Turbo boost mode in the processor. AMD Turbo Core and ASUS Core Unlocker, but are these technologies needed? Is turbo core mode dangerous?

AMD Turbo Core and ASUS Core Unlocker, but are these technologies needed?

Let's start with Core Unlocker.

Description:
This technology is used to unlock processors. Similar technologies are available from many motherboard manufacturers, but ASUS has done better. Not only overclockers can use Core Unlocker. You can enable it not only from the BIOS, like other manufacturers, but also with a special switch (Hybrid Switch) on the motherboard. Some people have had problems unlocking cores from the BIOS, and with a switch, everything is activated at once. As a result, any owner of boards with this feature can unlock the processor, if the cores are present in the processor. You can unlock any Sempron processors on the Sargas core, Athlon II on the Rana core, Phenom II on the Callisto, Heka cores and even Zosma (AMD Phenom X4 9x0T) copies, but most likely it will be the same with processors for sale if they go on sale). AMD SB850 southbridge required for operation. If you believe the information from the company, then the performance of the processor can increase by 100 percent or more.

Advantages:
1) the ability to work with any processors
2) the ability to turn on with a switch

Flaws:
Not detected (needs testing)

List of motherboards supporting Core Unlocker:
Crosshair IV Formula, M4A89TD PRO, M4A89TD PRO/USB3, M4A89GTD PRO, M4A89GTD PRO/USB3

Now about Turbo Core.

Description:
Not all applications are multi-threaded and, therefore, some of the cores are idle, while the other part is 100% loaded. To remedy the situation, Turbo Core technology was developed. It overclocks the processor with the T index in the name (Thuban and Zosma), if at most half of the cores are working, by 400 or 500 MHz, while the voltage on the overclocked cores increases, and the frequency of less loaded cores decreases to 800 MHz. The function works at 50% or less of the number (1/2/3) of loaded cores. AMD technology is developed, and ASUS has created a Turbo Core for Black Edition (2/3/4/6 core) processors called TurboV EVO, but this technology requires an AMD 890FX, 890GX, 880G or 870 northbridge (but in only 890FX and 890GX are on sale). The advantage of Turbo Core is the ability to work on any motherboards with AM2 + or AM3 sockets, the main thing is to update the BIOS to the latest version. And the downside is the increase in frequency by a fixed value, and TurboV EVO increases the frequency depending on the loaded cores (with the 1st core - 500MHz, with the number from 2 to 4 ex - 400MHz, and with 6 cores at 200MHz) . An analogue of Turbo Core for Intel is Turbo Boost, the disadvantage of which is the dependence of overclocking on the processor (either 266MHz or 666MHz). AMD Turbo Core is simplified compared to Intel Turbo Boost, which allows it to be used simultaneously with Cool "n" Quiet power-saving technology (as it is an extension of it). For overclockers, Turbo Core will be useful when passing tests similar to SuperPi that do not support the use of all cores. When running Turbo Core in such cases, you can get a large stable frequency at startup, and the maximum possible frequency will be during the test, and the likelihood of BSOD will be reduced accordingly. Heat dissipation will also be reduced, the TDP of 6-core Thuban will be at the level of 4-core Deneb, and 4-core Zosma, it is possible, will have a TDP of 3-core Heka. In both cases (Turbo Core and TurboV EVO), the frequency change is due to the multiplier.

Advantages:
1) the ability to work with any motherboard Socket-AM2 + / AM3 compatible with processors with a TDP of 125W or more
2) the ability to work together with Cool "n" Quiet
3) no dependence of the overclocking level on the processor
4) Ability to configure Turbo Core (Phenom II X6 1090T only)

Flaws:
1) Increasing the frequency by one of the fixed values
2) Work only with 1 or 2 loaded cores on 4 core processors and with 1, 2 or 3 loaded cores on 6 core processors
3) Increasing the power consumption of the processor

List of processors supporting this technology (at the time of writing):
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T (3.2GHz, with Turbo CORE - 3.6GHz, 6MB, 125W)
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T (2.8GHz, with Turbo CORE - 3.3GHz, 6MB, 95/125W)

P.S. These overclocking features are available on motherboards of different price ranges, which makes it possible to get a big performance boost in championships by unlocking the processor with Core Unlocker and get a powerful 4-core computer for the price of a 2-core or get maximum performance in tests where fewer cores are supported than there are in the processor, and reduce heat dissipation using Turbo Core. And the use of switches on the board (meaning top models) will speed up the setup.

