# Thermal throttling
> Thermal throttling is when a device slows itself down to avoid overheating.
Topics: Power & batteries, Gaming
Difficulty: Getting technical
Aliases: heat throttling
Updated: 2026-06-26T08:00:00.000Z
## Go deeper
Thermal throttling is when a device slows itself down to avoid overheating. In everyday buying decisions, the useful question is not just what the spec says, but what it changes for comfort, cost, speed, safety, or battery life.