Power throttling on the i5 8300h occurs when the NVIDIA GPU is active, limiting performance under certain conditions.
Power throttling on the i5 8300h occurs when the NVIDIA GPU is active, limiting performance under certain conditions.
I own an Asus TUF FX504GE laptop. I'm experiencing power restrictions that cap performance at 25 watts whenever the Nvidia graphics card is active, regardless of whether it's for video or gaming. When the GPU is idle, it switches to integrated processing and can reach over 40 watts—up to 50 under certain conditions. This throttling begins as soon as the Nvidia GPU starts up, even when the load is minimal (around 2%) and the CPU runs at a high frequency with full power. I understand this issue might be due to the power supply not delivering enough wattage.
For my reference, I've seen some benchmarks on YouTube comparing similar configurations from other brands, like the Acer Nitro 5, which reportedly handled similar workloads without throttling. However, I noticed many users in the Asus TUF line still face this problem. Have you considered any solutions? I've tried several approaches—undervolting, adjusting voltage and frequency settings, disabling Turbo Boost, and even using MSI Afterburner—but none resolved the issue.
The screenshots attached show the power limit throttling occurring even without heavy 3D tasks. Closing applications that trigger the GPU caused the limit to drop completely, even under full CPU load. I'm looking for a fix or better guidance on managing this situation.
Before purchasing a laptop, examine customer reviews. https://www.ultrabookreview.com/19725-as...ge-review/ ThrottleStop offers some options that could assist with this poorly built machine. Disable Intel XTU to avoid conflicts with ThrottleStop. The core and cache offset voltages don’t need to be adjusted equally. Intel XTU imposes this requirement, but it isn’t necessary when using ThrottleStop. Use Cinebench R20 or R23 for testing. For a standard test, keep the core and cache at -125 mV, leave the cache unchanged, then gradually lower the core to -150 mV, -175 mV, -200 mV, -225 mV. If stability problems arise, lower the cache to -110 mV or -100 mV. The cache usually limits performance gains. Adjusting the core offset separately can improve results. Your CPU will stop showing improvements around -225 mV for the core; you can reach that point. For power throttling issues, try these steps: in the FIVR window, enable Disable and Lock Turbo Power Limits. Open the TPL window and set turbo limits to 45W/50W for long sessions, or 60W for short ones. Ensure both Turbo Boost Long and Short Power Max are selected. Set Turbo Time Limit to the default (28 seconds). Leave Clamp options unchecked. Check the Lock option and click OK. This may stop Asus from altering these settings. Run another test to verify changes. This method has worked for similar Asus TUF models. In the Options window, verify if PROCHOT Offset is locked. If no lock icon appears, reduce the PROCHOT Offset value to lower thermal throttling temperature. The Intel default is 0; most laptops set it to 2 or 3. It seems Asus uses 12, causing CPU to throttle at 88°C instead of the standard 100°C. If the lock icon shows after startup, you’re locked into the Asus setting. Share some screenshots of ThrottleStop so I can understand your configuration.
It's worth noting that even the Nvidia control panel caps performance at 25 watts. I followed your instructions to undervolt, which slightly boosted performance. The power restriction remains with Nvidia components. When no applications are running on the GPU, stability increases and the CPU frequency stays steady at 3.9 during tests. During throttling, the red "pl2" indicator appears in the Core column.
@pcloverbutnomoney Share a screenshot of the TPL window and the FIVR window so I can verify your ThrottleStop configuration. This 25W throttling setup is likely controlled by the EC internally. Your chances might be limited. The Options menu indicates PROCHOT Offset isn't locked, so you can adjust it to raise your thermal throttling temperature if needed. Intel typically uses a default offset of 0, while most laptops set it to 2 or 3. Please include my name with the @ symbol so I know when you respond.
Above is a FIVR window while below it's TPL window. I attempted some adjustments with MSI afterburner, locking frequency and voltage to 800mV and 1450MHz. Under these settings, the CPU can run above 25 W without any power throttling signs. I also want to mention the power throttle feature that activates when an app using NVIDIA starts, then randomly changes fan speed profiles via the laptop hotkey (low, medium, overboost).
Various fan settings can restrict turbo power. This software may have issues and might not function properly. The quiet setting often locks a low power level. Testing all fan profiles is recommended when dealing with low-power problems. Why isn’t Speed Shift activated? It’s built for laptops and usually offers smoother idle performance. With Speed Shift EPP at 80, you may notice slightly cooler temperatures during games without a big hit in speed. If you enable ThrottleStop to turn on Speed Shift but don’t like it, you’ll need to restart or shut down your machine to disable it.
I believe I should consider using a more powerful adapter or looking for alternative solutions to ensure the GPU receives sufficient power while the CPU gets adequate support.
Also, regarding the 120 watt power adapter problem—yes, it’s likely designed to display current limit throttling.
I believed you discovered a fan profile configuration that turned off the throttling, and your issue was resolved. Throttling isn't related to your power adapter. A certain application could be adjusting one of your turbo power limits to a minimal setting. That's what leads to the throttling. The fan control software you're using might have a bug.