CPU Thermal Throttling & Boost Clock TJMax Decay Simulator
Model how silicon temperatures erode Intel Turbo Boost & AMD PBO clock frequencies, compute real-world FPS drops, and identify whether your cooling solution triggers PROCHOT throttling.
⚙️ Thermal & Rig Configi9-14900K
Recommended Silicon Optimization Action
Apply a -30mV to -50mV Curve Optimizer offset and verify thermal paste coverage to prevent clock decay past 85°C.
🌡️ Intel Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) Mechanics
Intel 13th & 14th Gen processors feature Thermal Velocity Boost which allows an extra 100MHz–200MHz bin only if the CPU core temperature remains strictly under 70°C. Once temperatures cross 70°C, the CPU silently drops to standard Turbo Boost, even if power limits (PL1/PL2) have plenty of electrical budget remaining.
⚙️ AMD Precision Boost 2 Curve Scaling
AMD Precision Boost uses an autonomous sense-and-respond loop sampling telemetries thousands of times per second. Unlike a sudden step-down cliff, AMD processors gradually decay clock speeds by 25MHz increments as temperature increases from 65°C to 89°C/95°C, making every degree of cooling headroom directly translate into higher average FPS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TJMax and what happens when a CPU reaches it?
TJMax (Thermal Junction Maximum) is the maximum silicon temperature safe for the processor die (typically 100°C for Intel, 89°C for Ryzen X3D chips, and 95°C for standard Ryzen 7000/9000). When temperature hits TJMax, the CPU triggers PROCHOT (Processor Hot) hardware throttling, cutting core voltages and dropping clock speeds by several hundred megahertz to prevent irreversible silicon degradation.
Does thermal throttling reduce FPS before hitting 100°C TJMax?
Yes! Both modern Intel Turbo Boost 3.0 / TVB (Thermal Velocity Boost) and AMD Precision Boost 2 / PBO begin stepping down boost bins well before 100°C. For example, Intel TVB drops 100MHz as soon as core temperature exceeds 70°C. AMD Ryzen processors gradually scale back boost by ~25MHz for every 5°C rise above 60°C.
Why do AMD Ryzen X3D processors have lower TJMax (89°C)?
AMD Ryzen 7000X3D chips feature 3D V-Cache vertically stacked on top of the compute die with through-silicon vias (TSVs). The extra silicon layer acts as a thermal blanket and has strict voltage tolerances; exceeding 89°C or 1.30V risks delaminating the microscopic copper bonds between dies.
How much FPS does undervolting or a contact frame restore?
A negative voltage offset (e.g. Curve Optimizer -20 to -30 on AMD, or -50mV to -100mV on Intel) along with an LGA1700 contact frame lowers operating temperatures by 7°C to 15°C. This prevents clock decay, maintaining maximum sustained all-core boost and boosting 1% low FPS by 4% to 12%.