intel turbo bosst tech
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Intel Turbo Boost Technology
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INTRODUCTION
INTEL TURBO BOOST TECHNOLOGY is the fascinating technology which
automatically provides performance on demand. Intel Turbo Boost Technology is one of
the many exciting features that Intel has built into latest-generation Intel
microarchitechture codename Nehalem processor cores to run faster than the base
operating frequency if it's operating below power, current, and temperature specification
limits. Intel Turbo Boost technology, as the name suggests, helps boost the performance
of your computer's multi-core processor. The program, in its most simple terms, operates
by increasing the speed of each core on a system's chipset, drawing power away from
parts of the CPU not currently being used while providing that extra power to the chip's
active processors.
Basically, if the current application workload isn't keeping all four cores fully busy
and pushing right up against the chip's TDP (Thermal Design Power) limit, Turbo Boost
can increase the clock speed of each core individually to get more performance out of the
chip.
It's easy to see how this works when just one or two cores are being actively used;
whatever power the other two or three cores would have consumed can be redirected over
to the active cores, allowing them to run at higher speeds. Basically, if the current
application workload isn't keeping all four cores fully busy and pushing right up against
the chip's TDP (Thermal Design Power) limit, Turbo Boost can increase the clock speed
of each core individually to get more performance out of the chip.
It's easy to see how this works when just one or two cores are being actively used;
whatever power the other two or three cores would have consumed can be redirected over
to the active cores, allowing them to run at higher speeds.
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The quad-core mode of Turbo Boost is a little more subtle; it works when the four cores
aren't running a worst-case workload--for example, integer-heavy processing, since it's
generally floating-point calculations that consume the most power--so they aren't
bumping into the TDP limit. Turbo Boost can increase the frequency of all four cores
until they're running as fast as they can for the current workload.
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MICROPROCESSOR
The microprocessor is one of the important components of a digital computer. It acts as
the brain of the computer system. Before going to the detailed description of the
microprocessor, let us see what a digital computer is. A digital computer makes
processing of numbers.
Computers are the most powerful tool man has ever created. A digital computer is a
programmable machine. Its main components are: cpu, memory, input device and output
device. The schematic diagram of a digital computer is shown below:
Schematic diagram of a digital computer
The CPU executes the instructions. The input device is used to feed programs and
data to the computer. The memory is a storage device. It stores programs, data and result.
The output device displays or prints the data or results according to the instruction given
to the computer. The central processing unit built into a single IC is called
microprocessor. A digital computer in which only one microprocessor has been built to
MEMORY
CPU
OUTPUT DEVICEINPUT DEVICE
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act as the CPU is called the microcomputer. A desktop computer and portable computers
like laptop, notebook, palmtop, etc. contain one microprocessor to act as the CPU and
hence they come under the category of microcomputer.
MULTICORE PROCESSOR
In computing, a processor is the unit that reads and executes program instructions, which
are fixed-length (typically 32 or 64 bit) or variable-length chunks of data. The data in the
instruction tells the processor what to do. The instructions are very basic things like
reading data from memory or sending data to the user display, but they are processed so
rapidly that we experience the results as the smooth operation of a program.
Processors were originally developed with only one core. The core is the part of the
processor that actually performs the reading and executing of the instruction. Single-core
processors can only process one instruction at a time. (To improve efficiency, processors
commonly utilize pipelines internally, which allow several instructions to be processed
together, however they are still consumed into the pipeline one at a time.)
A multi-core processor is a processing system composed of two or more
independent cores. One can describe it as an integrated circuit to which two or more
individual processors (called cores in this sense) have been attached.[1] Manufacturers
typically integrate the cores onto a single integrated circuit die (known as a chip
multiprocessor or CMP), or onto multiple dies in a single chip package. A many-
core processor is one in which the number of cores is large enough that traditional multi-
processor techniques are no longer efficient this threshold is somewhere in the range
of several tens of cores and probably requires a network on chip.
A dual-coreprocessor contains two cores, a quad-core processor contains four cores,
and a hex-core processor contains six cores. A multi-core processor
implements multiprocessing in a single physical package. Designers may couple cores in
a multi-core device together tightly or loosely. For example, cores may or may not
share caches, and they may implement message passing or shared memory inter-core
communication methods. Common network topologies to interconnect cores include bus,
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ring, 2-dimensional mesh, and crossbar. Homogeneous multi-core systems include only
identical cores, unlike heterogeneous multi-core systems. Just as with single-processor
systems, cores in multi-core systems may implement architectures
like superscalar, VLIW, vector processing, SIMD, or multithreading.
Multi-core processors are widely used across many application domains including
general-purpose, embedded, network, digital signal processing (DSP), and graphics.
