What is PWR-LIM-THROT?
GPU power limit hit hard (PWR-LIM-THROT) is a high-severity fault affecting the graphics card (GPU). The card suddenly underclocks because it has hit the maximum consumption. It's most often caused by high temperatures, wear of memory chips, faulty driver and poor quality video cable. Work through the steps below in order.
Common Causes
- High temperatures
- Wear of memory chips
- Faulty driver
- Poor quality video cable
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
-
1
Install the older stable driver using DDU
We'd suggest Install the older stable driver using DDU first — it's the fix most often responsible for solving PWR-LIM-THROT outright.
-
2
Replace the cable with a certified
Repeat occurrences typically trace back to less obvious gpu instability factors, addressed in the steps ahead.
-
3
Underclock the memory in MSI Afterburner
If earlier steps didn't help, "Underclock the memory in MSI Afterburner" directly addresses wear of memory chips.
Commands & Diagnostics
dxdiag
nvidia-smi
Frequently Asked Questions
High temperatures accounts for the majority of PWR-LIM-THROT reports; wear of memory chips, faulty driver and poor quality video cable come up less often but are documented.
Most PWR-LIM-THROT reports resolve after "Install the older stable driver using DDU". The rest of the guide above is there for the cases that don't.
Rated high severity — PWR-LIM-THROT isn't immediately destructive, but recurring instances are a sign to fix it sooner rather than later.
In most cases, yes — the guide above resolves PWR-LIM-THROT without a clean install. Treat a reinstall as the last resort, not the first move.
Yes — GPU or memory overclocking is one of the most frequent triggers for PWR-LIM-THROT. Try resetting your GPU to stock clocks using MSI Afterburner or your OC software, then test for stability before investigating other causes.
Still Need Help?
Search our full database of 535+ documented PC errors for more solutions and step-by-step repair guides.
Search Error Database