Safety

Hardware risks

Risk wording version 2026-10-18.5

Unthrottled reads your PC's sensor logs and points out what may be holding it back. Some of its suggestions involve changing a hardware setting, and every change like that carries risk. This page explains those risks in plain words, what the analysis can't see, and when Unthrottled holds back.

Unthrottled never changes hardware settings

Neither the website nor the Windows agent can change a hardware setting. Unthrottled doesn't change power limits, clocks, voltages, fan speeds, memory profiles or firmware: the agent only reads sensors. Any change is one you make yourself, in your BIOS or in other software, and it's your decision. Keeping your current settings is always a valid choice.

What the analysis can and can't tell you

Unthrottled's results are an automated interpretation of recorded measurements, not a comprehensive safety assessment. Sensor readings and our analysis can be missing, inaccurate, or affected by the workload, your configuration and the tools that recorded them. A detected limitation does not establish that changing hardware settings is safe or beneficial. Unthrottled cannot independently verify the condition, manufacturer limits, cooling, power supply, cabling, firmware or stability of your computer, and nothing it shows is a manufacturer validation or an electrical safety inspection. Every computer is different: two PCs with the same parts can behave differently, because chips vary from one unit to the next, and so do cooling, airflow, power supplies, firmware and wear. A suggestion that helps one computer may do nothing on another, or cause problems.

How the analysis works

It reads your logs. Each run is a sensor log, recorded by the agent or by HWiNFO, with readings such as temperatures, clocks, power, fan speeds, load and, for games, frame rates. Unthrottled works out statistics for each sensor over the run.
It applies fixed rules. Findings come from rule-based checks, such as whether a part reached a temperature or power limit, how much of the run it spent there, and whether its clocks held up under load. The optional AI analysis, open only to invited testers for now, writes about the same findings, and it can be wrong too.
It compares against manufacturer specifications where it knows them. When Unthrottled recognizes a part, it compares the readings with the maker's published figures, such as a CPU's default power limits or its maximum temperature. When it doesn't recognize a part, it leaves out the comparisons it can't make.
It says how good the data is. A suggestion that involves changing a setting shows what it's based on: the reading, the part of the run it was measured over, a data-quality label, and what Unthrottled couldn't check.

Known limitations

Sensors can misreport, and different tools name and scale the same reading differently.
A short or partial run, or one where the workload changed partway, may not show how the PC behaves under sustained load.
Software readings can't show your power supply's real capacity or condition, your cables and connectors, how well your cooler is mounted, the temperature of your room (unless you enter it), or the health of your individual parts.
Unthrottled doesn't know your firmware version, every setting in your BIOS, or the limits of every part.
Findings describe the run you recorded, not how your PC behaves in every situation.

The risks of each kind of change

Each suggestion that involves one of these changes carries a short version of the matching warning beside it. This is the fuller version.

CPU power limits

Increasing CPU power limits (such as PL1/PL2 on Intel or PPT/TDC/EDC on AMD) increases heat and electrical demand and may cause instability, reduced reliability or component damage. Unthrottled has not verified your motherboard's power delivery, your cooling system, your firmware's limits or the condition of your individual CPU. On 13th and 14th gen Intel processors in particular, running past Intel's default settings is linked to instability and permanent degradation. Confirm the supported limits and your cooling capacity using the manufacturers' specifications before changing anything.

GPU power limits

A higher GPU power limit increases electrical and thermal demand and can cause instability, connector or cable problems, or hardware damage. On cards with a 12VHPWR or 12V-2x6 connector, a plug that isn't fully seated or a cable bent sharply near it is a known overheating risk. Unthrottled cannot verify your power supply's capacity, age or condition, your cable routing, your connector compatibility, or whether this change is safe for your card. Review your GPU and PSU makers' guidance before considering any adjustment.

