Modern CPUs are powerful—but they often run hotter than necessary, especially in laptops. If your system suffers from thermal throttling, fan noise, or excessive heat, undervolting might be the solution.
Contrary to myth, undervolting does not reduce performance if done correctly. In fact, it can improve performance by allowing your CPU to avoid throttling.
What Is Undervolting?
Undervolting is the process of lowering the voltage supplied to your CPU while keeping the clock speeds the same. Less voltage means less heat and lower power consumption.
Important: You’re not underclocking—you’re optimizing voltage efficiency.
Benefits of Undervolting
-
Lower CPU temperatures (up to 10–20°C drop)
-
Reduced fan noise
-
Improved sustained performance in long workloads
-
Increased battery life on laptops
-
Extended hardware lifespan
Tools Required
-
Intel XTU (Extreme Tuning Utility) – for most Intel CPUs
-
ThrottleStop – for more control and older chips
-
Ryzen Master – for AMD Ryzen desktop CPUs
How to Undervolt (Intel XTU Example)
-
Download and install Intel XTU
-
Locate Core Voltage Offset
-
Start with small increments: -0.050V
-
Run a stability test (e.g., Cinebench, Prime95, or AIDA64)
-
If stable, reduce further: try -0.070V, -0.100V, etc.
-
Stop when you encounter instability or BSOD, then revert to last stable value
Real-World Example
An i7-8750H laptop originally peaked at 95°C and throttled under load.
After setting Core Voltage Offset to -0.120V, temps dropped to 80°C with zero performance loss.
Caution
-
Some newer Intel CPUs (11th gen and later) have locked undervolting due to Plundervolt mitigations
-
BIOS updates may disable undervolting features
-
Always monitor temps and system behavior closely
Undervolting is one of the safest and most effective tweaks you can make—especially on laptops. With proper testing, you can enjoy cooler, quieter, and longer-lasting performance.