Bootcamp & Turbo boost Macbook Pro 2017

This review is about using Turbo Boost on BCA Windows 10 64bit. Please read this review all the links so as to have a full grasp of what you are doing, BEFORE you start using the applications. Fools Jump In, Where Angels Fear To Tread.

DISCLAIMER

It is strongly recommended that you monitor power consumption with a Kill-a-Watt meter or similar device and make sure that you don't exceed the capabilities of your power adapter. Use of this review to bypass these throttling schemes or to overclock your computer is at your own risk and can result in permanent damage to your power adapter or computer or both which may not be covered by your warranty.

Credits go to the programmers who wrote the software that I will use in this review, I just did research, tested and wrote the review.

Many thanks to Kevin Glynn, Openlibsys.org, the people at Macs Fan Control, and any I have omitted by accident.

Nomenclature:

1. a) Macbook Pro (Mid 2017) 15in Kaby Lake 4.1 ghz, 16gb RAM, 512gb SSD is abbreviated to (MBP 41);
2. b) Intel i7 -7920HQ CPU @ 3.1ghz with Turbo Boost to 4.1 ghz, with Kaby Lake Architecture is abbreviated to (KL41),
3. c) Maximum continuous load at safe temperatures as researched. This is the maximum ghz with all 8 cores at 100% without the MBP 41 shutting down is abbreviated to (MCSL). The MCSL is variable due to ambient temperature, at 24 Celsius the MCSL is 3.5ghz, above this the temperature continues to rise as the overall notebook heats up and the fans are unable to dissipate the heat.

Additional discoveries during my review;

MACOS X Boot Camp Assistant is abbreviated to (BCA). NB, if you install Win10 on the MBP 41 without using BCA, your sound will not work. Additionally the BCA driver for USB-C has a serious problem. Some USB-C dongles/cable/external SSD when plugged in will stop WIFI from working. When running MACOS the dongles do not interfere with WIFI; https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-macbook-pro-wifi-drops-when-externals-c onnected.2012327/

Parallels: DO NOT USE

Only install Parallels if you want a reduce your CPU to a dual core CPU with only 15% of the RAM. It also re-assigns your default programs and generally creates problem. And you cannot unleash the performance of the MBP 41. Only use Parallels if you want to use the touch bar and hobble your MBP 41

Let’s dispel some myths and tell some truths:

1. 1. The Macbook Pro is nothing more than a PC notebook, albeit a beautiful one;
2. 2. Turbo Boost is totally controllable; I am really tired of posts that state it cannot be controlled, how do these people actually have any credibility to file these reports online?
3. 3. 4.1 ghz can be obtained if only ONE of the eight cores is being used;
4. 4. I have recorded 4.85ghz with one core being used, not overclocked;
5. 5. If 8 cores are being utilized, you may achieve 3.9ghz for a 2 to 5 second burst;
6. 6. The MBP KL4.1 cooling system is woefully inadequate, but you cannot get the cooling required in such a slim body, Look at the fat ASUS ROG’s, Alien, etc
7. 7. The 85watt Power Supply is powerful enough to sustain battery life and have the Kaby running at full power, which is about 45w;
8. 8. The maximum temperature that the KL4.1 will allow is 100 celcius on the die, https://ark.intel.com/products/97462/Intel-Core-i7-7920HQ-Processor-8M-Cache-up- to-4_10-GHz

1. 9. The inbuilt i7 CPU temperature shut down safety system can never be over ridden;
2. 10. I have researched the maximum allowable temperature in the Radeon GPU Diode but cannot find its maximum safe temperature, can anybody assist with this?
3. 11. Your MBP 41 is locked by Apple within the NVRAM/BIOS/UEFI to 3.1ghz maximum, this is because the fans are unable to cool the KL41 and Radeon GPU sufficiently at full load.
4. 12. I have not conducted a review of Turbo Boost under MACOS X, but I am fairly certain the results will be similar.
5. 13. Video conversion appears to stress the system the most, https://www.movavi.com/videoconverter-download.html

More links:

https://www.reddit.com/r/intel/comments/619fk5/are_intel_cpus_able_to_run_contin uously_at_turbo/

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/66427/Intel-Extreme-Tuning-Utility-Inte l-XTU-

Please follow these steps in order and carry them out in a step by step process.

Download Macs Fan Control from; https://www.crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control

Install and run the application.

Now click on the control custom area: Sorry cannot post pictures on this forum

Set both fans to maximum, you will hear them start sucking and blowing as hard as they can go:

You now have control over your fans. The reason for this is that the inbuilt control system is slow to react and the CPU will reach 100 celcius before the fans get to maximum air flow. Be warned, if you are going to use your MBP at MCSL the fans must be manually switched on to maximum RPM.

In the right hand side box of Macs Fan Control you will see the temperatures of the key components, keep an eye on the GPU Diode if you are running under MCSL.

