Why is there a constant power limit throttling?
Why is there a constant power limit throttling?
The 9900K has a 95W TDP rating. By default, the motherboard assigns a long-term turbo limit of 95W. This isn’t sufficient for your CPU to handle a full-speed stress test, so it automatically reduces performance to stay within the 95W cap. This behavior is confirmed by ThrottleStop and XTU, which display Package TDP at 95W and PKG Power at 95.1W respectively. To unlock optimal performance, adjust your BIOS settings—specifically Long Duration and Short Duration Power Limits—to 1023 Watts each. Before enabling ThrottleStop, remove the ThrottleStop.INI file to ensure a clean start. When it launches, if it can’t find the config, it will read from the CPU directly. Take screenshots of both the TPL and FIVR interfaces to verify your BIOS configuration. Exit Speccy and XTU, as they can modify CPU registers. It’s wise to disable ThrottleStop before launching XTU if you plan to use it. Properly setting these limits in BIOS should eliminate the need for ongoing adjustments.
i usually dont use XTU at all, i just had it up so i could see if it said it was throttling. Ive never overclocked via xtu or anything. i have like a week experience with it. lol. id much rather handle everything through bios. But ok awesome, i feel like progress is being made finally. I'm gonna take a pic of that on my phone and follow the instructions to a T. I shall respond with said screenshots. Thanks man, i really appreciate it!
I observed that your screenshot shows the core ratio at 47 and the cache ratio at 50. This is uncommon; typically the core is set to 50 and the cache to 47. Adjusting the cache speed too high may lead to instability. If you made this in XTU, revert it immediately. Verify your BIOS settings match these values.
I didn't adjust anything except that setting. Unless the cache automatically updated when I changed the core to 50 to check for any impact on this problem. I’ll revert it back. I haven’t altered voltages much, especially not custom overclock settings. Unless my recent action resolved it? I just ran a quick test and it’s clearly not stuck at 95 watts anymore—it reached 146. Is that acceptable? As long as the temperatures stay under control, is it safe to run at that high level? I’ll share those screenshots too.
I made only a few adjustments, changing the cache ratio to 47. I tried to set the core ratio to 50, but it stuck at 36 and won’t let me go beyond 47. Here are the screenshots of fivr and TPL—no more throttling! YES!!! Finally! I think I might finally get a stable overclock. I couldn’t reach 5GHz to stay alive, no matter what I tried. After about ten attempts, I gave up and left it as is. The BIOS overclocking options on this board are way more complicated than anything I’ve seen before. I felt really lost. When Google can’t help, you realize you’re in over your head. Lol.
Have you refreshed your motherboard BIOS to the newest release? It’s unclear whether incorrect power settings stem from a BIOS flaw or if an issue lies with MSI Dragon Center. The standard turbo limits for a 9900K are 50, 50, 49, 48, 48, 47, 47, 47. When one or two cores are running, the CPU should operate stably using the 50 multiplier. You’ve set all ratios to 47, which means you’re clocking your processor below its intended speed. This is normal. It’s fine. If you aim for consistent performance and want the CPU to utilize the 50 multiplier regardless of core count or active cores, consider adjusting the BIOS settings to raise the voltage. This action qualifies as overclocking. You’d exceed the default Intel limits. Your BIOS labels this capability “All Core.” During testing, I start with a steady or static voltage. After figuring out the required voltage for stable operation at 5.0 GHz across all cores, you can revisit Adaptive Voltage. Most often I keep it fixed. If you wish to cut power usage and voltage under light load, enable the core C states in the BIOS. Uncertain why Adaptive Voltage is so popular. The core C7 state reduces both clock speed and voltage to zero. Adaptive Voltage can’t match that performance. You’re probably ignoring the CPU Over Temperature Alert in the BIOS—this feature seems valuable. If your heatsink ever detaches, you need the CPU to reduce speed to prevent potential harm.
As a month or two ago I received the newest BIOS update along with all the latest chipset improvements and general information. That’s quite a wealth of useful data. Most of it is in languages I don’t fully understand. Over the past few years I owned an ASUS Z97 Deluxe and an i7 4790K. The BIOS included an auto-overclock option that ensured top performance while keeping voltage increases minimal, so I didn’t need to adjust anything myself. It was impressive, but now with my MSI Z390 Godlike the feature is missing. I’m having to manage it manually—either by using the knob or following guides—but there’s a risk of shorter CPU life due to excessive voltage.
I’ve read many overclocking tutorials and they often result in crashes right after booting Windows. I wasn’t sure if my hardware was faulty or just not performing well enough. The guides suggested hitting all-core 5GHz, but I’m worried about damaging the chip because the BIOS claims it can push voltage too high.
I spent around $7 on this setup, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build something special. Usually I stick with older parts and test them carefully. This machine is rare and valuable—leaving it stock would be risky. Still, if I could get the settings right without hurting its lifespan, I’d really appreciate the extra performance it offers.
Both the CPU and GPU aren’t delivering the expected speed for smooth gaming. Even with 4K, ultra settings, HDR, and aiming for around 120fps, I’m struggling. The 2080Ti doesn’t match my expectations. I’ll definitely follow your advice. I’m not sure why it’s so slow across the board, but I want as much power as possible.
I completely removed Dragon Center to avoid checking its settings, which caused my CPU to drop significantly in gaming mode. It had numerous bugs and poor configurations. I only used it for “cooler boost” and “Mystic Light.” After it was gone, controlling the RGB became much easier—I think that was a big step toward fixing all the small issues.
For other games or tasks, I tried MSI Afterburner fan curves again, but changes in the BIOS made fan control more flexible. That was a major improvement before. You really know your stuff!