CPU Frequency Calculator
Estimate aggregate CPU compute throughput from base frequency, turbo boost and core count.
Inputs
e.g. 1.5 means turbo runs 50% above base clock
All-core turbo is usually lower than single-core turbo
Aggregate Compute Throughput (GHz-equivalent)
25.20
Effective Avg GHz per Core
3.150
Single-Core Turbo Frequency (GHz)
3.600
Theoretical Max (all cores at turbo)
28.80
Cores Sustaining Turbo
5
Cores at Base Clock
3
Step by step
Values used
Base Frequency (GHz) = 2.40; Turbo Boost Factor (× base) = 1.50; Active Cores = 8; Fraction of Cores That Can Sustain Turbo = 60
Aggregate throughput
aggregate = turbo_cores × (base_freq × boost_factor) + base_cores × base_freq
Aggregate Compute Throughput (GHz-equivalent)
= 25.20
Effective Avg GHz per Core
= 3.150
Single-Core Turbo Frequency (GHz)
= 3.600
Theoretical Max (all cores at turbo)
= 28.80
Cores Sustaining Turbo
= 5
Cores at Base Clock
= 3
How it works
Modern CPUs rarely run all cores at their advertised maximum turbo frequency simultaneously — thermal and power (TDP) limits mean all-core turbo is typically lower than single-core turbo, so only a fraction of cores can sustain the boosted clock under full load. This calculator models aggregate throughput as a GHz-equivalent sum: some cores running at the turbo frequency (base × boost factor) and the rest at base clock, which better approximates real sustained multi-threaded performance than naively multiplying base frequency by boost factor by total core count.
Formula
Aggregate throughput
aggregate = turbo_cores × (base_freq × boost_factor) + base_cores × base_freq
- n_t
- cores sustaining turbo
- f_b
- base frequency
- k
- turbo boost factor
- n_b
- cores at base clock
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't my CPU run all cores at the maximum turbo frequency listed on the box?
The advertised max turbo is typically a single-core (or few-core) boost limited by the chip's power and thermal budget. Loading every core simultaneously draws far more power, so the CPU's power management (governed by Intel Turbo Boost or AMD Precision Boost) lowers the sustained all-core frequency to stay within TDP.
How can I check my CPU's actual current frequency on Linux?
`cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep MHz` shows per-core current frequency, and `watch -n1 'grep MHz /proc/cpuinfo'` lets you watch it change live under load. `cpupower frequency-info` gives a more detailed governor and scaling driver view.
Does the cpufreq governor affect this calculation?
Indirectly — the 'performance' governor keeps cores near maximum frequency more aggressively, while 'powersave' or 'ondemand'/'schedutil' scale down during idle periods, meaning actual sustained frequency under intermittent load can be lower than either base or turbo estimates used here.