At what temperature does a GPU/CPU start thermal throttling?

[Im Weeb]

Just for curiosity

[TrainFan475]

I think it's somewhere around 80c or 90c. It depends on the cpu/gpu.

[Mira Yurizaki]

It depends on the manufacturer of the part. But generally anything above 80 or 85C is a good starting point.

 

EDIT: I wanted to add, I define "thermal throttling" as "can't maintain base clock speeds"

[nick name]

It depends on the CPU and the GPU.  Also, what you consider throttling to be.  

[minibois]

Depends on the product.

For example the 9900K starts throttling at 100 C, the 3700X at 95 C, the RTX 2070 Super at 88 C, the 5700XT at 85 - 95 degrees.

 

Those are just some figures to give you an idea, but if you want to know for your product, please visit the manfucturer website and check. These figures are often either called 'max temp', 'TJunction'  or similar.

Keep in mind though, these are max temps, but there are also temps at which point it will not boost the speeds to the max, which can be different.

[Im Weeb]

5 minutes ago, nick name said:

It depends on the CPU and the GPU.  Also, what you consider throttling to be.  

Throttling for me is when the performance of your CPU/GPU drops

[Kilrah]

11 minutes ago, minibois said:

Keep in mind though, these are max temps, but there are also temps at which point it will not boost the speeds to the max, which can be different.

Plus various card manufacturers may set different limits in their BIOS...

[nick name]

10 minutes ago, Im Weeb said:

Throttling for me is when the performance of your CPU/GPU drops

Well for something like a Ryzen CPU then lower temps mean higher speeds.  Also the same for GPUs.  So I didn't know if that's what you meant or more thermal throttling as in built-in protection against thermal limits.  

[Mira Yurizaki]

11 minutes ago, Im Weeb said:

Throttling for me is when the performance of your CPU/GPU drops

Technically this could happen when it doesn't achieve maximum turbo boost speeds. Which is why I have my definition. The manufacturer guarantees base clock speeds assuming basic cooling hardware is satisfied, but not turbo boost speeds.

[Kilrah]

I always found that definition kinda stupid. To me anytime the part isn't able to give the maximum it is capable of in ideal conditions it is throttling. Especially since "base clocks" are often completely arbitrary BS, especially on Intel's side.

[Im Weeb]

Just now, Kilrah said:

I always found that definition kinda stupid. To me anytime the part isn't able to give the maximum it is capable of it is throttling. Especially since "base clocks" are often completely arbitrary BS, especially on Intel's side.

Mind telling me more about your point? You got me interested

[Im Weeb]

Also thanks to all of you for telling me about your opinion/knowledge on this subject

[minibois]

4 minutes ago, Im Weeb said:

Mind telling me more about your point? You got me interested

Just think about the CPU/GPU having multiple speed 'steps'.

You have the base step, but also a lower one, if you're not doing much. Of course there is also couple steps higher, if thermals (and power, etc.) allow for it.

 

If by 'throttling' you mean the speed going lower than the base step (because thermal reasons), you should only look at the max temp/Tjunction.

If you mean throttling as 'the CPU/GPU not working at its highest speed step possible", that can occur at lower temps already.

[Mira Yurizaki]

7 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

I always found that definition kinda stupid. To me anytime the part isn't able to give the maximum it is capable of in ideal conditions it is throttling. Especially since "base clocks" are often completely arbitrary BS, especially on Intel's side.

At some point you have to draw a line somewhere. Technically every part will be thermal throttling unless you subject it to near absolute zero conditions where superconductivity can occur and you can push the boundary of physics.

 

But how practical would that be?

[Im Weeb]

3 minutes ago, minibois said:

Just think about the CPU/GPU having multiple speed 'steps'.

You have the base step, but also a lower one, if you're not doing much. Of course there is also couple steps higher, if thermals (and power, etc.) allow for it.

