Intel turbo boost gaming: Should I disable turbo boost? My processor base speed is 1ghz max turbo to 3.6 ghz (i5-1035g1). Is there any way to enable and disable according to gaming use and other use without going to bios settings each and Everytime.

What Is Intel Turbo Boost? Here’s How It Works

The computer processor in your laptop or desktop has a standard clock speed. The CPU clock speed partially determines how quickly it performs. The CPU will periodically lower its clock speed to conserve power, especially on laptops.

But did you know your CPU can also periodically activate a Turbo Boost mode to deliver some extra processing oomph?

Intel Turbo Boost and AMD Turbo Core technology can dynamically scale up CPU speed, depending on the thermal headroom available. Boost capacity is sometimes worth almost an extra 1GHz in CPU power.

So, how does Intel Turbo Boost work? And is AMD Turbo Core different?

How Does Intel Turbo Boost Work?

Intel Turbo Boost monitors the usage of an Intel Core CPU to determine how close the processor is to its maximum thermal design power, or TDP. The processor TPD is the maximum amount of power the processor is supposed to use. If the Intel Turbo Boost Technology sees that the CPU is operating well within limits, the Turbo Boost can kick in.

Intel Turbo Boost is a dynamic feature available to Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Xeon CPUs. Not all Intel CPUs feature Turbo Boost, although it is a common feature for most CPUs manufactured since 2008.

There is no set-in-stone speed that the processor will reach in Turbo Boost mode. There is, however, a Maximum Turbo Frequency, which defines the absolute limit the CPU will reach. For example, the Intel Core i5-9600K has a Processor Base Frequency of 3.70GHz, and a Max Turbo Frequency of 4.60GHz. The Turbo Boost can provide up-to 0.9GHz additional processing power.

Furthermore, the CPU Turbo Boost doesn’t propel your processor from 3.70GHz to 4.60GHz in a single action. Turbo Boost operates in small increments.

The very early Intel Core CPUs, using the Nehalem and Westmere microarchitectures (such as the Intel Core i5-750 and the Core i7-950), operate with 133MHz frequency increments. Intel changed the frequency increment with the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, switching to 100MHz frequency increments. The 100MHz frequency increment features in every Intel microarchitecture since.

However, Intel still advertises these processors by their base clock speed. This is because Intel does not guarantee that a processor will ever hit its maximum Turbo Boost speed. I have yet to hear of an Intel processor that cannot hit its maximum Turbo Boost speed. But hitting the maximum Turbo Boost is dependent on workload—it won’t happen all of the time.

What Is Turbo Boost Max Technology?

Turbo Boost Max Technology (TBMT) 3.0 is an Intel CPU technology that boosts the performance of your CPUs fastest cores.

No two CPUs are the same. They have the same specs, look the same, and probably smell the same. But the CPU manufacturing process means that two CPUs have minute differences. These microscopic differences mean the CPU cores all have slightly different strengths.

TBMT harnesses those slight differences and provides an additional CPU frequency boost. The TBMT frequency boost is up to 200MHz higher than the regular Turbo Boost frequency.

TBMT doesn’t replace Turbo Boost. Rather, for certain Intel CPUs, it compliments it. In that, Turbo Boost Max Technology isn’t available to all Intel CPUs. At the time of writing, TBMT is only available to Intel Core i7 and Core i9 Extreme Edition CPUs—the top tier of Intel processors.

Why Turbo Boost Helps with High Performance

Turbo Boost is a core Intel CPU feature. The operation of Turbo Boost may feel unpredictable. However, it provides an excellent processing power boost, which is vital at all CPU levels.

In the days before Turbo Boost, the choice of purchasing a dual-core or quad-core processor was a compromise. Many dual-core processors came with a faster clock speed than quad-core processors simply because having more cores increases power consumption and heat generation.

Some programs, like games, favored dual-core processors, while other programs, like 3D rendering software, favored quad cores. If you used both types of applications, you had to make a choice about which was most important to you. You couldn’t receive maximum performance in both from a single processor.

The introduction of Turbo Boost did away with this compromise.

