Learn how to optimize your server's core configuration using Intel® Speed Select technology.
Intel® Speed Select Technology (Intel® SST) technology offers flexible performance profiles that allow you to adjust core counts and clock speeds to meet your specific computing requirements. This article addresses configuring Intel® Speed Select performance profiles to activate specific core counts on 4th Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors. Additionally, it provides insights into Windows* licensing considerations for processors utilizing Intel® Speed Select.
To manage Intel® Speed Select features, Linux* operating systems offer built-in tools that allow for easy configuration. However, it's essential to ensure your Linux distribution uses a kernel version of 5.3 or above to ensure compatibility.
Regarding BIOS configuration, there are two modes available for enabling dynamic or static Intel® Speed Select Technology Performance Profiles (Intel® SST-PP). These modes provide control over the performance profiles of the processors. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, detailed information about managing Intel® Speed Select features on Windows operating systems is limited. The available resources primarily focus on Linux* usage. For comprehensive guidance on managing Intel® Speed Select features in Linux environments, refer to Intel® Speed Select Technology User Guide.
Intel® Speed Select technology empowers users to optimize their server's performance by customizing core counts and clock speeds according to their specific workload demands. It provides the flexibility to achieve the desired balance between performance and power efficiency.
Windows licensing considerations for Intel® Speed Select processors depend on the specific licensing terms and agreements you have in place. In general, Windows* Server licensing is based on physical cores, regardless of whether they are active or idle. Therefore, if you activate 10 cores per processor using Intel® Speed Select, you would typically require licensing for the total number of physical cores.