Vegetation precipitation use efficiency (PUE) serves as a crucial indicator for evaluating the productivity of vegetation in response to spatial and temporal precipitation dynamics. Using annual net primary productivity (NPP) and precipitation, the spatial and temporal distribution of PUE and its topographic effect in the Qinghai Lake Basin from 2000 to 2020 was calculated. To examine the relationship between PUE and various factors, geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) were utilized by combining annual mean air temperature, annual mean land surface temperature, annual mean surface soil moisture, annual fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, and annual fractional vegetation cover. The results indicated that: (1) the mean unit pixel (1 km²) PUE in the Qinghai Lake Basin ranged 0.4-0.7 gC m^-2 mm^-1, with average about 0.54 gC m^-2 mm^-1. Moreover, there was no marked trend in PUE across the years assessed (R²=0.05, P≥0.05). The average of multi-year PUE in the Qinghai Lake Basin was distributed unevenly around Qinghai Lake, except for the eastern shore, where PUE decreased with the increasing distance from the lake. High-value areas were mainly concentrated in semi-annular areas on the western and southern shores. The slope of the annual PUE trend ranged -0.05-0.04 gC m^-2 mm^-1 a^-1, with significant changes observed across 29.63% of the basin area. (2) The average PUE over several years was found to vary in the Qinghai Lake Basin depending on altitude and microtopography. A 50 m increase in altitudinal gradients led to a 0.02 gC m^-2 mm^-1 decrease in PUE. Additionally, an upward trend in slope gradients resulted in a decline of PUE, with ranged 0.3-0.61 gC m^-2 mm^-1 from flat slope to dangerous slope (>45°); different slope aspects also resulted from the northeast to the southwest, which ranged 0.52-0.56 gC m^-2 mm^-1. (3) There was spatial correlation between the PUE and land surface temperature, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, fractional vegetation cover and leaf area index in the Qinghai Lake Basin in the last 21 years was correspondingly obvious. Along the altitudinal gradient, air temperature and land surface temperature showed highly significant positive correlations with the PUE (R²=0.94, P<0.01; R²=0.98, P<0.01), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, fractional vegetation cover and leaf area index were significantly positively correlated with the PUE (R²=0.89, P<0.05; R²=0.90, P<0.05; R²=0.86, P<0.05), and surface soil moisture had no significant correlation (R²=0.16, P≥0.05). This paper examined the PUE in the Qinghai Lake Basin and the correlation with different factors. It elucidated the precipitation use capacity and water consumption characteristics of vegetation, providing theoretical support for conservation practices in the Qinghai Lake Basin and the development of the National Parks.