In a dynamic mode, firmware sets a threshold of errors that may occur within a predetermined period of time. If the threshold is exceeded, the firmware queries the front-side bus performance counters to determine whether the front-side bus is operating at its maximum data rate. If the front-side bus is not running at the maximum data rate, then the firmware bumps the data rate settings for the endpoint that exceeds the threshold by one step. If the front-side bus is running at its maximum data rate, then the firmware queries all the endpoints to determine which endpoints are active. The firmware then determines whether there are any active endpoints that are lower priority than the complaining endpoint. The mechanism drops the lower priority endpoints by one step and raises the complaining endpoint by one step.