Help with undervolting a Core i5-8300H [PL2 / EDP OTHER]

[vexx]

Currently running on an Asus TUF fx504GD; Intel Core I5-8300H / 1050 2GB / Windows 11

I have had some serious thermal throttling issues after the 318 bios update all the way up to 322 (95C temps). I managed to downgrade and lock the 317 bios and undervolted successfully.
I'm getting decent temps so far but PL2 and EDP OTHER limits keep flashing red under any load. Does that indicate an issue with my setup?


Settings:

The numbers:

1) Running a game + multiple tabs in the background + virtual audio dac/Discord (~30 Minutes in)

2) TS Bench (960M - Fixed)

 

[unclewebb]

Some laptops use an embedded controller (EC) to enforce lower power limits. The CPU compares the MSR, MMIO and EC power limits and uses the lowest value that it finds. It looks like that is the problem you are having. ThrottleStop cannot be used to control the EC power limits. Your screenshot that shows PL2 power limit throttling at only 25W confirms that the EC power limit is likely set to only 25.0W. The EC power limit can vary as you use your computer.

The only known way around the EC power limit is by using a modified BIOS with a different IMON Slope value. When this is set to 50, the CPU will report 50% as much power consumption compared to actual power consumption. This trick can help one get around power limit throttling at low power values.

You will have to do some Google searching to see if this is possible with your laptop model. I have never modified a BIOS. Kind of shady for Asus to sell laptops with 45W Intel CPUs and then secretly limit them to only 25W. I have always had great success with Asus desktop motherboards. I would never recommend any Asus laptops because of this issue. Good luck.

 

[vexx]

Some laptops use an embedded controller (EC) to enforce lower power limits. The CPU compares the MSR, MMIO and EC power limits and uses the lowest value that it finds. It looks like that is the problem you are having. ThrottleStop cannot be used to control the EC power limits. Your screenshot that shows PL2 power limit throttling at only 25W confirms that the EC power limit is likely set to only 25.0W. The EC power limit can vary as you use your computer.

The only known way around the EC power limit is by using a modified BIOS with a different IMON Slope value. When this is set to 50, the CPU will report 50% as much power consumption compared to actual power consumption. This trick can help one get around power limit throttling at low power values.

You will have to do some Google searching to see if this is possible with your laptop model. I have never modified a BIOS. Kind of shady for Asus to sell laptops with 45W Intel CPUs and then secretly limit them to only 25W. I have always had great success with Asus desktop motherboards. I would never recommend any Asus laptops because of this issue. Good luck.

Really appreciate your insight, I've managed to get this far with throttlle stop and windows 11/bios spaghetti mostly through your comments on several other threads here lol. do you have any advice for me with the info present here? anything I should change?

Bios work is a mess for my model. It took me a while to find a stable pre 318 release to allow undervolting in the first place, ended up getting it from a store in my town that sold the model on shelves. Asus has these bios files on lockdown for some reason.
I have dipped my toes in bios hunting and manipulating before and might come around with a stable bios that has a fixed IMON Slope soon. So any tips or keywords here would help greatly.

Also the whole reason I went for undervolting was to fix the thermal throttling issue. One new thermal paste and a deep cleaning later plus the config u saw, no reported thermal issues.
However, All heavy workload still stutteres momentarily every few minutes. as if it was thermal throttling while it's not.

 

[unclewebb]

Turn on the Log File option before you start running an heavy work loads. Maybe the log file will show what sort of throttling is happening. Attach a log file to your next post.

fix the thermal throttling issue

If your temperatures are OK then it might be just power limit throttling that is causing the problem. Stutters can be very difficult to track down the source. Any poorly written software or driver that is installed on your computer can cause random stutters. I do not use Windows 11 so I do not know any issues it has that might cause stutters.