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Intel Turbo Boost

PChau11
Beginner
1,661 Views

Hi,

I run the intel turbo boost monitor to check if my cpu is boosting to max performance.

Whenever i am using my laptop for normal use, its mostly showing to boost between 3.2-3.3 Ghz, but as soon as i launch any game, the turbo boost locks at 2.4 Ghz base clock speed, this is the scenario for any game i play.

 

What is the cause/solution for this?

This is very weird as in normal use its boosting and when the performance is needed, its getting locked at base clock.

 

Please help, Thanks

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
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This is perfectly normal and easily explained. Remember that the Turbo Boost feature is making use of the processor's available thermal margin. When you go into a game, you are making the processor much busier - and much hotter as a result. As the available thermal margin drops, so does the available Turbo Boost. Eventually you can reach a point where this is nothing available and you are running at only your base clock speed.

 

Hope this helps,

...S

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PChau11
Beginner
1,201 Views

Hi,

There is no over heating, 60-65 degrees is not heating, my laptop is pretty cool, and in summers, i have my AC running as well as a Wall fan is directed towards laptop. I use a Cooling pad and the bottom cover of laptop is always removed to reduce any internal heating.

Adding, Turbo boost is to make the CPU use its max power when its needed most.. not when using firefox browser lol

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n_scott_pearson
Super User
1,201 Views

I didn't say overheating; I said getting hotter (meaning that its thermal margin is getting smaller).

 

You need to understand that there are all sorts of other factors involved. I simplified the discussion (in a failing effort, obviously) to make it easier to understand. Here is a summary statement that is included in the Intel Turbo Boost page on Wikipedia: "When the workload on the processor calls for faster performance, the processor's clock will try to increase the operating frequency in regular increments as required to meet demand. The increased clock rate is limited by the processor's powercurrent, and thermal limits, the number of cores currently in use, and the maximum frequency of the active cores." Place emphasis on the use of "will try" and "limited by".

 

You can use the Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Turbo_Boost) as a starting point for any subsequent investigation of this technology that you are interested in partaking...

...S

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