The amount of performance gained by the use of a multi-core processor depends very
much on the software algorithms and implementation. In particular, the possible gains are
limited by the fraction of the software that can be parallelized to run on multiple cores
simultaneously; this effect is described by Amdahl's law. In the best case, so-
called embarrassingly parallel problems may realize speedup factors near the number of
cores, or beyond even that if the problem is split up enough to fit within each processor's
or core's cache(s) due to the fact that the much slower main memory system is avoided.
Many typical applications, however, do not realize such large speedup factors. The
parallelization of software is a significant on-going topic of research.
Advantages
The proximity of multiple CPU cores on the same die allows the cache
coherency circuitry to operate at a much higher clock-rate than is possible if the signals
have to travel off-chip. Combining equivalent CPUs on a single die significantly
improves the performance ofcache snoop (alternative: Bus snooping) operations. Put
simply, this means that signals between different CPUs travel shorter distances, and
therefore those signals degrade less. These higher-quality signals allow more data to be
sent in a given time period, since individual signals can be shorter and do not need to be
repeated as often.
The largest boost in performance will likely be noticed in improved response-time while
running CPU-intensive processes, like antivirus scans, ripping/burning media (requiring
file conversion), or searching for folders. For example, if the automatic virus-scan runs
while a movie is being watched, the application running the movie is far less likely to be
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starved of processor power, as the antivirus program will be assigned to a different
processor core than the one running the movie playback.
Assuming that the die can fit into the package, physically, the multi-core CPU designs
require much less printed circuit board (PCB)space than do multi-chip SMP designs.
Also, a dual-core processor uses slightly less power than two coupled single-core
processors, principally because of the decreased power required to drive signals external
to the chip. Furthermore, the cores share some circuitry, like the L2 cache and the
interface to the front side bus (FSB). In terms of competing technologies for the available
silicon die area, multi-core design can make use of proven CPU core library designs and
produce a product with lower risk of design error than devising a new wider core-design.
Also, adding more cache suffers from diminishing returns.
Disadvantages
Maximizing the utilization of the computing resources provided by multi-core processors
requires adjustments both to the operating system (OS) support and to existing
application software. Also, the ability of multi-core processors to increase application
performance depends on the use of multiple threads within applications. The situation is
improving: for example the Valve Corporation's Source engine offers multi-core support,
and Crytekhas developed similar technologies forCryEngine , which powers their
game, Crysis. Emergent Game TechnologiesGamebryo engine includes their Floodgate
technology which simplifies multicore development across game platforms. In
addition, Apple Inc.'s latest OS, Snow Leopard has a built-in multi-core facility
called Grand Central Dispatch for Intel CPUs.
Integration of a multi-core chip drives chip production yields down and they are more
difficult to manage thermally than lower-density single-chip designs. Intel has partially
countered this first problem by creating its quad-core designs by combining two dual-
cores on a single die with a unified cache, hence any two working dual-core dies can be
used, as opposed to producing four cores on a single die and requiring all four to work to
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produce a quad-core. From an architectural point of view, ultimately, single CPU designs
may make better use of the silicon surface area than multiprocessing cores, so a
development commitment to this architecture may carry the risk of obsolescence. Finally,
raw processing power is not the only constraint on system performance. Two processing
cores sharing the same system bus and memory bandwidth limits the real-world
performance advantage. If a single core is close to being memory-bandwidth limited,
going to dual-core might only give 30% to 70% improvement. If memory bandwidth is
not a problem, a 90% improvement can be expected. It would be possible for an
application that used two CPUs to end up running faster on one dual-core if
communication between the CPUs was the limiting factor, which would count as more
than 100% improvement.
Diagram of a generic dual-core processor, with CPU-local level 1 caches, and a shared,
on-die level 2 cache is shown above.
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OVERLOCKING OF MICROPROCESSORS
Simply put, overclocking refers to running a system component at higher clock speeds
than are specified by the manufacturer. At first blush, the possibility of overclocking
seems counter-intuitiveif a given chip were capable of running at higher speeds;
wouldn't the manufacturer sell it as a higher speed grade and reap additional revenue?
The answer is a simple one, but it depends on a basic understanding of how chips are
fabricated and sorted.
Chip fabrication produces large wafers containing hundreds if not thousands of individual
chips. These wafers are sliced to separate individual dies, which are then tested to
determine which of the manufacturers offered speed grades they can reach. Some chips
are capable of higher speeds than others, and they're sorted accordingly. This process is
referred to as binning.
There's considerably less demand for faster chips than for slower ones, though. The Core
2 Extreme QX9650 may be the fastest CPU Intel can produce, but with street prices
hovering around $1200, it costs quite a bit more than most folks are willing to spend on a
CPU. The Core 2 Quad Q6600, which sells for less than $300, is in much higher demand
because it fits within the budget of a greater number of consumers. And demand for low-
end chips is even greater still.