Overclocking and clock offsets

Overclocking can cause crashes, computation errors, overheating, data corruption and reduced component lifespan. Even settings that run well on the same model in someone else's PC may be unstable or unsafe on your specific hardware, because every chip, board, cooler and power supply is different. Unthrottled does not give overclocking values, and no speed increase or safe operating range is guaranteed.

Voltage changes and undervolting

Voltage changes can damage components or lead to instability and overheating. Lowering voltage (undervolting, or Curve Optimizer on AMD) mostly risks instability and silent data errors rather than damage, but it still needs careful stress testing after every step. Unthrottled has not validated a safe voltage for your individual device and never suggests specific voltage values. Avoid unsupported settings and consult your manufacturer's technical documentation.

Memory profiles (XMP / EXPO) and timings

Memory profiles (XMP, EXPO, DOCP) and manual timings can cause instability, failed boots and data corruption, including when the memory kit is marketed as supporting them. Whether a profile is stable depends on your CPU's memory controller, your motherboard and its firmware, and the number of modules installed. Confirm compatibility with your CPU, motherboard, firmware and memory makers, and protect important data before making changes.

Fan curves and cooling settings

Fan-control changes can reduce cooling or alter noise, wear and thermal behavior. Incorrect settings can cause overheating under sustained load, which the hardware's protections then counter by slowing down, or in the worst case by shutting off. Follow your equipment makers' guidance, keep effective thermal protections in place, and monitor temperatures and stability after any change.

Power supply capacity and replacement

A power supply's rated wattage is not a setting you can change: a suggestion about PSU capacity means considering a physically different, properly selected unit. Software telemetry alone cannot determine the true continuous capacity of your power supply, its age, how it handles power spikes, or the condition of its cables and connectors, and readings from the graphics card don't reveal the PSU's rating. Any power-supply suggestion is a screening estimate, not an electrical certification. Replacing a PSU requires compatible parts and safe installation. Never open a power supply enclosure or modify mains wiring; ask a qualified technician if you're unsure.

BIOS / UEFI and firmware

Firmware updates and BIOS/UEFI setting changes can prevent the system from booting, alter protective limits or create instability. A firmware update interrupted by a power cut can leave a board unable to start. Review your motherboard maker's specific instructions, approved values and recovery procedure before making changes.

Opening the case, cleaning and re-mounting coolers

Cleaning dust, re-seating a cooler or replacing thermal paste means working inside the computer. Static discharge, bent CPU socket pins, overtightened or uneven cooler mounts and spilled liquid can all damage parts, and some manufacturers' warranties limit what you may open. Power the PC off and unplug it first, follow the component makers' instructions, and get help from a qualified technician if you're unsure.

When Unthrottled holds back tuning advice

When the readings suggest an unsafe or unreliable state (for example the hardware is already thermal-throttling, or sensors report impossible values), or the run is too short or too incomplete to evaluate, Unthrottled shows no suggestions to change hardware settings for that run: no power limit, clock, voltage, memory, fan curve, firmware or power supply change. The findings themselves stay visible. If the system is behaving abnormally, return it to the manufacturers' supported default settings and obtain qualified assistance.

Before you change anything

Read your CPU, GPU, motherboard, memory and power supply makers' documentation for the supported settings and limits. It comes before anything Unthrottled says.
Back up anything important.
Change one thing at a time, and check temperatures and stability after each change.
Know how to get back to the default settings. Your motherboard's manual explains how to restore them, including when the PC won't start.
If you're unsure, keep your current settings, or ask a qualified technician.

If something goes wrong

If your PC becomes unstable or won't start after a change, go back to the manufacturers' default settings and stop testing. If you notice a burning smell or smoke, or a part or cable is too hot to touch, turn the PC off and unplug it if you can do so safely, and don't use it again until the manufacturer or a qualified technician has checked it.

Please tell us too, so we can fix what led to it: report a hardware problem after following advice, or report advice you think is unsafe or wrong.

Who is responsible for what is set out under Advice, risk and liability in our Terms of Service.