Intel Speed Step vs Turbo Boost

Speed Step and Turbo Boost both are technologies that are used to enhance the efficiency of micro-processors they both were developed around idea of conserving energy when processing is not needed and to get maximum performance when required. Power consumption of processor increases exponentially with increase in clock frequency. Higher CPU frequency also requires higher voltages.

Speed Step V1.1 was first used in Intel Pentium III mobile processors where CPU clock and core voltages where reduced down to decrease power consumption upto 40%. The latest versions Speed Step III can increase CPU clock in increments of 100MHz or 133MHz. It has been implemented in Intel Pentium 4,Core 2 Duo and Core series of processors.

Turbo Core technology is present in Intel Core i5 and i7 series. It allows it run above its operating base frequency when current and thermal parameters permits. Although both Speed Step and Turbo Core do similar kind of work, there are some differences:-

•  Speed Step was developed to save power by lowering CPU frequency below its operating frequency Turbo Core was developed to improve performance increasing CPU frequency above its operating frequency.

• Speed Step does not check thermal parameters but in case of Turbo Core increasing frequency  consumes more power and heat is generated so these parameters are always checked.

• In case Speed Step processor can work in operating frequency or lower frequency as long as required. But in Turbo Core when any of the electrical or thermal limits are reached, the CPU frequency automatically decreases until the processor is again operating within its design limits.