Chipmakers often find themselves in a position where the vast majority of the chips they
produce are capable of running at higher clock speeds, since all chips of a particular
vintage are produced in the same basic way. So chipmakers end up designating faster
chips as lower speed grades in order to satisfy market demand. This practice is of
particular interest to overclockers because it results in inexpensive chips with "free"
overclocking headroom that's easy to exploit. That's the magic of binning: it's often quite
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generous. A great many of the CPUs sold these days, especially the low-end and mid-
range models come with some built-in headroom.
Overclocking can do much more than exploit a chip's inherent headroom, though. It's also
possible to push chips far beyond speeds offered by even the most expensive retail
products. Such overclocking endeavors usually require more extreme measures, such as
extravagant cooling solutions, so they're a little beyond the scope of what most folks will
want to tackle.
The most important ingredient in any overclocking endeavor is a good chip. If you're
looking to exploit the "free" overclocking headroom made possible by binning, you're
best off looking at lower speed grades. If you're after the maximum overclock, you'll
probably want to pick the number of cores and the amount of cache that you want, and
then select the lowest speed grade available with those characteristics. If you have a
choice between chips with different front-side bus speeds, it's probably best to pick the
chip with the lower default bus speed. A slower front-side bus can make life easier for the
motherboard, and you may even be able to overclock the processor without pushing the
board beyond its specifications.
Overclocking forums are also rife with discussions of specific CPU stepping and batch
numbers that have higher success rates than others. If you're willing to do a little
researchand if you can coax retailers into giving you more detailed information on
chips they have in stockyou can increase your chances of success. Gathering stepping
and batch information is particularly useful if you intend to push clock speeds well
beyond any binning freebies.
Success is never guaranteed with overclocking. Your mileage will a most certainly vary,
and you might even end up with a complete dud incapable of running more than a few
MHz faster than its stock speed.
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Just because we're focused on processor overclocking doesn't mean that other system
components aren't important. A system's motherboard, cooling system, power supply, and
even memory can affect the success of an overclocking attempt. These don't necessarily
need to be expensive high-end partsthat would defeat much of the value proposition
behind overclockingbut you'll be better off with quality components from reputable
manufacturers. On the motherboard front, you want to ensure that the BIOS has ample
overclocking options, including the ability to manipulate bus speeds and system voltages.
The more control we have over system variables, the more freedom we'll have to tweak
settings carefully in pursuit of higher clock speeds. Motherboard cooling becomes more
important when you turn up clock speeds, as well. You don't need a mess of heat pipes
snaking every which way on the board, but try to stay away from boards with tiny chipset
coolers that don't offer much surface area to dissipate heat. Depending on how far you
intend to push clock speeds, you may also want to consider beefing up your system's
CPU cooling. Overclocked chips tend to run hotter than those at stock speeds,
particularly when you start increasing the CPU voltage, and you don't want a stock cooler
holding your system back. Aftermarket coolers designed for overclocking feature
significantly more surface area than the stock coolers AMD and Intel bundle with their
processors. Aftermarket coolers also tend to have much larger fans to generate more
airflow, often while making less noise. Decent coolers can be had for as little as $30, so
they won't put a big dent in your budget.
We always recommend that users spend a little extra to get a quality power supply for
their systems, and this goes double if you want to overclock. Our concern here isn't
getting gobs of extra wattage, but ensuring that the PSU delivers clean power to the
system.
Fancy memory isn't always necessary if you're looking to overclock a processor, but
DIMMs rated for operation at higher frequencies can give you a little more freedom when
playing with clock speeds. Memory module manufacturers often guarantee their products
to run at higher clock frequencies, even if those speeds aren't officially endorsed by the
JEDEC standards body that governs system memory.
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Even more important than individual component choices is having a completely stable
system before you dive into overclocking. If you're building a new system from scratch,
stress test it at stock speeds to ensure that everything is working properly. The last thing
you want is to burn an afternoon trying in vain to overclock a system hampered by a
faulty component that isn't even stable at stock speeds.
Theobligatory warning
Overclocking will probably void your warranty, and it has the potential to damage not
only the hardware being overclocked, but other system components, as well. This is
where The Tech Report absolves itself of any responsibility for damaged hardware,
voided warranties, puffs of magic smoke, core meltdowns, and bruised egos that may
result from unsuccessful overclocking attempts. Or, heck, even successful ones. We
should also warn you that this guide covers overclocking through the motherboard BIOS.
If you're not comfortable poking around in the BIOS, you probably shouldn't be
overclocking in the first place. Before you begin overclocking your CPU, you shouldstart by making a backup of any important data on your system. You may even want to
consider using a disk imaging program like Symantec Ghost to make a complete image of
your boot partition. We've seen more than one OS installation rendered unbootable by
file corruption caused by an unstable processor in the midst of an overclocking attempt.
