Intel Speedshift technology and video editing (any software)

Former user wrote on 4/15/2020, 9:57 PM

Pretty technical question, but I'm wondering if anyone has noticed improvement or problems with Intel's Speedshift enabled.

History: With the introduction of newer Intel processors and newer versions of Windows 10, Speedshift technology allows the processor (in conjunction with the OS) to ramp up and down faster. This technology replaces SpeedStep.

Obviously, Speedshift technolgy is great for saving power and running a processor cooler (until ramped up for performance), but I wonder just how good it works for video editing where the demand might be needed all the time.

Comments

KenB wrote on 4/16/2020, 3:26 AM

My understanding is that Speed Shift or Speed Step technology is really only useful for very short tasks. Because Speed Shift is handled by the CPU (compared to Speed Step which is handled by the OS), there can be a feeling of greater responsiveness with Speed Shift (compared to Speed Step) where a faster CPU is immediately required to complete a short task. But for video editing/encoding where the CPU will be going like the clappers for long periods of time, I suspect you won't notice any difference! Happy to be corrected, however.

Ken.

Former user wrote on 4/16/2020, 1:32 PM

Thanks Ken. From all I've read it seems to agree with your comments. So, in my bios settings, I can actually disable speed shift as well as Turbo if I wanted. But, I'm not sure if I want to fiddle around with those or if it would make any noticeable difference. Plus, I'm not having any issues that I can tell.

The reason I even got curious about Speed Step and Speed Shift was an article I read that most DAW software, like Steinberg, recommend disabling them. Another reason is many gamers have seen an improvement when playing games with either disabled. But, all that may be old news.

Just curiously looking for a consensus.

Mike

KenB wrote on 4/17/2020, 5:19 AM

Well I guess you could try it with Speed Shift disabled and then enabled to see how it goes. Some have said disabling Speed Shift can be beneficial when playing games, but can result in increased temperatures, particularly in the power adapter (if using a laptop). It's all theory to me as I don't have Speed Shift only any computers I own.

Ken.

Former user wrote on 4/23/2020, 10:20 PM

For reference, specifically for DAW's

https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/360008589880-Windows-10-How-to-set-up-and-optimize-a-Digital-Audio-Workstation-DAW-

Tweaking the Windows 10 computer

Modern systems with a fully updated Windows 10 should not need any of the default settings to be modified. However, if certain drivers are not fully optimized and you experience audio drop-outs, it is worth having a closer look. Note that the following settings are often not accessible, especially on laptop systems.

Disable Hyper-Threading (Intel)/Simultaneous Multi-Threading (AMD) in the UEFI BIOS if your CPU supports it and if your BIOS allows you to modify this setting.

Disable advanced power-saving and dynamic performance options for your CPU if applicable. This usually needs to be done in the UEFI BIOS of your computer and includes ‘Enhanced Intel SpeedStep (EIST)’, ‘AMD Cool 'n' Quiet’, ‘Intel Turbo Boost’, and ‘AMD Turbo CORE’.

Disable C-States in the UEFI BIOS if this is accessible. C-States allow your CPU to sleep when idle, which may interfere with real-time applications such as audio. This option is often called ‘Disable CPU Idle State for Power Saving’.