Intel Turbo Boost is Intel's trade name for a feature that automatically raises certain of its processors' operating frequency, and thus performance, when demanding tasks are running.Turbo-Boost-enabled processors are the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9 and Xeon series manufactured since 2008, more particularly, those based on the Nehalem, and later microarchitectures. BTO: 3.6GHz 10-core 10th-generation Intel Core i9, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz (+£/$400) The processor inside the 21.5in iMac hasn't changed at all - even the entry level model still has a 7th.
Apple's newest MacBook Pro laptops have been met with mixed reviews. Some are concerned that the laptops are underpowered for the price Apple is charging, especially given that the company is using Intel processors that were released over a year ago.
One way that Apple attempts to make up for the slower, older chips it's using in its newest MacBooks and MacBook Pros is to lean into a piece of marketing jargon invented by Intel. On every marketing and purchase page on Apple's website, the company makes sure to mention something called Turbo Boost alongside a computer's clock speed—the measurement of how fast a computer's processor runs. Turbo Boost is a term invented by Intel to show that its processors can withstand being forced to run a little faster than they are listed as being able to do.
In the case of Apple's newest, cheapest, MacBook Pro, that means the processor, which is listed as running at 2 GHz can withstand being run at up to 3.1 GHz for periods of time. You have no control over this—the computer will automatically over-clock the processor when it thinks it's needed: 'Whether the processor enters into Intel Turbo Boost Technology and the amount of time the processor spends in that state depends on the workload and operating environment,' Intel says on its marketing page about the technology.
But seeing as this technology is inherent to Intel's chips, rather than something Apple has come up with, it's obviously also available in every other companies' computers that uses the same line of Intel chips. Popular laptops from Lenovo, HP, and Dell all have chips that have Turbo Boost, but none of these companies uses Intel's term in its marketing. Dell says that its laptops have speeds 'up to' their Turbo Boost speeds, as does HP, and Lenovo just doesn't mention it.
To be fair, Apple is clearer than some PC makers about what the base processor speed is, by providing that separately from the boost speed. Dell, for example, says that its XPS 13 laptop has a seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7200U processor that runs 'up to 3.1 GHz,' which on Intel's site is listed as a 2.5 GHz processor that can Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz.
It's not entirely clear when Apple began employing the 'Turbo Boost' term—it started using Intel chips in its computers 11 years ago, and there are questions on Apple's support page asking what the term means from 2012.
The speed of processors is most relevant for computing-intensive tasks, such as editing videos or playing videogames. It's unlikely to be a major factor affecting the zippiness of your experience browsing the web or working on text documents. But for people shelling out thousands of dollars for Apple's highest-end laptops, it's worth knowing how the computing power compares to what's available elsewhere, especially when some Windows competitors use newer Intel technology.
Apple has addressed why it's using the older processors in its new MacBook Pros: Newer Intel chips were not available at the different sizes that Apple wanted for all of its new laptops. But, add the older processors to the concerns over the sheer number of adapters you'd need to buy to have the same types of ports available on last year's laptops, the lack of the safe power cable Apple employed for a decade, and the questions over whether the new Touch Bar screen is worth the additional cost, and it's easy to see why some longtime Mac users are considering switching to Windows machines.
Intel Turbo Boost is Intel's trade name for a feature that automatically raises certain of its processors' operating frequency, and thus performance, when demanding tasks are running. Turbo-Boost-enabled processors are the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9 and Xeon series[1] manufactured since 2008, more particularly, those based on the Nehalem, and later microarchitectures.[2] The frequency is accelerated when the operating system requests the highest performance state of the processor. Processor performance states are defined by the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification, an open standard supported by all major operating systems; no additional software or drivers are required to support the technology.[1] The design concept behind Turbo Boost is commonly referred to as 'dynamic overclocking'.[3]
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 power, current, and thermal limits, the number of cores currently in use, and the maximum frequency of the active cores.[1] Frequency increases occur in increments of 133 MHz for Nehalem processors and 100 MHz for Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell and Skylake processors. When any electrical or thermal limits are exceeded, the operating frequency automatically decreases in decrements of 133 or 100 MHz until the processor is again operating within its design limits.[1][4] Turbo Boost 2.0 was introduced in 2011 with the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, while Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 was introduced in 2016 with the Broadwell-E microarchitecture.[1][5][6][7]
A feature of Turbo Boost 2.0 is that it introduced time windows with different levels of power limits, so that a processor can boost to a higher frequency for a few seconds. These limits are configurable in software for unlocked processors. Some motherboard vendors intentionally use values higher than Intel's default for performance, causing the processor to exceed its thermal design power (TDP).[8]
Some Intel Core X Series (HEDT) Processor and some 10th Gen Intel Core Processor (10th Gen Desktop Core i7 and Core i9) support Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 Technology. Newer version Windows 10 and Linux kernel support Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 Technology.[9]
History[edit]
An Intel November 2008 white paper[10] discusses 'Turbo Boost' technology as a new feature incorporated into Nehalem-based processors released in the same month.[11]
A similar feature called Intel Dynamic Acceleration (IDA) was available on many Core 2 based Centrino platforms.[12] This feature did not receive the marketing treatment given to Turbo Boost. Intel Dynamic Acceleration dynamically changed the core frequency as a function of the number of active cores. When the operating system instructed one of the active cores to enter C3 sleep state using the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), the other active core(s) dynamically accelerated to a higher frequency.
