Does increasing clock speed restrict power consumption or processing frequency?
Does increasing clock speed restrict power consumption or processing frequency?
Dear Forum,
When people increase the clock speed of CPUs, are they actually restricting the maximum power consumption or simply capping the highest GHz? If the goal is to reduce power usage, then it would seem possible to achieve around 4.8GHz for single-threaded tasks, but for heavily threaded workloads the limit might drop to something like 3.8GHz. Overclocking by setting a GHz cap would mean you’d have to stick to that lower frequency even if the power draw stayed the same, which isn’t ideal since it restricts performance. This approach is quite restrictive and may not reflect real-world results.
I appreciate any advice you can offer on this topic.
Cidona :
volkgren :
Overclocking a CPU means boosting both its speed and power within certain boundaries. While power can be set to unlimited, I advise against it as it may cause excessive power consumption and overheating.
Thank you for your response, volkgren! Do you notice variations in maximum clock speeds between single-threaded tasks and more complex multi-threaded workloads?
Not on an unlocked CPU that has been overclocked. The performance remains consistent regardless of whether the task is single-threaded or multi-threaded.
If you're using a locked CPU, it will exhibit higher turbo boost speeds for single-threaded operations and reduced boost speeds for multi-threaded tasks.
When someone overclocks a CPU, they boost both speed and power within certain boundaries. While power can be set to unlimited, I advise against it as it may cause excessive power draw and overheating.
Do you have questions about how different workloads affect maximum clock speeds in single-threaded versus multi-threaded scenarios?
Cidona :
volkgren :
Overclocking a CPU means boosting both its speed and power within certain boundaries. While power can be set to unlimited, I advise against it as it may cause excessive power consumption and overheating.
Thank you for your response, volkgren! Do you notice variations in maximum clock speeds between single-threaded tasks and more complex multi-threaded workloads?
Not on an unlocked CPU that has been overclocked. The performance remains consistent regardless of whether the task is single-threaded or multi-threaded.
If you're using a locked CPU, it will exhibit higher turbo boost speeds for single-threaded operations and reduced boost speeds for multi-threaded tasks.
Volkgren:
Cidona :
When someone boosts a CPU's performance beyond its normal limits, they raise both its speed and power within set boundaries. While you might choose to make power unlimited, I wouldn't advise it since it could cause excessive energy consumption and overheating.
Appreciate your response, Volkgren! Do you notice any variation in maximum clock speeds between single-threaded tasks and more complex multi-threaded workloads?
No, on an unlocked CPU that's been overclocked, the performance remains consistent regardless of whether it's single-threaded or multi-threaded.
If you're using a locked CPU, it will show higher turbo boost for single-threaded tasks and lower boost speeds for multi-threaded ones.
Ah, that's the challenge.
Sorry to hear that, I would have liked to find a way to push it as far as possible without exceeding a certain power limit, to get the best of both worlds.
Thanks again for your reply!
There is what I refer to as an overclocking triangle involving cooling, voltage, and frequency. If you raise the voltage by 20% and the GHz by 20%, you'll require 44% more cooling capacity for the same temperature. This means it's wise to begin with strong cooling, then adjust the voltage to match your speed gains, followed by increasing the speed and checking stability. Eventually, you may surpass your cooling limits or hit a voltage cap that restricts further overclocking. In multiplier overclocking, these factors play a crucial role—whether they constrain or boost performance.
William P explains the concept of an overclocking triangle involving voltage and frequency. He describes how increasing both by 20% requires a 44% increase in cooling capacity to maintain the same temperature. He suggests beginning with strong cooling, then adjusting voltage to match speed gains, followed by testing stability. He notes that eventually you may hit cooling limits or voltage constraints that prevent further overclocking. He also mentions that factors like FSB, RAM speed, and PCI bus can influence results, whether enhancing or limiting them. He expresses hope for solutions similar to Turbo Boost, but with higher GHz enabled through effective cooling.
In the Throttlestop/Unlocked CPU approach there is the ability to increase only 2 cores of a 4 core processor. This might provide a significant improvement for single-thread applications. However, the voltage will be increased across all cores. TS functions on Windows and a profile can be saved for activation or deactivation as required. It was originally intended to undervolt, while underclocking laptops; with an Unlocked CPU it can also be overclocked. The Dell E520 in my collection was set up this way.
William P shared his thoughts on the Throttlestop/Unlocked CPU approach, noting it allows overclocking just two of the four cores, which can significantly improve single-thread applications. He mentioned that voltage would be increased across all cores, and that this method works in Windows with a profile that can be saved for later use. He pointed out it was originally intended to undervolt and underclock laptops, but an unlocked CPU makes overclocking possible as well. He referenced the Dell E520 as an example.
He appreciated the extra information and suggested it might be helpful for serious users, though he wished for a more seamless experience without needing to switch profiles. He explained that this was mainly for educational purposes rather than an immediate purchase decision. He is planning to switch software next year and is considering multi-threaded applications in certain areas, though most tasks would still be single-threaded. He intends to buy soon after the change and will take time to evaluate options further. He hopes future i9s might offer a 'super turbo' setting that matches four cores with lighter workloads while still providing multi-core benefits when needed.