The trial-and-error process of seeking a stable overclocked configuration necessarily
involves some risk on this front, so make provisions ahead of time.
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OVERVIEW OF INTEL TURBO BOOST TECHNOLOGY
Intel Core Microarchitechture (Nehalem) based processors incorporate a new feature:
Intel Turbo Boost technology. Under some configurations and workloads, Intel Turbo
Boost technology enables higher performance through the availability of increased core
frequency. Intel Turbo Boost technology automatically allows processor cores to run
faster than the base operating frequency if the processor is operating below rated power,
temperature, and current specification limits. Intel Turbo Boost technology can be
engaged with any number of cores or logical processors enabled and active. This results
in increased performance of both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. It is
possible for BIOS to contain a set-up option to enable or disable Intel Turbo Boost
technology and it operates under operating system (OS) control by engaging when the OS
requests the highest performance state (P0). For ACPI aware operating systems, no
changes are required to support Intel Turbo Boost technology.
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The maximum frequency is dependent on the number of active cores and varies based on
the specific configuration on a per processor number basis. The amount of time the
processor spends in the Intel Turbo Boost technology state will depend on workload and
operating environment.
Intel Turbo Boost technology is available only on supported processor versions. With
Intel Turbo Boost technology, the processor is capable of maximizing core frequency
while ensuring that it does not exceed its electrical and thermal specifications. This
means workloads that are naturally lower in power or lightly threaded may take
advantage of headroom in the form of increased core frequency. Continual measurements
of temperature, current draw, and power consumption are used to dynamically assess
headroom.
DEPENDENCIES OF THE TECHNOLOGY
Intel Turbo Boost technology core frequency upside availability is ultimately constrained
by power delivery limits, but within those constraints, it is limited by the following
factors:
The estimated current consumption of the processor
The estimated power consumption of the processor
The temperature of the processor
The number of active cores at any given instant dictates the upper limit of Intel Turbo
Boost technology. For this discussion, a core is considered active if it is in the C0 or
C1 state; cores in the C3 or C6 state are considered inactive. The upper limits
will vary on a per processor number basis. For example, one particular processor may
allow up to two frequency steps (266.66 MHz) when just one core is active and one
frequency step (133.33 MHz) when two or more cores are active. Therefore, higher deep
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C-state residency (C3 or C6) on some cores will generally result in increased core
frequency on the active cores. The upper limits are further constrained by temperature,
power, and current. These constraints are managed as a simple closed-loop control
system. If measured temperature, power and current are all below factory-configured
limits and the OS is requesting P0, the processor automatically steps up core frequency
(+133.33MHz) until it reaches the upper limit dictated by the number of active cores.
When temperature, power or current exceed factory configured limits and you are above
the base operating frequency, the processor automatically steps down core frequency (-
133.33 MHz) in order to reduce temperature, power and current. The processor then
monitors temperature, power, and current and continuously re-evaluates.
Note: When Intel Turbo Boost technology is requested by the OS, the processor will
commonly operate between the max Intel Turbo Boost technology frequency and the base
operating frequency.
All active cores in the processor will operate at the same frequency. Even at frequencies
above the base operating frequency, all active cores wil run at the same frequency and
voltage. Due to the way the BIOS and OS communicate Intel Turbo Boost technology,
software may never detect core clock frequencies above the base operating frequency.
This is not reflective of actual core frequency.
OPERATING FREQUENCY
Due to the methods used by BIOS to transparently expose Intel Turbo Boost technology
functions to the operating system, software that wishes to calculate (and/or display) the
current operating core frequency may need to be updated.
Most currently available software that calculates frequency relies on the ACPI P-state
structures that are provided by the BIOS or calls an application programming interface
(API) that relies on these structures. The frequency field in the P0 ACPI _PSS object
does not reflect actual Intel Turbo Boost technology frequencies. Instead, it always shows
the P0 frequency as P1 frequency plus 1MHz. Due to this, software that uses the P state
structures, directly or indirectly, will not properly display Intel Turbo Boost technology
frequencies.
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NOTE: Operating Systems may also be impacted and may not report accurate frequency.
The algorithm below can be used to estimate the current operating frequency of a
processor. The algorithm will calculate the average frequency of the active cores over a
1-second window. The time window can be adjusted if increased monitoring is desired.
DYNAMICALLY INCREASING PERFORMANCE
Intel Turbo Boost Technology is activated when the Operating System (OS) requests the
highest processor performance state (P0).
The maximum frequency of Intel Turbo Boost Technology is dependent on the number of
active cores. The amount of time the processor spends in the Intel Turbo Boost
Technology state depends on the workload and operating environment.
Any of the following can set the upper limit of Intel Turbo Boost Technology on a given
workload:
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Number of active cores Estimated current consumption Estimated power consumption Processor temperature
When the processor is operating below these limits and the user's workload demands
additional performance, the processor frequency will dynamically increase by 133 MHz
on short and regular intervals until the upper limit is met or the maximum possible upside
for the number of active cores is reached.