Modern Intel CPUs with Turbo Boost Technology all have different strengths and weaknesses, though for different reasons. You can use an Intel CPU with a 3D rendering application, high-performance game, video editing, and more, knowing that Turbo Boost will provide some extra processing power where possible.

You can see the difference Turbo Boost has on performance in the following video.

Does Turbo Boost Affect Laptop Battery Life?

With extra processing power comes extra power draw. On a desktop computer, the extra power demands of Intel Turbo Boost are not an issue. Whereas, if you’re using a laptop with a finite battery, Turbo Boost will affect your battery life.

However, quantifying the exact effect of CPU Turbo Boost on a laptop battery is difficult. This is primarily because there are so many CPU and battery combinations. There are, however, some handy studies that illustrate the issue. For example, check out Marco Arment’s Turbo Boost test with a 16-inch MacBook Pro and a 2.4GHz Intel Core i9 CPU.

He found that after switching Turbo Boost off, the MacBook Pro used 62-percent less power and ran some 35°C cooler. Which, on the one hand, is brilliant for extending your laptop battery life. The flipside is that the MacBook Pro also took a 29-percent performance hit.

There are two options available for switching off Turbo Boost on your laptop. First, you should check for a specific Turbo Boost switch in the system BIOS. From here you can toggle Turbo Boost on or off, depending on the level of performance you require.

If that is not an option, you should consult our laptop undervolting guide, which uses ThrottleStop to restrict CPU power draw.

Do AMD CPUs Have Turbo Boost?

AMD CPUs do have a version of Turbo Boost, known as AMD Turbo Core. AMD Turbo Core, also known as AMD Core Performance Boost, dynamically adjusts the processor frequency depending on the headroom between the operating temperature and the processor TDP.

AMD Ryzen CPUs come with some pretty nifty CPU frequency boost technologies, too. For one, AMD Ryzen CPUs move in 25MHz frequency increments, as in comparison to Intel’s 100MHz. That means you can maintain a higher clock speed for a longer period. Other features work alongside those increments:

  • Precision Boost: Implements a frequency increase in «two-core boost» or «all-core boost» modes. The two-core boost mode provides a larger boost to two cores, whereas the all-core mode spreads the boost across all available cores.
  • Precision Boost 2: The second iteration enables all cores to operate at maximum frequency, up to the limits of frequency, power consumption, or temperature.
  • Precision Boost Overdrive: Although it carries the same name as the previous two entries, Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) is more akin to Intel’s Turbo Boost Max Technology. PBO alters the direct voltage of the CPU cores, allowing for performance gains outside the advertised frequency range under certain circumstances.
  • Extended Frequency Range 2: The Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR2) works with Precision Boost 2 to continually assess how far the CPU frequency can extend in relation to the system cooling capacity. The better the system cooling, the more boost the CPU can handle.

At one time, AMD’s Turbo Core was nowhere near as useful or advanced as Intel’s Turbo Boost. Now, AMD’s Turbo Core and Precision Boost technologies put AMD alongside Intel—if not ahead.

How to Enable Intel Turbo Boost

If you’ve read through this and wonder how you turn Intel Turbo Boost on, you don’t have to worry. Your computer will use Turbo Boost automatically. Some system BIOS will allow you to switch the Turbo Boost on or off, while others wont.

The likelihood is that you use Intel Turbo Boost all of the time without realizing—because that’s how it is meant to work.

As mentioned in the section regarding laptops and Intel Turbo Boost, there are some reasons why you might consider switching Turbo Boost off. But you should only do that if you absolutely must.

Intel Turbo Boost Will Boost Your CPU

Turbo Boost is a great feature. It was one of the reasons Intel CPUs were superior to AMD’s processors. Now that AMD CPUs feature the same technology with a few additions, that bonus is gone.

Still, Intel Turbo Boost provides an extra bit of processing power when you need it. The extra CPU frequency is perfect for gamers, video editors, developers, and anyone pushing their CPU to the limit. Even if you’re not pushing the CPU, you know that you have the processing headroom if you desire.

