Intel speed step is used by tree huggers to save a little power when at idle. It is usually on by default. Clever tech for what it does.
As a power user I have disabled it (as well as C1E sleep state) and keep my Core frequency at MAX that I can achieve stable. I also use it for flight simulation ie: DCS (Digital Combat Simulator). If you don't have a fixed frequency and sleep state is on then the CPU will idle at default idle frequency then ramp up according to demand and cooling capability.
We owe our existence to the scum of the earth, Cyanobacteria
My System Specs:
MB:ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero/WiFi GPU:EVGA GTX 1080 sc PSU:Corsair AX-1200i
CPU:AMD R7 2700X Cooler: Corsair Hydro H115i Case: Corsair Carbide 780t
Memory:G.Skill TridentZ F4-3200C14D-16GTZR SSD:Samsung 500GB 960 EVO M.2
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