As an independent and complementary feature, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology
(Intel HT Technology) increases performance of both multi-threaded and single
threaded workloads.
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FREQUENCYALGORITHM
The following are the general steps to implement the frequency-monitoring algorithm.
1. Compute and save the reference frequency. Bits 15:8 of the PLATFORM_INFOMSR (0CEH) are the Base Operating Ratio. Multiply by the bus clock
frequency (BCLK) to get the base operating frequency. The standard bus clock
frequency is 133.33 MHz
2. Enable fixed Architectural Performance Monitor counters 1 and 2 in the Global
Performance Counter Control IA32_PERF_GLOBAL_CTRL (38FH) and the
Fixed-Function Performance Counter Control IA32_FIXED_CTR_CTL (38DH). Repeat
this step for each logical processor in the system. Fixed Counter 1
(CPU_CLK_UNHALTED.CORE) Counts the number of core cycles while the
Core is not in a halted state. Fixed Counter 2 (CPU_CLK_UNHALTED.REF) counts the
number of reference (base operating frequency) cycles while the core is not in a halted
state.
3.Configure an auto-rearming timer with 1- Second duration using an OS API.
4.Repeat steps 5 through 10 until the Application exits.
5. Wait for the 1-second timer to expire.
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6. Read the Fixed-Function Performance Counter 1 IA32_FIXED_CTR1 (30AH)and the Fixed- Function Performance Counter 2 IA32_FIXED_CTR2 (30BH).
Repeat this step.For each logical processor in the system.
7. Compute the number of unhalted core cycles and unhalted reference cycles thathave expired since the last iteration by subtracting The previously sampled values
from the currently sampled values.
8. Compute the actual frequency value for each Logical processor as follows: Fcurrent =
Base Operating Frequency * (Unhalted Core Cycles /Unhalted Ref Cycles)
9. Update with GUI to display the newly Computed values (for accurate display, choose
the maximum frequency of all logical Processors).
10. Save Unhalted Core Cycles and Unhalted RefCycles for use in the next iteration.
NOTE: Step 9 is required due to the fact that idle Cores will be woken up to read their
frequency and that will change the results of those idle Cores. For displaying the
frequency of the active Cores, ignore these lower results.
What is Intel Turbo Boost Technology and how does it work?
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Intel Turbo Boost Technology is a way to automatically run the processor core faster than
the marked frequency if the part is operating under power, temperature, and current
specification limits of the Thermal Design Power (TDP). This results in increased
performance of both single and multi-threaded applications.
Whichprocessor familiessupport Intel Turbo Boost Technology?
y Intel Core i7 mobile and desktop processorsy Intel Core i7 processor extreme editiony Intel Core i7 mobile processor extreme editiony Intel Core i5 mobile and desktop processors
What factors influence Intel Turbo Boost Technology operation?
While Intel Turbo Boost Technology availability is independent of the number of active
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cores, the operation is dependent on having headroom (cores operating under TDP)
available in one or more cores. The amount of time the system spends in turbo boost will
ultimately depend on workload, operating environment, and platform design.
How is Intel Turbo Boost Technology enabled or disabled?
Intel Turbo Boost Technology is usually enabled by default by a switch in the bios where
you can either enable or disable operation. Other than this, there are no user controllable
settings to change Intel Turbo Boost Technology operation either in the hardware settings
or operating system. Once enabled, Intel Turbo Boost Technology works automatically
under operating system control.
Isturbo frequencythesame forallactivecoresintheprocessor?
Yes.
Can Intel Turbo Boost Technologybeenabledordisabledbycore?
No. You can sometimes disable cores in the bios but this is not recommended unless
there is a specific reason you need to do this.
Istherea waytospecifythemaximum Intel Turbo Boost Technology
frequency?
There is no way to specify the maximum frequency. Once the system is in turbo boost,
the processor automatically determines the maximum frequency it can operate at based
on operating conditions.
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Whatmodesofoperationareavailable with Intel Turbo Boost
Technology forthe Intel Corei7-900processorseriesandthe Intel Core
i5-600processorseries?
y 1 bin (+133 MHz) across one active corey 2 bins (+266 MHz) across one active corey 1 bin (+133 MHz) across two active coresy 1 bin (+133 MHz) across three active cores
How can I tellif Intel Turbo Boost Technologyis working?
The Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor is a tool that will show you Intel Turbo Boost
Technology in action.
Intel Processor Identification Utility will be able to show you that it is working at the
highest Turbo Boost frequency if you disable the other cores in the bios. If you set theamount of cores to one in the bios and run the Intel Processor Identification Utility, it will
show the highest Turbo Boost frequency. Make sure that you reset the switch in the bios
to reactivate all cores in the bios if you made that change.
