop.
You can also undervolt your CPU in BIOS.
1. Revert all settings to default from your previous overclock, set ”Precision Boost Overdrive” to “Advanced” and “PBO Limits” to “Disable”.
2. Open "Curve Optimizer". Set it to "All Cores" and "All Core Curve Optimizer Sign" to "Negative" . In "All Core Curve Optimizer Magnitude" you can set “10” to start and increase it to a maximum of “30".
3. Try testing for undervolt in Windows using stresstests or simply monitoring idle temperatures with HWiNFO to see if the results are worthwhile.
Normally, you need to go into the BIOS to cool down the CPU. This means you need to restart your laptop every time you want to adjust the voltage values.
Luckily, thanks to this free software called Intel XTU, you can change the values without rebooting, which means you can spend more time tweaking values and less time staring at your PC's BIOS screen.
To get started with Intel XTU:
1. Download and install Intel Extreme Tuning Utility on your Windows computer.
2. Launch the program and find the Core Voltage Offset slider . Now, drag the slider a little to the left. You will notice that the voltage value is reduced. Start with Core Voltage Offset -0.050V , then click Apply to save the changes.
Try playing the game and see if you get any crashes or blue screens. If not, you can reduce the Voltage Offset to -0.100V and try again. Slowly continue to reduce the voltage until the laptop crashes, then return to the previous voltage value that the laptop can operate stably.
Immediately after applying the new voltage settings, you should notice a decrease in the CPU temperature value in the graph. There is no perfect Core Voltage Offset value for everyone as it varies from laptop to laptop. You will need to do some trial and error to find the ideal values for your machine. However, -0.050V is a safe starting point for most laptops.
One important thing to note is that Intel XTU only works with Intel processors. If you have a gaming laptop with a Ryzen CPU, you can use AMD’s Ryzen Master software to achieve similar results.
Throttlestop is a multi-purpose tool. Let's take a look at the checkboxes on the main Throttlestop screen.
We’ll only be looking at boxes that are relevant to modern CPUs, as some of them are more relevant to older PC features. Here are the features you should look for:
Disable Turbo : This setting will ensure that none of the cores on your CPU run faster than their base clock speed. If you have a base clock speed of 2.6GHz that can boost up to 3GHz, checking this box will ensure that it stays in the 2.6GHz range instead of boosting.
BD Prochot : A safety feature that throttles the CPU when things inside the laptop get too hot. Normally, throttling kicks in when the CPU hits 100°C, but with this box checked, the CPU will throttle even if the GPU is barely above that level. It's a handy safety measure to have in extremely rare cases.
Speed Shift : On recent CPUs (2016 and later), Intel has introduced this feature, which helps the CPU respond more quickly to changes in clock speed set by software. If this option appears in Throttlestop, you should enable it.
SpeedStep : If your CPU is older than the Intel Skylake generation (2015), Speedstep does the same thing as Speed Shift. Turn this on if you have an older CPU.
C1E : Enabling this option will help save power when you are running low on battery, as Throttlestop will automatically shut down cores based on their stress level.
First, download and install Throttlestop , then open it.
You’ll see a bunch of numbers and options that can be confusing, but ignore them and just pay attention to the four round buttons on the top left. These buttons will help you change between different profiles, each with its own undervolt settings. You can create different profiles like “Game” for gaming or “Performance” if you want.
So, with the profile selected, click the FIVR button in Throttlestop. In the new window check the box Unlock Adjustable Voltage . Next, reduce the Offset Voltage slider , in the Undervolting section . You should get it down to -100mV.
Then, click on " CPU Cache " in the " FIVR Control " section, and set it to the same voltage. It is important that the CPU Core and CPU Cache always have the same Voltage Offset.
Once you have completed the above steps, click “ Apply ” and continue to monitor your system stability and CPU temperature. You can monitor the CPU temperature from the main Throttlestop window.
If your system is stable (no blue screens), you can continue to reduce the CPU Cache and CPU Core voltages by -10mV to further reduce the CPU temperature. If you reach a point where the system freezes, restart your computer, enable Throttlestop, and return to the previous Offset Voltage level where the system was stable.
Different CPUs will have different voltage levels. You will need to experiment to find your CPU’s limits. Once you have made your adjustments, click “ OK ” in the FIVR control panel, then select “ Turn On ” in the main Throttlestop window.
If you don't want to open Throttlestop manually every time you want to undervolt your CPU, you can set it to open when Windows starts. You can refer to the article How to add a program to start with the system? .
Using this method, many people reduce the CPU temperature when playing games from nearly 90°C to 70-75°C. This method is more effective when you adjust the temperature from within Windows. However, if you still have problems, you can use new thermal paste for the CPU or clean the computer, refer to the article Cleaning: Effective ways to help your computer "last longer".
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to run overclock continuously?
Constantly overclocking your CPU can shorten the lifespan of your chip due to constant, high temperatures. It can also damage your CPU if you don’t control your CPU temperature. But if you get better performance in your workload without constantly hitting 85 to 90 degrees, you can overclock continuously without any problems. With Ryzen Master, you can always revert to default settings at any time (requiring a system reboot in some cases).
Do I need to leave Ryzen Master open?
No. However, shutting down or restarting your system will erase all the changes you made in Ryzen Master and you will need to reapply them or load the saved configuration.
Does Ryzen Master change BIOS?
Ryzen Master does not change your BIOS settings. It simply displays the CPU control options you have in your BIOS in your Windows environment. Rebooting your system will erase any changes you made with Ryzen Master. However, it is still a good idea to keep your BIOS settings at their default state so that any settings you adjust in Ryzen Master do not interfere with them.
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