Thermal throttling of the VRM on the motherboard

What is VRM-OVERTEMP-THROT?

This high-severity issue affects the motherboard. Processors with a high TDP (i9, Ryzen 9) reduce performance due to overheating of the power supply circuits (VRM) of the board. The usual suspects are an entry-level motherboard with insufficient VRMs for a powerful CPU and bad air flow through VRM cooling. Work through the steps below in order.

Common Causes

• An entry-level motherboard with insufficient VRMs for a powerful CPU
• Bad air flow through VRM cooling
• CPU overclock without VRM power boost

Step-by-Step Fix Guide

• 1
  Set CPU TDP limits to recommended values ​​(not PL2 without limit)

  In our testing, Set CPU TDP limits to recommended values ​​(not PL2 without limit) alone clears up VRM-OVERTEMP-THROT more often than any other single step.

• 2
  Direct the airflow to the VRM section

  If it's still not resolved, work through the rest of the steps — they're aimed at rarer mobo instability cases.

• 3
  Upgrade your motherboard to a model with more powerful VRMs (power phase 16+)

  "Upgrade your motherboard to a model with more powerful VRMs (power phase 16+)" is worth trying when an entry-level motherboard with insufficient VRMs for a powerful CPU turns out to be the culprit.

Commands & Diagnostics

Frequently Asked Questions