How importantissystemintegrationandsystemdesigninregardto
Intel Turbo Boost Technology?
Since Intel Turbo Boost Technology runs when the processor is operating under the
power, temperature, and current specification limits of Thermal Design Power (TDP),
good system integration and thermal design becomes more important than ever to extract
the benefits of Intel Turbo Boost Technology.
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INTEL TURBO BOOST TECHNOLOGY MONITOR
Intel turbo boost technology monitor is a simple sidebar gadget for Windows Vista and
Windows 7. It lets developers and users check the microprocessor's application of Turbo
Boost. It is a simple gadget that lets you answer the question: What is Intel Turbo Boost
Doing?
The idea of overclocking a microprocessor to higher frequencies when it is under a heavy
workload isnt a new one. There is a whole industry providing sophisticated hardware
capable of pushing each new microprocessor model to its overclocking limits. However,
there is a great difference between dynamic overclocking at a microprocessor level and
Intel Turbo Boost Technology. The latter works at a physical core level, by overclocking
one or more physical cores, specifically the active cores.
If you want to check the status of Turbo Boost in real-time in Windows, you can install
the Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor and add the gadget to your desktop. Its
installation is very easy; you just have to download TurboBoostSetup.exe, run the
installer and add the gadget to your desktop.
When one of the active cores runs faster, taking advantage of the Turbo mode, a blue bar
appears in the gadget and displays the current frequency for the active core(s). If the blue
bar doesnt appear, it means that the Turbo mode isnt working, as in Figure 1. However,
the frequency for some of the cores could be less than the nominal frequency shown in
the gadget.
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Figure 1: Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor withoutthebluebar. The Turbo
modeisnt working.
When the Turbo mode is activated and one or more cores increase their frequency, the
blue bar will appear in the gadget and it will display the new frequency, as in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitordisplayingthebluebarandthe
new frequency fortheactivecores, 2.13 GHz insteadofthebase frequency, 1.73
GHz.
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Watching the gadget you will understand the way the Turbo mode increases and
decreases the frequency as more cores get active or the conditions change. By default, the
gadget animates the blue bar and will display the new frequencies.
The gadget is really helpful to understand the behavior of this dynamic overclocking
feature. The frequency displayed corresponds to the more active cores. Nonetheless, as
more cores require processing power, the effect of the Turbo mode could be dissipated.
Figure 4 displays the results of running an application that uses the processing power
available in all the cores, monitored using All CPU Meter. As you can see, the Turbo
mode disappears because all the cores are under heavy load at the same time.
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NEHALEM MICROARCHITECTURE
Since the introduction of Intel Core microarchitecture in 2006 and its 2007 45nm
enhancementsthe Intel Core microarchitecture (Penryn) family of processorsthe
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blistering performance and energy efficiency of Intel microprocessors have delivered
unprecedented capabilities to computer users. Now a new microarchitecture named
Nehalem (the foundation of the Intel Xeon processor 3500 and 5500 series) builds on
these earlier microarchitectural marvels, rewriting the book on processor scalability,
performance, and energy efficiency.Intel microarchitecture (Nehalem) is a dynamically
scalable and design-scalable microarchitechture. At runtime, it dynamically manages
cores, threads, cache, interfaces,and power to deliver outstanding energy efficiency and
performance on demand.At design time, it scales easily, enabling Intel to provide
versions optimized for each server, desktop, and notebook market.Intel will deliver
versions differing in the number of cores, caches, interconnect capability, and memory
controller capability,as well as in the inclusion of an integrated graphics controller. This
allows Intel to deliver a wide range of price, performance, and energy efficiency targets
for servers,workstations, desktops, and laptops.Intel microarchitectures (Nehalems)
energy efficiency and performance comes at a critical crossroads in computing. In the
past, when a computers energy efficiency wasnt a concern, nearly every architecture
feature that could improve processor performance would be included without
worrying about the power cost. But in an age of increasing concern for limited
resources and increased energy costs,every segment (server, workstation,desktop, and
mobile) is power-constrained and designing a microarchitecture requires a different
approach. Processor manufacturers must consider the power cost for whether the
processor is intended for the home, data center, or ultra-light laptop. Intel weighed every
architectural feature added to Intel microarchitecture (Nehalem) against a strict
power/performance efficiency threshold. If the feature couldnt add more than a one
percent performance gain for a less than three percent power cost, Intel wouldnt add it.
By measuring the benefit of the performance gain against the power cost, Intelwas able to design Intel microarchitecture (Nehalem) to deliver greater power
efficiency at any power envelope.
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A good example of how Intel microarchitecture(Nehalem) enables the scaling of energy
efficiency and performance can be seen in the Intel Xeon processor 3500 and 5500 series.
