How to Turn Off Turbo Boost on Your Gaming Laptop

Hey, fellow gamers! If your gaming laptop is running too hot, loud, or unstable, there’s a good chance Turbo Boost is to blame. While Turbo Boost helps your CPU run faster when needed, it can also crank up heat and power usage, leading to overheating, fan noise, and even performance throttling. So, if you’re looking for a way to cool things down and keep your laptop running smoothly, turning off Turbo Boost might be the way to go.

Let’s break it all down, step by step.

Quick Overview: Why Turn Off Turbo Boost?

Now, let’s get into how to actually turn off Turbo Boost on your gaming laptop!

Method 1: Turn Off Turbo Boost from Windows Power Settings

This is the easiest method and works on most gaming laptops. Follow these steps:

1. Open Power Options: Press Win + X and select Power Options.
2. Choose Your Plan: Click on Additional power settings (on the right in Windows 10 or bottom in Windows 11).
3. Edit Plan Settings: Find your active power plan, then click Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
4. Find Processor Power Management: Scroll down in the list and expand Processor power management.
5. Turn Off Turbo Boost:
   • Expand Maximum processor state.
   • Set both On battery and Plugged in values to 99% (this prevents Turbo Boost from activating while still allowing normal performance).
6. Apply and Save: Click Apply and OK.

That’s it! Your CPU will no longer hit Turbo Boost speeds, keeping temperatures and noise in check.

Method 2: Turn Off Turbo Boost in BIOS/UEFI

If you want a more permanent solution, you can turn off Turbo Boost directly in the BIOS. Here’s how:

1. Restart Your Laptop: While booting, repeatedly press F2, F10, F12, or DEL (the key varies by manufacturer) to enter BIOS.
2. Find CPU Settings: Look for a tab like Advanced CPU Configuration or Performance Options.
3. Locate Turbo Boost: You should see an option named Intel Turbo Boost Technology.
4. Disable It: Change the setting to Disabled.
5. Save and Exit: Press F10 (or follow on-screen instructions) to save changes and reboot your system.

Your laptop will now run without Turbo Boost, keeping things cooler and quieter.

Method 3: Turn Off Turbo Boost Using Intel XTU (Extreme Tuning Utility)

For those who like software-based tweaks, Intel’s XTU is a great way to manage CPU performance:

1. Download Intel XTU: Get it from the Intel website.
2. Install and Open: Follow the setup instructions and launch the software.
3. Turn Off Turbo Boost: Go to Advanced Tuning > Turbo Boost and toggle it Off.
4. Apply Changes: Click Apply to confirm.

This method allows easy enabling/disabling of Turbo Boost without BIOS changes.

Method 4: Turn Off Turbo Boost Using ThrottleStop (More Advanced Users)

ThrottleStop is another great tool for controlling CPU performance:

1. Download ThrottleStop: Get it from TechPowerUp.
2. Install and Open: Extract the files and launch the software.
3. Turn Off Turbo Boost:
   • Check the Disable Turbo box.
   • Click Save and minimize it to keep the changes active.
4. Optional – Create a Profile: You can set up different profiles for gaming, battery life, etc.

This is a powerful tool, so use it carefully!

Does Turning Off Turbo Boost Affect Gaming Performance?

This depends on your laptop and the games you play. Here’s what you need to know:

• If your laptop overheats often, turning off Turbo Boost can actually improve gaming performance by preventing thermal throttling.
• For CPU-intensive games (like strategy or simulation games), you might see a small drop in FPS.
• For GPU-heavy games (like most FPS or open-world titles), turning off Turbo Boost likely won’t affect performance much.

It’s a trade-off between cooler temperatures and raw CPU speed.

Should You Turn Off Turbo Boost on Your Gaming Laptop?

It depends on your needs. Here’s a quick decision guide:

✔️ Turn it off if:

• Your laptop gets too hot and thermal throttles.
• The fans are too loud during gaming.
• You want longer battery life.

❌ Keep it on if:

• You need the highest possible performance for CPU-heavy games.
• Your laptop has good cooling and doesn’t overheat.
• You don’t mind a bit of fan noise.

Final Thoughts

Turning off Turbo Boost can be a great way to keep your gaming laptop cool, quiet, and stable. Whether you use Windows settings, BIOS, Intel XTU, or ThrottleStop, the process is straightforward and completely reversible.

If you’re struggling with overheating or noisy fans, give it a try! And if you have any questions or need help, drop a comment below—let’s talk gaming tech!

Happy gaming!

Read more : Should I Overclock My Gaming Ryzen Laptop?