My computer got a little too fast for what it was supposed to do, so I need to slow it down now.
My computer got a little too fast for what it was supposed to do, so I need to slow it down now.
There are three levels of speed for your CPU: slow speed when it rests, normal speed when it runs, and fast speed when it gets hot or uses more power. Resting speed is usually between 1.6GHz and 2.0GHz. Normal speed is 3.6GHz. Fast speed starts at 4.9GHz if you have two cores, but goes up to 4.6GHz for eight cores. This fast mode changes based on how much voltage and heat your system allows. If your cooling isn't good or voltages are too high, you won't get the fastest speed from any core even though it's set in the factory. It's just called a built-in overclock.
It depends on how many cores and threads are running at the same time. That page at wikichip.org gives more details about how fast these CPUs can go based on that number.
There are three speeds inside a CPU: idle speed, base speed, and turbo/boost. Idle speed usually sits between 1.6GHz and 2.0GHz. Base speed hits 3.6GHz. Boost turns on by default in the BIOS and goes up to 4.9GHz for two cores or 4.6GHz for eight cores. It changes based on voltage and temperature. If you aren't using good cooling or have high voltages, you won't hit max boost in any core. Turbo/boost is a speed set by the factory.