These two server/workstation processor series incorporate a number of Intels innovative
technologies to deliver intelligent performance.
Intel Turbo Boost Technology.
This technology delivers performance on demand, allowing processors to operate above
the rated frequency to speed specific workloads and drop back down to reduce power
consumption during low utilization periods.
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology
This well-known Intel innovation provides more performance for applications designed
for parallel, multi-threaded execution by reducing computational latency and making
optimal use of every cycle. Intel Hyper-Threading Technology benefits from this latest
Intel microarchitectures larger caches and massive memory bandwidth, delivering
greater throughput and responsiveness for multi-threaded applications.
Intel QuickPath Technology.
This new, scalable, shared memory architecture integrates a memory controller into each
microprocessor and connects processors and other components with a new highspeed
interconnect. It speeds traffic between processors and I/O controllers for bandwidth-
intensive applications, delivering up to 3.5 times the bandwidth for technical computing.
Intel Intelligent Power Technology.
This feature enables policy-based control that allows processors to operate at optimal
frequency and power. Operating systems can make this determination automatically, or
administrators can designate which applications require high-frequency processing and
which should be executed at lower frequencies to conserve power.
Intel Virtualization Technology.This latest generation version of Intel Virtualization Technology enhances virtualization
performance by up to 2.1 times 5 with new hardware assist capabilities across server and
workstation element.
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TERMS TO BE EXPLAINED
1.BIOS
In IBM PC Compatible computers, the basic input/outputsystem (BIOS) , also known
as the System BIOS, is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface.
The BIOS of a PC software is built into the PC, and is the first code run by a PC when
powered on ('boot firmware'). The primary function of the BIOS is to load and startanoperating system. When the PC starts up, the first job for the BIOS is to initialize and
identify system devices such as the video display card, keyboard and mouse, hard disk,
CD/DVD drive and other hardware. The BIOS then locates software held on a peripheral
device (designated as a 'boot device'), such as a hard disk or a CD, and loads and executes
that software, giving it control of the PC. This process is known as booting, or booting
up, which is short for bootstrapping.
BIOS software is stored on a non-volatile ROM chip built into the system on the mother
board. The BIOS software is specifically designed to work with the particular type of
system in question, including having a knowledge of the workings of various devices that
make up the complementary chipset of the system. In modern computer systems,
theBIOS chip's contents can be rewritten allowing BIOS software to be upgraded.
A BIOS will also have a user interface (or UI for short). Typically this is a menu system
accessed by pressing a certain key on the keyboard when the PC starts. In the BIOS UI, a
user can:
configure hardware set the system clock enable or disable system components select which devices are eligible to be a potential boot device
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set various password prompts, such as a password for securing access to the BIOS UIfunctions itself and preventing malicious users from booting the system from
unauthorized peripheral devices.
The BIOS provides a small library of basic input/output functions used to operate and
control the peripherals such as the keyboard, text display functions and so forth, and these
software library functions are callable by external software. In the IBM PC and AT,
certain peripheral cards such as hard-drive controllers and video display adapters carried
their own BIOS extension ROM, which provided additional functionality. Operating
systems and executive software, designed to supersede this basic firmware functionality,
will provide replacement software interfaces to applications.
The role of the BIOS has changed over time; today BIOS is a legacy system, superseded
by the more complex Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), but BIOS remains in
widespread use, and EFI booting has only been supported in x86 Windows since 2008.
BIOS is primarily associated with the 16-bit and 32-bit architecture eras (x86-32), while
EFI is used for some 32-bit and most 64-bit architectures. Today BIOS is primarily used
for booting a system, and for certain additional features such as power management
(ACPI) and video initialization (in X.org), but otherwise is not used during the ordinaryrunning of a system, while in early systems (particularly in the 16-bit era), BIOS was
used for hardware access operating systems (notably MS-DOS) would call the BIOS
rather than directly accessing the hardware. In the 32-bit era and later, operating systems
instead generally directly accessed the hardware using their owndevice drivers.
2.Advanced Configurationand Power Interface (ACPI)
In computing, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification
provides an open standard for unified operating system-centric device configuration
and power management. ACPI, first released in December 1996, defines platform-
independent interfaces for hardware discovery, configuration, power management and
monitoring. The specification is central to Operating System-directed configuration and
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Power Management(OSPM); a term used to describe a system implementing ACPI,
which therefore removes device management responsibilities from legacy firmware
interfaces. The standard was originally developed by Intel, Microsoft, and Toshiba, and
last published as "Revision 4.0a", on April 5, 2010. As of 2010, developers of ACPI also
include HP and Phoenix
ACPI aims to consolidate and improve upon existing power and configuration standards
for hardware devices. It provides a transition from existing standards to entirely ACPI-
compliant hardware, with some ACPI operating systems already removing support for
legacy hardware. With the intention of replacing Advanced Power Management,
the Multiprocessors Specification and the Plug and Play BIOS Specification, the standard
brings power management into operating system control (OSPM), as opposed to the
previous BIOS central system, which relied on platform-specific firmware to determine
power management and configuration policy. The ACPI specification contains numerous
related components for hardware and software programming, as well as a unified
standard for device/power interaction and bus configuration. As a document that unifies
many previous standards it covers many areas, for system and device builders as well as
system programmers. Some software developers have trouble implementing ACPI andexpress concerns about the requirements that byte code from an external source must be
run by the system with full privileges. Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel, once
described it as "a complete design disaster in every way", in relation to his view that
"modern PCs are horrible".