It appears the days of set-in-stone processor clock speeds are over. The future will be about changing a processor’s performance on the fly to meet the demands of the user.

Turbo Boost isn’t Intel’s only power-boosting technology. Intel’s Optane Memory comes with some incredible performance boosts!

How Well Does Intel’s Turbo Boost Work? | Small Business

By Allen Bethea

Modern and mobile devices have become so powerful, the busy cursor is practically an endangered species. But even today’s fast, multi-core, 64-bit processors can slow down to a crawl when you play graphics-intense, photo-realistic games, render videos or perform complex calculations on large data sets. Microprocessor and chipset manufacturer Intel developed its Turbo Boost technology to help you squeeze the maximum horsepower from your system when you need it and save energy by throttling speeds back down when you perform less strenuous tasks.

How It Works

  1. Intel’s Turbo Boost responds intelligently to your need for speed. Computation-intensive tasks like three-dimensional animation rendering or encoding video require much more processor horsepower than word processing, performing Web searches or chatting. Turbo Boost constantly monitors the power consumption, temperature and activity of each processor core. When an application makes high processor demands on one or more cores, the Turbo Boost technology gradually increases the speed of each affected core in 133.33 MHz increments until the maximum Turbo speed is reached or the cores reach maximal operational power and temperature limits.

Processors Supported

  1. Intel’s Turbo Boost technology is found in their dual and quad-core i7 and i5 processors. These processors have a wide range of normal and Turbo Boost speeds depending upon the number of cores and the devices they are used in. For instance, the Intel Core i5-3317U dual-core processor – used in some notebook and Ultrabook PCs – normally runs at 1.7 GHz. If need be, each of the i5-3317U cores can reach 2.6 GHz for an impressive 52.9 percent increase in speed. The Intel Core i7-3770 used in some high-performance desktop PCs, however, has a baseline speed of 3.4GHz and a maximum boost speed of just 3.9GHz.

Operating System Support

  1. While Turbo Boost works in response to the way a computer’s operating system’s allocates work to processor cores, the software for estimating power usage, temperature and core activity is contained within the i5 or i7 microprocessor. Turbo Boost works with Windows, OS X, Linux, Solaris, BSD Unix or any other operating system that supports multicore processing.

Monitoring Processor Speed

  1. If you are running a processor-intensive application, you should be able to detect a noticeable increase in speed once the Turbo Boost begins to work. Intel also provides a free, Windows-only utility you can download and install that allows you to see how fast the processor is working at near real time speeds. Ubuntu Linux users can use the standard Gnome System Monitor or install the ProcMeter3 utility from the Ubuntu Software Center to monitor processor activity. Activity Monitor handles the same task for Mac OS X users.

References

  • Intel: Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
  • Intel: Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor Frequently Asked Questions
  • Apple: MacBook Pro

Writer Bio

Allen Bethea has written articles on programming, web design,operating systems and computer hardware since 2002. He holds a Bachelor of Science from UNC-Chapel Hill and AAS degrees in office technology, mechanical engineering/drafting and internet technology. Allen has extensive experience with desktop and system software for both Windows and Linux operating systems.

Learning how to optimize games for multi-core processors and Hyper-Threading, SMT, Turbo Boost and Turbo Core technologies: January 2019

Table of contents

  • Introduction
  • Test results: performance comparison
    • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
    • Call of Cthulhu
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
    • Conan Exiles
    • Fallout 4
    • Far Cry 5
    • For Honor
    • Grand Theft Auto V
    • Monster Hunter: World
    • Overkill’s The Walking Dead
  • Geometric mean results of processors in ten games
  • Test configuration
  • Instrumentation and Test Method

Introduction

The purpose of this review is to study the optimization of current games for multi-core processors. For its implementation, the following CPU models were taken:

  • Core i7-8700K;
  • Core i5-8600K;
  • Core i3-8350K;
  • Pentium G5600;
  • Ryzen 7 2700X;
  • Ryzen 5 2600X;
  • Ryzen 5 1500X;
  • Ryzen 3 1300X.