Intel Turbo Boost is Intel's trade name for a feature that automatically raises certain of its processors' operating frequency, and thus performance, when demanding tasks are running.Turbo-Boost-enabled processors are the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9 and Xeon series manufactured since 2008, more particularly, those based on the Nehalem, and later microarchitectures. BTO: 3.6GHz 10-core 10th-generation Intel Core i9, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz (+£/$400) The processor inside the 21.5in iMac hasn't changed at all - even the entry level model still has a 7th.
Apple's newest MacBook Pro laptops have been met with mixed reviews. Some are concerned that the laptops are underpowered for the price Apple is charging, especially given that the company is using Intel processors that were released over a year ago.
One way that Apple attempts to make up for the slower, older chips it's using in its newest MacBooks and MacBook Pros is to lean into a piece of marketing jargon invented by Intel. On every marketing and purchase page on Apple's website, the company makes sure to mention something called Turbo Boost alongside a computer's clock speed—the measurement of how fast a computer's processor runs. Turbo Boost is a term invented by Intel to show that its processors can withstand being forced to run a little faster than they are listed as being able to do.
In the case of Apple's newest, cheapest, MacBook Pro, that means the processor, which is listed as running at 2 GHz can withstand being run at up to 3.1 GHz for periods of time. You have no control over this—the computer will automatically over-clock the processor when it thinks it's needed: 'Whether the processor enters into Intel Turbo Boost Technology and the amount of time the processor spends in that state depends on the workload and operating environment,' Intel says on its marketing page about the technology.
But seeing as this technology is inherent to Intel's chips, rather than something Apple has come up with, it's obviously also available in every other companies' computers that uses the same line of Intel chips. Popular laptops from Lenovo, HP, and Dell all have chips that have Turbo Boost, but none of these companies uses Intel's term in its marketing. Dell says that its laptops have speeds 'up to' their Turbo Boost speeds, as does HP, and Lenovo just doesn't mention it.
To be fair, Apple is clearer than some PC makers about what the base processor speed is, by providing that separately from the boost speed. Dell, for example, says that its XPS 13 laptop has a seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7200U processor that runs 'up to 3.1 GHz,' which on Intel's site is listed as a 2.5 GHz processor that can Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz.
It's not entirely clear when Apple began employing the 'Turbo Boost' term—it started using Intel chips in its computers 11 years ago, and there are questions on Apple's support page asking what the term means from 2012.
The speed of processors is most relevant for computing-intensive tasks, such as editing videos or playing videogames. It's unlikely to be a major factor affecting the zippiness of your experience browsing the web or working on text documents. But for people shelling out thousands of dollars for Apple's highest-end laptops, it's worth knowing how the computing power compares to what's available elsewhere, especially when some Windows competitors use newer Intel technology.
Apple has addressed why it's using the older processors in its new MacBook Pros: Newer Intel chips were not available at the different sizes that Apple wanted for all of its new laptops. But, add the older processors to the concerns over the sheer number of adapters you'd need to buy to have the same types of ports available on last year's laptops, the lack of the safe power cable Apple employed for a decade, and the questions over whether the new Touch Bar screen is worth the additional cost, and it's easy to see why some longtime Mac users are considering switching to Windows machines.
