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@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ Introduction
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Some CPUs support a functionality to raise the operating frequency of
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Some CPUs support a functionality to raise the operating frequency of
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some cores in a multi-core package if certain conditions apply, mostly
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some cores in a multi-core package if certain conditions apply, mostly
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if the whole chip is not fully utilized and below it's intended thermal
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if the whole chip is not fully utilized and below it's intended thermal
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-budget. This is done without operating system control by a combination
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-of hardware and firmware.
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+budget. The decision about boost disable/enable is made either at hardware
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+(e.g. x86) or software (e.g ARM).
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On Intel CPUs this is called "Turbo Boost", AMD calls it "Turbo-Core",
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On Intel CPUs this is called "Turbo Boost", AMD calls it "Turbo-Core",
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in technical documentation "Core performance boost". In Linux we use
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in technical documentation "Core performance boost". In Linux we use
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the term "boost" for convenience.
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the term "boost" for convenience.
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@@ -48,24 +48,24 @@ be desirable:
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User controlled switch
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User controlled switch
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----------------------
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----------------------
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-To allow the user to toggle the boosting functionality, the acpi-cpufreq
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-driver exports a sysfs knob to disable it. There is a file:
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+To allow the user to toggle the boosting functionality, the cpufreq core
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+driver exports a sysfs knob to enable or disable it. There is a file:
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/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/boost
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/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq/boost
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which can either read "0" (boosting disabled) or "1" (boosting enabled).
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which can either read "0" (boosting disabled) or "1" (boosting enabled).
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-Reading the file is always supported, even if the processor does not
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-support boosting. In this case the file will be read-only and always
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-reads as "0". Explicitly changing the permissions and writing to that
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-file anyway will return EINVAL.
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+The file is exported only when cpufreq driver supports boosting.
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+Explicitly changing the permissions and writing to that file anyway will
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+return EINVAL.
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On supported CPUs one can write either a "0" or a "1" into this file.
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On supported CPUs one can write either a "0" or a "1" into this file.
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This will either disable the boost functionality on all cores in the
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This will either disable the boost functionality on all cores in the
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-whole system (0) or will allow the hardware to boost at will (1).
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+whole system (0) or will allow the software or hardware to boost at will
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+(1).
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Writing a "1" does not explicitly boost the system, but just allows the
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Writing a "1" does not explicitly boost the system, but just allows the
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-CPU (and the firmware) to boost at their discretion. Some implementations
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-take external factors like the chip's temperature into account, so
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-boosting once does not necessarily mean that it will occur every time
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-even using the exact same software setup.
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+CPU to boost at their discretion. Some implementations take external
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+factors like the chip's temperature into account, so boosting once does
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+not necessarily mean that it will occur every time even using the exact
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+same software setup.
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AMD legacy cpb switch
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AMD legacy cpb switch
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