All processors listed were clocked at 3500 MHz.

In addition to optimizing games for multi-core CPUs, the performance of Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost, SMT and Turbo Core technologies was investigated. The above processors have been tested in the following modes:

  • Core i7-8700K — Hyper-Threading — on / Turbo Boost — on;
  • Core i7-8700K — Hyper-Threading — off / Turbo Boost — on;
  • Core i7-8700K — Hyper-Threading — off / Turbo Boost — off;
  • Core i5-8600K — Turbo Boost — on;
  • Core i5-8600K — Turbo Boost — off;
  • Ryzen 7 2700X — SMT — on / Turbo Core — on;
  • Ryzen 7 2700X — SMT — off / Turbo Core — on;
  • Ryzen 7 2700X — SMT — off / Turbo Core — off;
  • Ryzen 5 2600X — SMT — on / Turbo Core — on;
  • Ryzen 5 2600X — SMT — off / Turbo Core — on;
  • Ryzen 5 2600X — SMT — off / Turbo Core — off;
  • Ryzen 5 1500X — SMT — on / Turbo Core — on;
  • Ryzen 5 1500X — SMT — off / Turbo Core — on;
  • Ryzen 5 1500X — SMT — off / Turbo Core — off;
  • Ryzen 3 1300X — Turbo Core — on;
  • Ryzen 3 1300X — Turbo Core — off.

For versatility, all systems were tested with a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11264 MB graphics card.

This direction of articles is for reference only, there are no comments, since each reader will be able to independently obtain the information he needs. Recall that you can learn about the operation of test benches, the methodology and processing of the results from a detailed story about testing components in games. A description of the test configurations is given at the end of the material.

Let’s go directly to the tests.

recommendations

Test results: performance comparison

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

  • Version 1.1.2.
  • DirectX 11.
    • Permission modifier — 100%.
    • Viewing angle — 100%.
    • Smoothing — high.
    • The quality of shadows is ultra high.
    • The quality of the environment is ultra high.
    • Texture detail — high.
    • The quality of the relief is high.
    • The density of small objects is very high.
    • Fog quality is high.
    • Water quality is very high.
    • The quality of full-screen reflections is high.
    • The quality of volumetric clouds is ultra high.
    • The quality of the characters is ultra high.
    • The quality of volumetric lighting is very high.
    • Depth of field quality is high.

1920×1080

Intel processors

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processors AMD

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Minimum and medium FPS

9000 Call of CTHUU

9000 3000 Bols

  • DirectX 11.
    • Vision range — maximum.
    • Smoothing quality — ultra high.
    • Post-processing quality — ultra high.
    • The quality of shadows is ultra high.

      • Version 1.10.
      • DirectX 11.
        • Shader preloading — enabled.
        • Texture quality is very high.
        • Texture filtering quality is high.
        • The quality of special effects is high.
        • The quality of the models is high.
        • The quality of static reflections is high.
        • Screen space reflections — enabled.
        • Display range of objects is high.
        • Shadow quality is very high.
        • Dynamic shadows — all enabled.
        • Special effects shadows — included.
        • Weapon shading — enabled.
        • Global shading — enabled.
        • Smoothing quality is very high.
        • The shading quality is very high.
        • Speed ​​effect — enabled.
        • Subsurface scattering — included.
        • The quality of order-independent transparency is high.
        • Vision range — maximum.
        • Post-processing — maximum.
        • Shadow quality — maximum.
        • Effects quality — maximum.
        • Texture quality — maximum.
        • Foliage quality — maximum.

      1920×1080

      Intel

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      AMD

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      Minimum and average FPS

      Fallout 4

      • Version 1. 10.120.0.1.
      • DirectX 11.
        • Antialiasing — FXAA.
        • Anisotropic filtering — x16.
        • Texture detail — ultra high.
        • Shadow detail — ultra high.
        • Shadow rendering detail — ultra high.
        • Extra texture detail — ultra high.
        • Lighting detail — ultra high.
        • Sunburst detail — ultra high.
        • Depth of field — the best quality.
        • Volume Light — HBAO+.
        • Reflections — enabled.
        • Humidity — enabled.
        • Volume rain — enabled.
        • Motion blur — enabled.
        • Glare — enabled.
      • Draw distance:
        • Objects — maximum.
        • Characters — maximum.
        • items — maximum.
        • Herbs — maximum.
        • The degree of detail of distant objects is ultra high.
        • Details — ultra high.