P.P.S. List of ASUS motherboards discussed in this article:
M4N98TD EVO M4N75TD M4A785-M M4A785D-M PRO M4A78LT-M PLUS M4A78T-E M4N82 DELUXE M4A77TD PRO M4A77TD PRO/U3S6 M4A785TD-V EVO M4A785TD-V EVO/U3S6 M4A785TD-M EVO . M4A87TD EVO, M4A87TD, M4A87TD/USB3, Crosshair IV Formula, M4A88TD-V EVO, M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3, M4A88TD-M EVO/USB3, M4N68T PRO, M4A88T-M, M4A88T-M/USB3, M4A88TD-M, M4A88TD -M/USB3, M4A78L-M.

P.P.P.S. The article was written for a competition from ASUS, which you can learn more about by clicking on the links.

Modern programs and games require high technical characteristics from computers. Not everyone can afford the purchase of new processors, since this often involves the purchase of a compatible motherboard, RAM, and power supply. You can get a performance boost for free only through competent and deliberate overclocking of the GPU and CPU. Owners of AMD processors for overclocking are invited to use the AMD OverDrive program specially designed for this purpose, developed by the same manufacturer.

Overclocking an AMD Processor with AMD OverDrive

Make sure your processor is supported by this proprietary program. The chipset must be one of the following: AMD 770, 780G, 785G, 790FX/790GX/790X, 890FX/890G//890GX, 970, 990FX/990X, A75, A85X (Hudson-D3/D4) otherwise you won't be able to use the app. Additionally, you may need to go into the BIOS and disable some options there:

Cool'n'Quiet- if the overclocking power approaches 4000 MHz;
"C1E"(may be called "Enhanced Halt State");
Spread Spectrum;
"Smart CPU Fan Control".

Set all these parameters to a value Disable. If you do not disable some of these items, it is possible that OverDrive will not see or be unable to overclock.

We remind you! Rough decisions can lead to fatal consequences. All responsibility lies entirely with you. Approach overclocking only in full confidence in what you are doing.

The process of installing the program is as simple as possible and comes down to confirming the actions of the installer. After downloading and running the setup file, you will see the following warning:

It says that incorrect actions can cause damage to the motherboard, processor, as well as system instability (loss of data, incorrect display of the picture), decrease in system performance, decrease in the life of the processor, system components and / or the system in general, as well as its general collapse. AMD also declares that you perform all manipulations at your own peril and risk, and by using the program you accept the User License Agreement, the company is not responsible for your actions and their possible consequences. Therefore, make sure that all important information has a copy, and also strictly follow all the overclocking rules. After reading this warning, click on "OK" and start the installation.
The installed and running program will meet you with the following window. Here is all the system information about the processor, memory and other important data.

On the left is a menu through which you can get to the other sections, of which we are interested in the tab Clock/Voltage.
Switch to it - further actions will take place in the block Clock. Additionally, you will need to monitor the state of the frequencies, the block with which is slightly higher. You will probably also have to resort to changing the voltage, but this must be done very carefully and not always. All working blocks are indicated in the screenshot below.

First of all, you need to disable the overclocking of all cores - we will overclock only the first one (more precisely, indicated by the number «0» ). This is necessary because this program adjusts the frequencies of the remaining cores to the overclocked one when there is a load on the CPU. Experienced users, of course, will be able to take the time and manually increase the frequencies of each core individually, but beginners in this business are better off not doing anything like that. At the same time, if you overclock all the cores at once, you may well encounter increased heat dissipation, which the computer may not be able to cope with. You probably already know about the results of CPU overheating, so we will not dwell on this topic.
To disable overclocking of all cores, in the block Clock uncheck the box "Select All Cores". For some users, this action is not available due to the enabled technology "Turbo Core Control". Click on the button with the same name to disable this option.

In the window that opens, uncheck the box. "Enable Turbo Core", click on "OK". As a result, the option "Select All Cores" will become available.

Now move the point slider CPU Core 0 Multiplier to the right literally 1-2 positions.

After that, be sure to look at the frequency that you get as a result of moving the slider. It is displayed under "Target Speed". "Current Speed", as already clear, the current frequency.

After making changes, click on the button Apply. The acceleration has already taken place. Ideally, the performance of the computer should not be affected after this. If even a small boost causes artifacts, black screen, BSOD or other problems, stop overclocking.

It is recommended to immediately go after that to test how the CPU will behave with the new settings. Play resource-intensive games while leaving OverDrive running to test temperatures (under no circumstances should the processor overheat).

Intel Core I5 and I7 processors, in addition to the set nominal frequency, can work at a higher speed. This speed is achieved thanks to the special Turbo Boost technology. When all drivers are installed, this technology is enabled and works by default. However, if you have installed all the software, and acceleration is not observed, it is worth monitoring Turbo Boost.

What is Turbo Boost and how does it work?

