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vorob

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 29, 2011
189
64
This guide is intended for someone who might buy this laptop in the future for retro gaming and discovers that it is throttling badly and nothing seems to help. I couldn't find a complete guide, only bits and pieces from time to time, so I decided to write my own.

Disclaimer: Please note that any actions taken based on this guide are done at your own risk. I am not responsible for any hardware damage that may occur as a result.

MSI Afterburner 4.6.5.16370 Configuration:

  1. Launch the MSI Afterburner application.
  2. Click on the gear icon (settings).
  3. In the 'General' tab, scroll down to find 'Unofficial overclocking mode'.
  4. Select 'Without PowerPlay support' and click 'OK'.
  5. Slightly change the GPU clock to make the software think it’s overclocking. Set it to around 810 MHz.
  6. Click 'Apply'.
With these steps, you will lock your GPU to 810 MHz, and it won't change in any case.

ThrottleStop 9.6 Configuration:
  1. Launch the ThrottleStop application.
  2. Uncheck 'BD PROCHOT'.
  3. Check 'Set Multiplier' and set it to 28 to lock the CPU at 2800 MHz. You can set it to a lower or higher value if needed.
  4. Click on 'FIVR'.
  5. Under 'FIVR Control', select 'CPU Core' and unlock adjustable voltage.
  6. Set the offset voltage to -50 mV and click 'Apply'.
  7. If everything is stable, select 'CPU Cache' under 'FIVR Control' and apply the same -50 mV undervolt.
  8. Click 'Apply'.
With these steps, you will lock the CPU clock, undervolt it slightly, and disable the thermal limit.

MacsFanControl Configuration:
  1. Download and install MacsFanControl.
  2. Open MacsFanControl and set the fan speed to maximum.

Final Remarks:​

By following these steps, you will eliminate throttling on your MacBook Pro 2015. However, with all limits disabled, you need to keep an eye on laptop overheating. If it reaches 100°C, the laptop will go into sleep mode. You may need to adjust the values, such as setting the GPU to a lower clock or the CPU, using lower settings in games, or locking FPS. With this guide, you will achieve much better performance in games since Apple applied very strict thermal limits for some reason.
 
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