CPU Thermal Throttling Reduces Clock Speed at Temperature Limits
A processor can run at a high clock rate only while electrical, power, and temperature limits permit it. Heavy work raises transistor switching activity, which raises power consumption and heat output. If cooling cannot remove that heat quickly enough, the processor approaches a thermal limit. Modern CPUs respond automatically. Control logic reduces performance states so the chip generates less heat. This behavior is commonly called thermal throttling. Thermal throttling is not the same as a processor simply running below its advertised maximum frequency. Boost algorithms already vary clock speed according to workload, active core count, current, power, and temperature. Thermal throttling refers specifically to temperature becoming a limiting condition.