Turbo Boost is a technology that was developed specifically for the first three generations of Intel Core I5 and I7 processors. It allows you to temporarily overclock the frequency of the cores above the set nominal value. At the same time, such overclocking is performed taking into account the current strength, voltage, temperature of the device and the state of the operating system itself, that is, it is safe. However, this increase in processor speed is temporary. It depends on the operating conditions, type of load, number of cores and platform design. In addition, overclocking using Turbo Boost is only possible for Intel Core I5 and I7 processors of the first three generations. The full list of devices that support this technology is as follows:

It is also worth noting that Turbo Boost technology only works on Windows 7 and 8 operating systems. Windows Vista, XP and 10 do not support this technology.

Good afternoon, dear audience. Today we will try to convey to you what a turbo boost is in a processor and for what purposes it is used. We are sure that many of you have heard about this technology, but have no idea how it works.

The Turbo Boost function was developed by Intel for its own chips to optimize the functionality of the chips and add performance to them without the need for overclocking.

Many people think that the technology is applicable to AMD CPUs, but they are wrong: the red mode is called Turbo Core.

How does it work?

In simple terms, turbo boost mode is an automatic increase in the frequency of active cores due to those that are idle at the time of operation. Unlike manual overclocking, by changing the system bus in the BIOS, the technology under review is of an intelligent nature.

The boost is determined by the task being performed and the current PC load. In the single-threaded computing mode, the main core accelerates to the maximum allowable values by borrowing the potential of the rest (others are still idle). If the entire processor is included in the work, then the frequencies are distributed evenly.

The process also affects cache memory, RAM, and disk space.

Turbo Boost mode also "remembers" the following system limitations:

temperatures at peak load;
limiting the heat dissipation of a particular motherboard;
increasing performance without increasing voltage.

In other words, if your PC is built on a motherboard with a TDP of 95W, and the CPU is running at 1.4V, while the cooling system is boxed (standard), then the turbo boost function will increase the power of the CPU in such a way as to fit into existing restrictions and do not go beyond the temperature limits.

Frequency escalation principle

We figured out what the function does. Now let's describe HOW she does it. The procedure is always performed according to a single scenario: the system sees how the cores (1 or more) are actively working in the processor and cannot cope with the load, i.e. need to increase the frequency. Boost increases the value of each of them strictly by 133 MHz (step) and checks the following parameters:

voltage;
heat pack;
temperature.

If the indicators are not out of range, then the system throws in another 133 MHz (one more step) and re-checks the indicators. When the allowed TDP is exceeded, the stone starts to reduce the frequency separately on each core by a standard step until it reaches the maximum allowable values.

Differences between Turbo Boost 2.0 and 3.0

If version 2.0 supports a systematic increase in the operating values of all processor cores, depending on the tasks being performed, then the newer version 3.0 determines the most efficient cores in order to maximize their operating frequencies in single-threaded calculations.

The second point is CPU support. The second version works on all chips of the Core i5 and i7 family, regardless of generation. The third is supported only by the following chips:

Core i7 68xx/69xx;
Core i9 78xx/79xx;
Xeon E5-1600 V4 (single socket only).

Results

If you don't need to overclock your processor on a regular basis, but have an Intel i5 or i7 chip, you can count on smart overclocking in work apps and toys if the system deems this step necessary.

At the same time, you don’t have to worry about buying a motherboard with overclocking support, know all the intricacies of heat dissipation, as well as the moments associated with overclocking.

Well, if you are considering a purchase in the near future, then I recommend you this one online store because it is proven and popular).

In the following articles, we will try to highlight such a moment as in processors, and the effect of solder on the possibility of overclocking the system. So, build your dream PC.

Turbo Boost is Intel's proprietary technology for automatic computing. In this mode, it exceeds the nominal performance indicators, but only up to the “critical” level of heating temperature limits and consumed powers.

Features of activating turbo mode on laptops

Laptops can run on two sources: from the mains and batteries. When powered from a battery, the OS, in order to increase the operating time (by default), “tryes” to reduce energy consumption, including by reducing (CPU). Therefore, the inclusion of turbo mode on a laptop has a number of features..

In older models, the device BIOS had options to enable and configure this mode. Now, manufacturers are trying to minimize the possibility of user intervention in the operation of the CPU, and often this parameter is missing. Technology can be activated in two ways:

Through the operating system interface.
Through BIOS.

How to enable Turbo Boost through the Windows interface

You can influence the state of the turbo mode by setting the desired values in the parameters "Minimum processor state" and "Maximum processor state" in the current power plan:

In the next section, click on the link "Change advanced power settings".
In the drop-down list of the "Power Options" dialog, we find the item "CPU Power Management".

Activate turbo mode via BIOS

This option to enable Turbo Boost on a laptop is suitable for advanced users. It is based on resetting all BIOS settings to default values:

Let's go to the BIOS.
At the end of the menu we find the section "Load Default".
Reset all settings.

To monitor the state of the turbo mode, you can use the utility Intel Turbo Boost Technology Monitor.