Processor Clock Speed isn't Everything

As we all know, the processor is the main component in a computer device, be it desktops, laptops, tablets, or smartphones. In the last 20 years, the development of processors has developed very rapidly. These significant developments emerged in the 2010s when multi-core architectures, hyper-threading technology, and increasingly higher clock speeds began to emerge.

This time, we will discuss precisely why the processor’s clock speed, which in the 2000s was one of the ” divine ” elements. However, it only took ten years, until the use of processors prioritized multi-core, hyper-threading, and power efficiency.

Speed

Let’s take the example of the Intel Core i7-12700K processor. On paper, this processor has fantastic specifications that are used for desktop computers and coupled with the Turbo Boost technology that has existed since the 8th generation Intel Core, in 2018 by presenting the Intel Core i7-8086K, making the performance of a processor experience an extraordinary increase. However, until the time this article was written, the processor speed did not increase much. Generally, the base speed of a processor is at 3.6 GHz to 4 GHz, and only the Turbo Boost has increased.

Is it true that the processor speed has reached the maximum limit in its development? Maybe yes. The reason is none other than the transistors in a processor where the number of transistors reaches 5 billion (even more) with a size of 7 nm which is embedded in a die processor measuring 15 mm x 15 mm. With these specifications, will a processor be able to run at a clock speed of 10 GHz? The changes will be very small. The power needed to get 10 Ghz speed is enormous, and as we all know, electricity generates heat. In that scenario, the heat generated by the processor is extreme and can burn transistors! It is not surprising that extreme overclockers use liquid nitrogen coolers. To pursue a high clock speed, the power required is directly proportional to the heat generated.

Overclock

The big and powerful transistors in earlier processors allowed easy overclocking up to 8.7 GHz. So when the amperage was increased to increase the clock speed it didn’t damage the transistors. No modern processor can match the speed of the old AMD FX-8350 32nm processor.

AMD FX-8350 on 32 nm technology demonstrates how transistor size affects clock speed significantly. AMD FX-8350 can be easily overclocked to reach clock speeds of up to 8.7 GHz. The larger transistor size enables a bigger power supply and cooling, reducing the risk of overheating even with liquid nitrogen. Scenarios on the AMD FX-8350 do not work on modern processors at the time of writing this article.

With today’s transistor weaknesses, processor manufacturers outsmart the maximum speed limit by making more processor cores and more features as well. With more cores, the speed of a CPU does not need to be high, it saves power and doesn’t get hot. Because the speed of a computation is not only determined by a processor’s clock speed. Supporting features and simple software play a vital role in making computations faster.

Conclusion

We need to emphasize that the speed of a computation is not only determined by a processor clock speed. Seeing the weaknesses or the maximum current limit of transistors, processor manufacturers can cover this gap very well. More cores mean efficient processing, less power consumption, and no excessive heat production. Optimized software enables processors to perform at their highest potential, improving computing efficiency. As concrete evidence, the AMD FX-8350 processor, which is overclocked up to 8.7 GHz, is not necessarily able to perform computational tasks better, faster, and more efficiently than the Intel Core i9-12900K with Turbo Boost 5.2 GHz without “overclocking”.

In closing, the AMD FX-8350 which can be overclocked up to 8.7Ghz is not necessarily faster than the Intel Core i9–12900K with a Turbo boost 5.2Ghz without being overclocked.