      1920×1080

      Intel processors

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      AMD 9 processors0157

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      Increasing processor frequencies or how Intel Turbo Boost and AMD Precision Boost work

      The central processing unit is the heart of the computer, and the performance of the entire system depends on its characteristics. If the user wants to achieve high-quality performance of tasks with a computer, then a fast and powerful processor is a key component. It is its power that reveals the potential of other PC components.

      Graphic design, demanding games, audio compositing, video editing and 3D graphics work are all based primarily on the capabilities of the silicon crystal. Many people make the mistake of trying to improve system performance by increasing the amount of RAM. But behind the speed has always been a computing center.

      The most important characteristics of a processor are cores, cache and clock speed. These parameters are responsible for the number of operations and the speed with which the CPU performs them. In this article, we will talk specifically about the clock frequency, its automatic increase, and what it all is.


      What is the processor clock speed?

      The concept of “clock speed” is based on the term “cycle”, which means a certain number of instructions or operations that the CPU is able to perform in one second. The basic unit of measurement is «hertz». The latest generation CPUs, based on their hertz, can simultaneously perform over five million calculations per second.

      One operation can span several cycles, so applications never start instantly, but only after a few seconds. The system sends a clock pulse, and the stone, referring to a specific directory, already launches the required commands.

      The clock frequency determines the performance of the processor. The higher it is, the higher its power. Solutions with a large number of cores, but a low frequency can significantly lose to stones with a higher frequency. Multi-threaded computing cores with a high clock speed are the basis of all gaming and work computers, for which power and speed are a priority.

      Smartphone and PC processors are examples. For the former, the speed rarely goes beyond 2.2 GHz, and the calculator consists of productive and energy-efficient cores. For the latter, it reaches 6.0 GHz and can be combined either only with productive cores, or with hybrid ones. With the same number of cores, smartphones are far behind, even if the PC has energy-efficient cores.

      Finding your CPU frequency is easy. It is enough to call “System Properties”, and all information about it will be displayed in the “Processor” column. This indicates the model and nominal frequency of the device, which it will issue most of the time. It can both increase and decrease, depending on the current loads.


      What is variable frequency?

      The CPU is always set to extreme low and extreme high frequencies, for example: Intel Core i7-13700K (3. 4 — 5.4 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (4.5 — 5.4 GHz). This range makes it clear that during idle or active work, the performance will change in order to save power consumption as much as possible.

      Frequency control is based on the interaction of clock and multiplier.

      • The clock generator is responsible for synchronizing the CPU with other PC components. All the work of the system is concentrated on one cycle, while the cycle itself is an invariable unit.
      • The multiplier in modern computers is a variable that is changed and multiplied per clock cycle in order to achieve a certain frequency from the core. Stones with an unlocked multiplier are the best overclocking models.

      From the outset, processors are designed with more potential than necessary to facilitate the development of new generations in the future. Having learned about this, users began to independently engage in “overclocking” the CPU through a special bus in order to obtain additional power. This method raised the frequencies not only of the cores, but also of the RAM. This led to overload and violation of the stability of the entire system.

      Manual overclocking is a risky business requiring extreme caution when working with voltage. It must be properly applied to the transistors around the silicon crystal. If the voltage is set incorrectly, the processor can be burned. To avoid this, manufacturers have thought about introducing an automatic overclocking function. And today, almost every stone on the market has factory overclocking, which guarantees a safe increase in frequencies.

      In order to avoid user intervention, which, as a rule, leads to disastrous consequences, manufacturers have introduced the concept of “automatic processor frequency”. This software package determines when a boost is needed, and when the computer does an excellent job without additional “help”.


      How does automatic frequency control work?

