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How to tell when Turbo Boost is activated?

csnplt

csnplt

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Is there some way to tell when Turbo Boost is activated? I'd love to be able to know when my 2.66 GHz processor is actually running at a higher speed (or is slowed down by speedstep).

Is there any sort of menubar item to do this?
 
The only way I know of is using Intel's turbo boost monitor widget for windows. I have not been able to find a version for mac systems but maybe they will release those soon?

If you can boot up windows in bootcamp you will be able to install this:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18353



It doesn't seem to work in VM but works in bootcamp.

Looks like this:

Intel-Turbo-Boost-Monitor.png
 
its hard ot tell when the turbo is in use, it makes like a high pitched squeel, but its easier to tell when it just stopped boosting, you could definitely hear the blow off valve, sounds like a SWOOOSH noise.
 
csnplt said:
Is there some way to tell when Turbo Boost is activated? I'd love to be able to know when my 2.66 GHz processor is actually running at a higher speed (or is slowed down by speedstep).

Is there any sort of menubar item to do this?
Click to expand...

PCs have had utilities that do this for years, probably due to home-builds, and CPU overclocking. Now that variable speed CPUs are becoming the norm, I would assume that apps such as iStat will have CPU clock speeds added to their widgets.
 
Hello. Anybody knows how to tell when Turbo Boost is activated under Mac OS? Is it possible to manually activate it? Thanks.
 
I'd also like to know if it's ever activated. I have encoded a lot of video on my i7 MBP and using MacCPUID I have never once seen it go above the base 2.66 GHz frequency.

I don't have Windows installed so I can't look there. Does it work under OS X?
 
One way to find out....

Check out Marcel Bresink's "Temperature Monitor" application.

Pull down under window and select "show system info".

On the system information pane select "more info"

You will see something like this:

TurboBoost.jpg


That's while running BOINC / Seti @ Home in 8 threads (8 workunits crunching at once),.

I'm keeping an eye out for more utilities that recognize this feature but this
is the only one I'm aware of so far.
 
aliensporebomb said:
Check out Marcel Bresink's "Temperature Monitor" application.

Pull down under window and select "show system info".

On the system information pane select "more info"

You will see something like this:

TurboBoost.jpg


That's while running BOINC / Seti @ Home in 8 threads (8 workunits crunching at once),.

I'm keeping an eye out for more utilities that recognize this feature but this
is the only one I'm aware of so far.
Click to expand...

Thanks. For each core, is the clock frequency calculated based on the temperature within the corresponding core? If so, the results may not be accurate as the temperature can be affected by lots of other factors.
 
MBHockey said:
I'd also like to know if it's ever activated. I have encoded a lot of video on my i7 MBP and using MacCPUID I have never once seen it go above the base 2.66 GHz frequency.

I don't have Windows installed so I can't look there. Does it work under OS X?
Click to expand...

Depending on your encoder, you might do better without turbo boost. IIRC, turbo boost turns off your second core.
 
LOL. Best thread of the day.

I hope someone makes a Boost Gauge widget and when you're computer is boosting it'll start to make sounds of a turbo in full boost.
 
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