Download and install Intel TB monitor from http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/Intel-Turbo-Boost-Technology-Mon itor.shtml#download

This Intel monitor has been around for over a decade and still provides a quick overview of the CPU ghz, it is a bit of fun but not necessary.

Now we get into the real stuff.

Ensure that you have selected High Performance from the Power options, and fill in the values as shown below, Apply and click ok.

WARNING

Some laptops are using clock modulation and multiplier reductions to lower the performance and power consumption of your computer. This is done deliberately to either allow your computer to run cooler or to allow your laptop to operate with a power adapter that is not sufficient to fully power your laptop and recharge its battery at the same time. When using ThrottleStop, it is strongly recommended that you monitor power consumption with a Kill-a-Watt meter or similar device and make sure that you don't exceed the capabilities of your power adapter. Use of ThrottleStop to bypass these throttling schemes or to overclock your computer is at your own risk and can result in permanent damage to your power adapter or computer or both which may not be covered by your warranty.

ThrottleStop cannot be used to disable throttling when your Intel CPU is over heating. No matter how you have ThrottleStop setup, an Intel CPU that reaches the pre-defined throttling temperature will still throttle and if it reaches the pre-defined Intel thermal shutdown temperature, your CPU will shutdown to protect itself from damage. ThrottleStop only lets you control the throttling methods used by computer manufacturers. No software can be used to override the built in Intel throttling methods.

ThrottleStop is a performance modification and monitoring tool for Intel Core 2, Core i7 / i5 / i3, including Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors. It allows you to make a variety of adjustments depending on your CPU model. The monitoring area on the right hand side will show you the current performance state of each thread of your CPU, AND THE TEMPERATURE, YOU MUST MONITOR THIS AND REDUCE THE MULTIPLIER DOWNWARDS BACK TOWARDS 3.1.

Please visit the Throttlestop website and READ the contents and understand how to use the software before installing and running it:

https://www.techpowerup.com/download/techpowerup-throttlestop/

I love my Macbook Pro Kaby 4.1

As far as I know Turbo Boost is not regulated by any additional software/driver but from the CPU itself and depends from the physical state of the CPU (power, temperature etc. etc.) & load .. I'm skeptic you can make it "faster".

Check to see if your energy setting in Win 10 are for performance or battery life.

However the "boost" speed is depended on several factors and it is also theoretical. It is not uncommon for a CPU with a boost speed several decimal points above the base speed to reach one or two decimal points at maximum, there are additional limits with laptops as well; for example inadequate stock cooling may contribute to a throttling back on a boost to where the increase is relatively small, or nonexistent. Or boot may be prevented it all together when operating off battery power.

this is a volunteer forum. You are not speaking with Apple here and Apple does not respond to posts made here. You may wish to contact the developers. However if you are running Win 10 you may wish to post your finding on a Windows forum where this platform may be better understood in general.

https://developer.apple.com/

All,

It is totally possible to watch turbo boost happening and totally control it from 1ghz to 4.1ghz in small increments, both up and down. Apple has totally locked out this capability, as they want to state 10 hours battery life, which is deceit.

Furthermore, the MBP at 4.1ghz (Kaby Lake), under full graphic gpu load has a battery life of about 45 minutes. I am still testing to see if the MBP power adapter is capable of powering the MBP, without battery charge lowering at the same time. I maybe smell a class action!

But the custom built Kaby @ 4.1ghz and Radeon at full load is a lethal weapon, it is a thing of beauty. A highly complex engineering FEA (finite element analysis) executes in seconds!

R

A

MBP 15 inch, Kaby 4.1, 512HD, 16 GB Ram

have you tried looking at the specific drivers to see if windows is identifying it correctly? If that's not it than I would suppose this would lie somewhere in the BIOS domain that apple has integrated.

Sorry, you are not entirely correct. The MBP is almost totally capable of delivering it's advertising material spec, Apple choose to derate performance under Windows. Again a possible breach of consumer law, in Australia this falls under deceit in our Corporations Act

Xarcabard wrote:

have you tried looking at the specific drivers to see if windows is identifying it correctly? If that's not it than I would suppose this would lie somewhere in the BIOS domain that apple has integrated.

Apple does not integrate a BIOS, it uses Open Firmware.

Deoleh wrote:

...Who is the admin of this site and has the power to delete posts on this forum?

That would be the moderators. I can ask them to review the post if you see a violation you'd like to point out.

Apple provides these forums for the benefit of ALL Readers, not just to get your specific problem solved.

If you have something to add to the discussion, please post it right here on the forum, where everyone can learn from the process.

If you try to take the discussion private, and pursue solutions only for yourself, you are no longer benefiting the community at large, and therefore, such posts are likely to be removed. They are counter to the intent of these Public Forums.

Max Boost so far is 4.85ghz, no overclocking

Any news? I also buy MBP 2017 with 3,1 GHz and never see 4,1 GHz. Thats odd.