      Under heavy load, the stone will increase speed. This leads to:

      • an increase in energy consumption;
      • heating increase;
      • more active cooling system.

      The more resource-intensive the task, the more the increase in processor frequency will occur. With a passive load, the CPU will reduce it, gaining a kind of “breathing time” and reducing energy costs. This fluctuation during PC operation is called dynamic clock control.

      A good cooling system is essential for high performance. Frequency boost and heating level are dependent on each other. The temperature of the stone can be kept at a level, but it will warm up the space around it, which can harm other components.

      Two leading semiconductor manufacturers, Intel and AMD, have developed their own integrated overclocking technologies: Intel Turbo Boost and AMD Precision Boost. Both are based on common principles, but work with noticeable differences. An unlocked multiplier allows you to increase the performance of the device by 10-20%, but you will not be able to rise above the allowable maximum. And don’t, for safety reasons. It is better to buy a more powerful high-end CPU.

      Intel Turbo Boost

      Blues first used their auto-overclocking feature on Bloomfield CPUs. The very first versions allowed for gains up to 300 MHz and for the most part ran into the limitations of the silicon crystal. With a gradual decrease in the technical process, the auto boost bar began to grow, and achieving a processor frequency increase of 1 GHz is far from the limit.

      The Intel version of the software has also evolved, acquired additional algorithms and became easier to use. The second version is still relevant to this day, even for the Rocket Lake family.

      Turbo Boost very carefully regulates CPU clock speeds, increasing performance per core, but at the same time preventing the computer from overheating. During overclocking, the stone will increase power consumption, but to the point that will not allow the processor to go beyond the heat pack specified by the developers. Everything is based on the two factory settings P1 and P2:

      • P1 — basic power consumption limit set by the developer;
      • P2 — the maximum allowable boost, which can be higher by 25 percent of the nominal.

      AMD Precision Boost

      Not wanting to concede to competitors, AMD worked on their own software package for automatic overclocking. The first provision was Turbo Core, and with the advent of the Zen architecture, it was replaced by Precision Boost.

      Boost of their products «red» is not tied to specific bus parameters, and the frequency of their devices is regulated more finely, up to 20-25 GHz. Intel, on the other hand, opted for a larger step of 100 GHz. Otherwise, the principle remains unchanged, and temperature and power consumption are taken as the basis for adjusting clock frequencies.

      AMD Precision Boost 2.0 technology monitors three parameters, namely:

      • temperature;
      • maximum frequency;
      • power consumption.

      The company sets certain limits for these parameters in its devices. Intel does not limit the increase in frequencies, but indicates a possible limit for auto boost, however, with the help of hardware overclocking, you can get higher frequencies.

      AMD processors can be overclocked until the stone hits the ceiling of one of the parameters. Having reached the temperature maximum, the processor may not reach the allowable bar for frequency and power consumption. Therefore, the power limit can be somewhat limited in the absence of a good cooling system.

      In the second version, problems with smooth increase and decrease in frequencies were fixed when loading two or more streams at the same time. Moreover, the second version relies not only on factory limits. It analyzes the tasks currently performed by the computer and distributes the load between the cores.

      With low resource-intensive tasks, Precision Boost 2.0 loads not one or two threads, but all at the same time, which gives a significant increase. But at the same time, performance in demanding operations may decrease if this does not provide additional performance.

      The AMD software package will not provide the user with such a wide selection of add-ons for overclocking, but will allow for a more accurate and safe boost for the processor.


      Manual overclock or factory boost?

      Modern CPUs have enough headroom for most tasks to avoid overclocking. If those same 5-10% power is not enough in games or work, then solutions with an unlocked multiplier from the manufacturer are the most reliable and effective option.

      First, they greatly simplify the overclocking function and make it more intuitive. Secondly, they cope with their task better than an ordinary user and even an experienced unlocker will do.

      Whereas in the past it was necessary to further modify the system to increase the CPU frequency and increase performance, now a few button presses are enough. The main disadvantage of manual overclocking is that it uses all the cores at the same time and leaves no room for maneuver.