 

If by 'throttling' you mean the speed going lower than the base step (because thermal reasons), you should only look at the max temp/Tjunction.

If you mean throttling as 'the CPU/GPU not working at its highest speed step possible", that can occur at lower temps already.

So temperature would general only lower the cpu speed if its in turbo?

[Kilrah]

14 minutes ago, Im Weeb said:

Mind telling me more about your point?

Just that to me it makes no sense to advertise a 9900K (example) as a "3.6GHz CPU that can boost to 4.7 6-8 core, 4.8 4-5 core, 4.9 3-core and 5GHz 1-2 cores". It's a 4.7GHz CPU, that can boost to 4.8 4-5 core, 4.9 3-core and 5GHz 1-2 cores. All core boost is the real base clock...

 

5 minutes ago, Mira Yurizaki said:

At some point you have to draw a line somewhere.

Yeah, at the rated capabilities, not some random lower point that means nothing. Just marketing BS only meant to be able to make you feel good about getting "more than you should!!".

 

[minibois]

Just now, Im Weeb said:

So temperature would general only lower the cpu speed if its in turbo?

yes, until you cross the Tjunction/max temp thermal threshold, at that point the speed will go lower than the base speed.

Also, keep in mind the Intel/AMD max speeds mentioned are not 'all core' speeds, but rather 1/2 core turbo speeds.

[Mira Yurizaki]

12 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Yeah, at the rated capabilities, not some random lower point that means nothing. Just marketing BS only meant to be able to make you feel good about getting "more than you should!!".

No, the base clock speeds mean as long as you're using a cooling solution that's as good or better than the specification provided by the manufacturer, you are guaranteed those speeds. I'd argue that selling processors that operate at lower speeds than what they're really capable of is better in the long run because the hardware will last longer, and most people tend to keep their hardware for 5+ years.

 

I find this similar to the thought of asking "why do car manufacturers build cars that go way over the speed limit?"

[Kilrah]

9 hours ago, Mira Yurizaki said:

No, the base clock speeds mean as long as you're using a cooling solution that's as good or better than the specification provided by the manufacturer, you are guaranteed those speeds.

But then you spec it at all core boost! It can always be derated it if the cooling solution isn't up to par obviously. The point is that base clock is completely arbitrary and pointless.

 

If you're going to run a 9900 at base clock then you could just as well buy a 9700 for $150 less and with turbo at the same heat output you'll get about the same performance, but $150 more in your wallet. It makes no sense at all to run a 9900 at base clock, if you buy one it's to run it at what it's capable of, otherwise you're jsut throwing money out the window. So it makes no sense speccing a base clock and TDP at a point where no one in their right mind would be using it...

 

It's all BS marketing designed to upsell you in that way, and in the one that makes you feel better that the machine you got gets "more than base" instead of "not able to put out the actual pertormance it should be capable of". 

 

9 hours ago, Mira Yurizaki said:

argue that selling processors that operate at lower speeds than what they're really capable of is better in the long run because the hardware will last longer, and most people tend to keep their hardware for 5+ years.

This is not a thing. How many overclockers do you hear who had a failed CPU with age? My 5960X (3GHz base, 3.3 all core, 3.5 one core) has been running at 4.7 1-core, 4.4 all core for 5 years now... my previous i7-970 was OC'd similarly (a bit less) and still runs 9 years later. And that's obviously way beyond any spec, not at the official spec like what I'm advocating for which would be to rate it at 3.3 (they were much less bad back then, their "turbo marketing headroom" was 10%, now on some parts it can be 260%...)

 

My laptop's CPU has a 1.3GHz base clock, with 3.5GHz boost... and it literally NEVER runs at base clock. Even in max power savings mode, on low battery about to shutdown it still runs at 1.6GHz... 

And again the "but if cooling was limited you'd be guaranteed the 1.3" argument still makes no sense, becasue if your cooling can't take more then you use another CPU that costs 1/4th of the price...