Intel Turbo Boost is Intel's trade name for a feature that automatically raises certain of its processors' operating frequency, and thus performance, when demanding tasks are running. Turbo-Boost-enabled processors are the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i9 and Xeon series[1] manufactured since 2008, more particularly, those based on the Nehalem, and later microarchitectures.[2] The frequency is accelerated when the operating system requests the highest performance state of the processor. Processor performance states are defined by the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification, an open standard supported by all major operating systems; no additional software or drivers are required to support the technology.[1] The design concept behind Turbo Boost is commonly referred to as 'dynamic overclocking'.[3]
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 power, current, and thermal limits, the number of cores currently in use, and the maximum frequency of the active cores.[1] Frequency increases occur in increments of 133 MHz for Nehalem processors and 100 MHz for Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell and Skylake processors. When any electrical or thermal limits are exceeded, the operating frequency automatically decreases in decrements of 133 or 100 MHz until the processor is again operating within its design limits.[1][4] Turbo Boost 2.0 was introduced in 2011 with the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, while Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 was introduced in 2016 with the Broadwell-E microarchitecture.[1][5][6][7]
A feature of Turbo Boost 2.0 is that it introduced time windows with different levels of power limits, so that a processor can boost to a higher frequency for a few seconds. These limits are configurable in software for unlocked processors. Some motherboard vendors intentionally use values higher than Intel's default for performance, causing the processor to exceed its thermal design power (TDP).[8]
Some Intel Core X Series (HEDT) Processor and some 10th Gen Intel Core Processor (10th Gen Desktop Core i7 and Core i9) support Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 Technology. Newer version Windows 10 and Linux kernel support Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 Technology.[9]
History[edit]
An Intel November 2008 white paper[10] discusses 'Turbo Boost' technology as a new feature incorporated into Nehalem-based processors released in the same month.[11]
A similar feature called Intel Dynamic Acceleration (IDA) was available on many Core 2 based Centrino platforms.[12] This feature did not receive the marketing treatment given to Turbo Boost. Intel Dynamic Acceleration dynamically changed the core frequency as a function of the number of active cores. When the operating system instructed one of the active cores to enter C3 sleep state using the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), the other active core(s) dynamically accelerated to a higher frequency.
Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor, as a GUI utility, could be used to monitor Turbo Boost; this utility has reached the end-of-life state by no longer supporting Intel processors released after Q2 2013, and is no longer available.[13]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ abcde'Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0'. Intel.
- ^'Intel Broadwell-E HEDT Core i7 Processors Launching on 30th May - Official Prices and Specifications Confirmed'. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^Molka, Daniel; Daniel Hackenberg; Robert Schöne; Matthias S. Müller (September 2009). Memory Performance and Cache Coherency Effects on an Intel Nehalem Multiprocessor System. 18th International Conference on Parallel Architectures and Compilation Techniques. pp. 261–270. doi:10.1109/PACT.2009.22. ISBN978-0-7695-3771-9.
[...] processors based on the Nehalem microarchitecture feature a dynamic overclocking mechanism (Intel Turbo Boost Technology) that allows the processor to raise core frequencies as long as the thermal limit is not exceeded.
- ^'Intel Xeon Processor E5 v3 Product Family: Processor Specification Update'(PDF). Intel. November 2014. pp. 8–11. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
- ^'Download Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0'. DownloadCenter.Intel.com. 2016-10-22. Archived from the original on 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- ^'Power management architecture of the 2nd generation Intel Core microarchitecture, formerly codenamed Sandy Bridge'(PDF). Hotchips.org. Retrieved 2017-04-01.
- ^Angelini, Chris (2011-01-02). 'The System Agent And Turbo Boost 2.0'. Tom's Hardware.
- ^Cutress, Ian. 'Why Intel Processors Draw More Power Than Expected: TDP and Turbo Explained'. AnandTech.
- ^'Frequently Asked Questions about Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0'. Intel.com. Intel. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
- ^'Intel Turbo Boost Technology in Intel Core Microarchitecture (Nehalem) Based Processors'(PDF). Intel Corporation. November 2008. p. 5. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
Intel Core Microarchitecture (Nehalem) based processors incorporate a new feature: Intel Turbo Boost technology.
- ^'Intel Launches Fastest Processor on the Planet' (Press release). Intel. 2008-11-17. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
Intel Corporation introduced its most advanced desktop processor ever, the Intel Core i7 processor. The Core i7 processor is the first member of a new family of Nehalem processor designs [....]
- ^'Tech ARP - Where the best in technology gather - Tech ARP'. Tech ARP. 19 December 2015. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
- ^'Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor Does Not Support 4th Generation Processors'. intel.com. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
External links[edit]
Imac Turbo Boost
- Evaluation of the Intel Core i7 Turbo Boost feature, by James Charles, Preet Jassi, Ananth Narayan S, Abbas Sadat and Alexandra Fedorova
Intel Turbo Boost Mac Os
