Have you noticed that there are two clock speeds listed on the processor and graphics card boxes? There's a base clock and a boost clock, but what do these numbers mean?
CPU boosting is a dynamic frequency scaling technique that increases the CPU clock speed if the CPU is running low enough and the program needs it. It is enabled by default on all devices. The base clock is the clock speed at which the CPU is running under light load or idle. If you enable one of these power-saving technologies, the CPU frequency may even drop below the base clock.
Dynamic frequency scaling is used in conjunction with dynamic voltage scaling, and together they are called dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS). In layman's terms, a CPU boost allows your processor to consume more power, allowing applications to run faster, as long as it's not too hot. The exact opposite of CPU boost is thermal throttling, which slows down the processor when it gets hot.
The maximum boost you see in the CPU specs is for single-threaded tasks that use only one CPU core. You may notice that your processor is almost never as fast as advertised, which is to be expected. Most programs and games today use multiple cores. CPU Boost can dynamically increase the clock speed of multiple cores based on workload for optimal performance.
CPU Boost can give a significant performance boost without overclocking. You don't need to open the BIOS to get the maximum performance of your CPU. Since it's automatic and temperature-dependent, upgrading the CPU cooler will result in an automatic performance increase to the limit of the boost range.
Who would want to turn off CPU acceleration in their right mind? Probably a question that is on your mind right now. While this is a valid question, it makes sense to turn off CPU acceleration in some cases.
If you have a powerful laptop but only use it for light tasks, turning off CPU acceleration can greatly improve battery life, especially before traveling. Another legitimate use case is handheld devices.
Some reviewers have conducted some CPU acceleration tests on the ASUS ROG Ally, and found that turning off CPU acceleration can extend battery life, lower temperatures, and even improve performance.
That being said, Intel doesn't recommend turning off turbo boost unless you're troubleshooting or benchmarking, and I agree. Your CPU manages its temperature brilliantly by dynamically adjusting the clock speed and voltage, so there's nothing downside to always being on.
If you want to quickly extend battery life or keep your CPU running cooler, switch your power plan from High Performance to Balanced or Power Saver. This way, you can still benefit from boosting the clock speed when you need it and don't have to mess around in the BIOS.
Don't be confused by the name of AMD's Precision Boost OverDrive (PBO) technology, which is not the same as CPU Boost. PBO raises the power limit threshold for the motherboard. It allows the CPU to boost more aggressively than the "stock" setting within its specified limits, but not above the maximum CPU boost clock.
For example, if your processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 65W, it increases to 88W when you turn on PBO. In other words, PBO allows your processor to consume more power and generate more heat. If your CPU has a maximum boost of 42 GHz, and you've seen 3 on all cores before8 GHz, it may reach 40 ghz。
If you have an aftermarket cooler or don't mind the extra fan noise, I'd recommend turning on the PBO or setting it to automatic. It's an easy way to improve CPU performance with minimal risk.
CPU acceleration is one of the best parts of modern CPU technology, which means that most people don't have to bother with overclocking anymore. So, unless you have a good reason, just leave it on.