Microsoft Windows 98 was the first operating system with full support for ACPI,
with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Linux and PC versions
of SunOS all having at least some support for ACPI.
3. OSPM RESPONSIBILITIES
ACPI requires that once an OSPM-compatible operating system has activated ACPI on a
computer, it then takes over and has exclusive control of all aspects of power
management and device configuration. The OSPM implementation must expose an
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ACPI-compatible environment to device drivers, which exposes certain system, device
and processor states.
Power States
Global states
The ACPI specification defines the following seven states (so-called global states) for an
ACPI-compliant computer-system:
G0 (S0): Working G1, Sleepingsubdivides into the four states S1 through S4:
S1: All processor caches are flushed, and the CPU(s) stop executing instructions.Power to the CPU(s) and RAM is maintained; devices that do not indicate they
must remain on may be powered down.
S2: CPU powered off S3: Commonly referred to as Standby, Sleep, orSuspend to RAM. RAM remains
powered
S4: Hibernation orSuspend to Disk. All content of main memory is saved to non-volatile memory such as a hard drive, and is powered down.
G2 (S5), SoftOff: G2 is almost the same as G3MechanicalOff, but some componentsremain powered so the computer can "wake" from input from the keyboard,
clock, modem, LAN, or USB device.
G3,MechanicalOff: The computer's power consumption approaches close to zero, tothe point that the power cord can be removed and the system is safe for dis-assembly
(typically, only the real-time clock is running off its own small battery).
Furthermore, the specification defines aLegacy state: the state on an operating systemwhich does not support ACPI. In this state, the hardware and power are not managed via
ACPI, effectively disabling ACPI.
Device states
The device statesD0-D3 are device-dependent:
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D0 Fully-On is the operating state. D1 and D2 are intermediate power-states whose definition varies by device. D3 Offhas the device powered off and unresponsive to its bus.Processorstates
The CPU power states C0-C3 are defined as follows:
C0 is the operating state. C1 (often known as Halt) is a state where the processor is not executing instructions,
but can return to an executing state essentially instantaneously. All ACPI-conformant
processors must support this power state. Some processors, such as the Pentium 4,also support an Enhanced C1 state (C1E or Enhanced Halt State) for lower power
consumption.
C2 (often known as Stop-Clock) is a state where the processor maintains all software-visible state, but may take longer to wake up. This processor state is optional.
C3 (often known as Sleep) is a state where the processor does not need to keepits cache coherent, but maintains other state. Some processors have variations on the
C3 state (Deep Sleep, Deeper Sleep, etc.) that differ in how long it takes to wake the
processor. This processor state is optional.
Performancestates
While a device or processor operates (D0 and C0, respectively), it can be in one of
several power-performance states. These states are implementation-dependent, but P0 is
always the highest-performance state, with P1 to Pn being successively lower-
performance states, up to an implementation-specific limit ofn no greater than 16.
P1 less than P0, voltage/frequency scaled
Pn less than P(n-1), voltage/frequency scaled
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ADVA
NTA
GES
1. Intel Turbo Boost Technology is a way to automatically run the processor corefaster than the marked frequency if the part is operating under power,
temperature, and current specification limits of the Thermal Design Power (TDP).
2. This results in increased performance of both single and multi-threadedapplications..
3. Once the system is in turbo boost, the processor automatically determines themaximum frequency it can operate at based on operating conditions.
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CONCLUSION
Intel Turbo Boost Technology one of the latest technologies present in the Nehalem
microarchitecture based microprocessors. Nehalem microarchitecture incorporate several
other features such as Intel Hyper threading Technology, smart cache etc. Turbo Boost
technology is actually a secured way for overclocking. It increases the speed of the
Multicore processors if some predefined conditions are satisfied. While Intel Turbo Boost
Technology availability is independent of the number of active cores, the operation isdependent on having headroom (cores operating under TDP) available in one or more
cores. The amount of time the system spends in turbo boost will ultimately depend on
workload, operating environment, and platform design.
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REFERENCES
1. www.intel.com/technology/support
2. www.wikipedia.com
3. www.eHow.com
4. www.cnetnews.com
5. www.cpubenchmark.net