Thermal throttling
Also searched as: thermal throttling · throttling · overheating · temp throttle
What it means
When a chip gets too hot it deliberately slows itself down to cool off. That self-protection is why a PC can feel fast for two minutes and then sag.
More detail
It's the most common hidden cause of "my FPS drops after a while." The fix is heat, not registry edits — better airflow, a sane fan curve, repasting an old cooler, or an undervolt. Modern parts also boost higher when they're cooler, so fixing throttling can raise your peak, not just your floor.
The Compy Blackbook holds 174 graded entries like this one, judged against your hardware — and every change it does make is reversible, with the receipt to prove it.
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