SPEC CPU2006 Flag Description - Platform settings

Firmware / BIOS / Microcode Settings

Cluster Mode:

This bios switch allows 5 options "All2All", "SNC-2", "SNC-4", "Hemisphere" and "Quadrant". The default is "All2All". Quadrant mode divide the chip into 4 virtual Quadrants. Quadrant mode can shorten the route length to memory, and that enable us to enlarge the bandwidth of memory.

Memory Mode:

This bios switch allows 3 options "Cache", "Flat", and "Hybrid". Cache mode use the MCDRAMs as the cache of DDR memory. It shorten the memory access time and enhance the performance.

Patrol Scrub:

This BIOS option enables or disables the so-called memory scrubbing, which cyclically accesses the main memory of the system in the background regardless of the operating system in order to detect and correct memory errors in a preventive way. The disabling of the Patrol Scrub option increases the probability of discovering memory errors in case of active accesses by the operating system.

Enhanced Speedstep:

Enabling this switch allows the system to adjust core frequency according to its load.

Turbo Mode:

Enabling this switch allows the processor to provide more computing performance at short notice by increasing the frequency above nominal frequency.

CPU C6 Report:

These BIOS options are used to inform the operating system whether it can use the CPU C6 states "Enabled" or not "Disabled". Since the waking-up from these C-states increases latency, it is advisable to put the setting to "Disabled" for the CPU C-states for applications where maximum performance with the lowest possible response time matters.

Package C State limit:

In addition to the CPU or core C-states, there are also so-called package C-states, which not only allow the individual cores of a processor, but the entire processor chip to be put into a type of sleep state. If the "C0" setting is made in the BIOS, the processor chip always remains active.