Power Limit Exceeded - But how?
Power Limit Exceeded - But how?
I have not thought about that. How can I check the VRM temperatures? What should I look for in HWinfo? I think I fixed it. I adjusted the long and short duration power limits to 4095 (maximum) and performed 10x CBR15 tests without throttling. However, I assumed my system could run at 4.6GHz under heavy load without throttling with the default BIOS settings. I believe it was possible 10 months ago before I began my first OC on this CPU. Also, I’m puzzled as to why this prompt didn’t appear after switching to an XMP profile. I didn’t have the option to stick to Intel’s default or accept ASUS defaults. Any explanation?
IF the power limit is actually the issue:
I owned an MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon along with a 9900K, and everything else remained unchanged. My BIOS settings stayed at their defaults, and I never experienced any power throttling.
Only after switching my motherboard to the one from ASUS did things change significantly—default configurations led to heavy power reduction.
The explanation often cited on ASUS forums and other online platforms is that ASUS restricts power consumption beyond Intel’s 95W TDP, whereas most other brands don’t enforce such strict limits even with default settings (likely because the TDP is seen as a performance constraint).
It’s not the hardware itself, but rather the BIOS configurations that follow Intel guidelines. However, Intel specifications can cause throttling in certain cases due to insufficient boost capabilities.
ASUS adheres closely to these rules, while other manufacturers sometimes adjust slightly to avoid power throttling without a real justification—usually just to match Intel’s advertised limits.
When I increased the power draw limit in the BIOS (such as enabling the 140% setting), my CPU would draw around 130 watts at times, which is well above the official Intel defaults.
One possible reason could be related to legal considerations. If you used the advertised TDP and selected a PSU based on that figure, but the PSU exceeded its capacity, you might be held accountable. You could potentially point the blame toward the manufacturer if you realize the power limits weren’t what were expected.
If you need to manually adjust the maximum power limits, you’re solely responsible if problems arise.
This is just speculation on my part—it’s not a confirmed fact. It was simply an attempt to clarify a point.
Don’t let the label “Default” mislead you; settings can differ across brands, and ASUS’s default may indeed impact performance due to the CPU’s needs.
Changing BIOS settings manually isn’t inherently bad, as defaults aren’t always optimal. So don’t be disheartened by that.
As you’re aware, XMP isn’t enabled by default either, so there’s little difference. I’d say it would be worse if the adjustment wasn’t possible at all.
This isn’t something any official representative has confirmed personally—it’s mostly a widely discussed assumption on ASUS forums and similar online discussions.
I might be mistaken; I don’t have concrete knowledge of these details. But the ideas circulating online align with my own experience and hardware performance.
If it doesn’t make sense, I understand why, but I tried to clarify.
I get what you're talking about. And that makes sense. I believe the issue arose because ten months ago I didn't adjust anything in BIOS, and it was running at 4.6GHz even under heavy load. It seems the fix came from setting the long and short duration power limits to their maximum values. Thanks for the guidance.