What Are Intel’s Adaptive Boost Technology and Thermal Velocity Boost?
Reading Time: 5 minutesIntel’s CPUs come with integrated tech to make them even faster, and this is how it works.
Your new Intel processor likely features Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost and Adaptive Boost Technology. However, while you might not understand what these technologies do, you’re sure they’ll make your system faster. After all, they have ‘boost’ in their names.
But what are Adaptive Boost Technology and Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost, and how do they make your computer faster?
Processors and Boost Explained
Before looking at Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) and Adaptive Boost Technology (ABT), it’s essential to understand what boost means when it comes to processors.
You see, your processor enables you to do everything you do, but how does the CPU do everything?
Well, it uses logic circuits made of billions of transistors. These transistors enable the processor to perform basic arithmetic like addition, subtraction, and division. These simple operations allow your machine to open web browsers or render complex scenes in Blender. That said, to perform these tasks, the transistors on your machine must be turned on and off rapidly, and the same is done based on the processor’s clock frequency.
Therefore, if you look at it, the clock frequency of a CPU defines the rate at which your CPU can perform tasks. If this clock frequency is increased, your system’s performance increases. The boost in TVB and ABT stands for this increase in performance due to the higher clock frequencies.
Why Do Modern CPUs Need Boost Technology?
As explained earlier, the performance of a processor depends on its clock frequency, so it makes sense to run the processor full tilt, at high frequencies, all the time. After all, it will help the processors deliver their peak performance, and who doesn’t like a snappy system? But here is where we hit a roadblock.
You see, when the clock frequency of a processor is increased, the transistors in the processor start switching on and off more rapidly. Due to this, the amount of power they draw increases exponentially. This increase in power draw increases the temperature of the chipset, making it impossible to run the processor at higher frequencies for longer durations of time.
Also, the increased power draw on a mobile system eats up battery. Therefore, in most cases, computer systems run on a base frequency slower than the processor’s maximum frequency. This gives the processor a good balance of performance and power consumption. That said, when it comes to running demanding workloads, the processor increases its clock frequency using boost technologies.
To put things into perspective, the Intel i9-12900KS has a base clock frequency of 3.40GHz, while the max frequency of the processor is 5.50GHz. This frequency increase helps the processor deliver better performance during CPU-intensive workloads. At the same time, the lower base frequency helps deliver a good mix of performance and power efficiency.
How Does CPU Boost Work?
Now we know that the processor on your system can change the frequency to deliver better performance, but how does the processor increase its clock frequency?
To begin with, the processor monitors the temperature, current, and power draw closely and sends it to the operating system through the motherboard using the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). If the operating system wants more power from the CPU for running a complex workload, it asks the CPU to increase the frequency and power draw using ACPI.
Once the request is received and processed, the CPU increases its frequency in steps of 100MHz for newer processors using anything from the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture and onwards (from 2011) and 133MHz for older processors using the Nehalem and Westmere microarchitectures.
During this increase in frequencies, the processor keeps a check on the power, current, and temperature drawn by the processor and stops the increase when the frequency limit of a boost technology or the thermal threshold of the CPU is reached.
Understanding the Different Intel Boost Technologies
When it comes to boost technologies, Intel has several. Therefore, looking at these technologies before understanding Thermal Velocity Boost and Adaptive Boost Technology makes sense.
- Intel Turbo boost 2.0: This technology by Intel boosts the clock frequency of either a single core or all the cores running on your system. To do this, turbo boost 2.0 looks at the temperature, power, and current drawn by the processor and increases the clock frequency based on the number of cores running on your CPU.
- Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0: No two cores on your CPU are the same. If you have an eight-core CPU, then it’s possible that two cores are better compared to the other six and can handle higher frequencies better. Intel turbo boost identifies these cores and pushes the clock frequencies even further on these better-performing cores.
Intel Thermal Velocity Boost Explained
If both Turbo Boost 2.0 and Turbo Boost Max 3.0 are activated on your system, but your system needs more power, then Intel Thermal Velocity Boost comes into play. This technology looks at the temperature your CPU is running at, and if it is below 70-degree centigrade (desktop) and 65-degree centigrade (mobile), then TVB increases the clock frequency of the cores by another 100MHz.
This increase in clock frequency is then maintained for a short duration and the boost is turned off when the thermal threshold of the processor is reached.
When it comes to cores, Thermal Velocity Boost can be used to boost both multicore and single-core performance.
Intel Adaptive Boost Technology Explained
Compared to Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost, the Adaptive Boost Technology comes only into the picture when the CPU uses three or more cores. Like TVB, ABT comes into the picture after Turbo Boost 2.0 runs, but the system needs more power. To deliver the same, ABT checks the temperature of the CPU, and if it is below 100 degrees centigrade, then it pushes the performance of multicore workloads (three or more cores) by up to 300MHz in steps of 100MHz.
Adaptive Boost Technology keeps pushing the cores to a higher frequency until the thermal threshold is reached. Therefore, if you have a system with Intel’s Cryo Cooling, you can reap large performance boosts, all thanks to Adaptive Boost Technology when running multi-threaded workloads.
Comparing Intel Adaptive Boost Technology to Thermal Velocity Boost
Adaptive Boost Technology and Thermal Velocity Boost increase the processor’s clock frequency when certain conditions are met using an algorithmic approach.
That said, both Adaptive Boost Technology and Thermal Velocity Boost are designed with different approaches, and a comparison of these technologies is given below:
Are Thermal Velocity Boost and Adaptive Boost Technology Worth It?
Both Thermal Velocity Boost and Adaptive Boost Technology use an algorithmic approach to increase the clock frequencies of the processor. Due to this, the CPU can reach high frequencies when certain conditions for temperature, workloads, and power draw are met— enabling the CPU to deliver high performance for short durations of time.
This increase in performance can help you with complex workflows, high-resolution gaming, or training massive datasets. That said, it’s essential to understand that enabling these technologies comes at a cost, as unique cooling solutions, power supply units, and motherboards are needed to enable these boost technologies.
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