Share this article

Improve this guide

Fix: CPU doesn’t reach Turbo Speed

3 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

Share this article

Improve this guide

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

One good way to see if yourPCis up tospeedis by performing a stress test. This will basically overload your system components so that you can monitor and see what are the limits, while still being in a safe zone.

This is somewhat similar tooverclocking, only that you never actually go beyond the component’s maximum designed capabilities.

As far asprocessors go, they usually have a normal runningspeedand a Turbo Speed that is usually a bit higher but still low enough to be used longer periods of time without any danger.

However, some usersreportedthat theirPCsare incapable of reaching Turbo Speed, or at least that is what their monitoring software is telling them:

Hi guys, just installed my new i5 7400. I just did a stress test, temperatures never goes past 61, everything else looks ok. In the bios it says turbo targetedspeedis 3500, but mycpunever goes past 3.3?Do you guys have any idea why this is happening?

The explanation is pretty simple, and since it is something many of you will run into anyway, we’ve created this guide to show you exactly what needs to be done.

How do I make my CPU reach Turbo Speed?

How do I make my CPU reach Turbo Speed?

One of the reasons you do a stress test is to see what yourPCis capable of. If you see that yourCPUis not reaching the TurboSpeedthat it boasts having, try performing a stress test on each individual core at a time.

Note:the Turbo Speed values are usually for each individual core, and not the collective power of theCPU. In fact, stress testing will often result in lower values than the Turbo Speed or even the normalspeed.

Need a good stress-test program? Check out this article for our top picks.

That being the case, simply use whatever stress test oroverclockingsoftware you have and set it to test each individual core at a time.

The reasoning behind this is because individual cores are actually the ones that need to be faster, because of the single-threaded devices that use them.

Multi-threaded devices can run using multiple slower cores without much difference. However, single-threaded devices need powerful singular cores to be fast and responsive.

Conclusion

Whenever you buy a computer, no matter how cheap it may be, it is still a serious investment. That being the case, if you do go for a mid-range or high-endPC, you should at least know you are getting your money’s worth.

So, if you see that the stress test reveals sub-par results, simply go for a single-core stress test and you will most likely see the expected results.

More about the topics:CPU

Teodor Nechita

Eager to help those in need, Teodor writes articles daily on subjects regarding Windows, Xbox, and all things tech-related.

When not working, you may usually find him either at the gym or taking a stroll in the park, trying to find inspiration for the next articles he may write.

User forum

0 messages

Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes

Comment*

Name*

Email*

Commenting as.Not you?

Save information for future comments

Comment

Δ

Teodor Nechita