Frequency distribution in the 800 MHz range. UMTS and LTE frequencies in Russia: new generation standards

For all of us who love "cinafonini", we often come across the speech of the infamous "Banda 20" or simply called "800Mhz". In reality, this question is at the same time simple but complex, and in this article I will explain why.

I do not want to bore you with technical data, incomprehensible to the majority (including me), I intend to explain in a simple way what the inconvenience can be when buying a phone that does not support this frequency band.

What is 20 band (800Mhz)

The 800 Mhz frequency band, also called the 20 band, is one of 3 available with public auctions in 2011 for data transfer high speed 4G LTE. At the same auction, the other available frequencies were 1800Mhz and 2600Mhz. These 3 frequencies carry data at different rates and different characteristics. faster and suitable for very crowded places 2600Mhz, the fastest of them is 800Mhz which has extended range and penetration in buildings the best of 2600Mhz. The 1800Mhz band (probably the most used today) remains a good middle ground.

At the famous auction, 4 major Italian operators divided the frequencies as follows:

• TIM
• Vodafone Band 20 (800Mhz) / Band 3 (1800Mhz) / Band 7 (2600Mhz)
• H3G Band 3 (1800Mhz) / 7 Band (2600Mhz)
• wind Band 20 (800Mhz) Band 7 (2600Mhz)

It is quite clear from this table that whoever has it as an operator 3 Italy (H3G) You won't notice any difference between using a phone with or without a 20 band.

clients Tim and Vodafonedepending on the work areas, they can suffer from a lack of bandwidth 20. Both operators, with both 1800Mhz and 2600Mhz at their disposal, in large urban centers and in all those areas near the transmitting antennas will not notice any difference as they will “plug in” one of these frequencies, both in rural areas and inside buildings. especially "closed" reception in 4G can be compromised.

Different is a conversation for users wind that, being unable to provide a frequency of 1800Mhz, using 800Mhz as the main band. Thus, in large urban centers, served by a frequency of 2600Mhz, the sail is in 4G, while in all other cases, the maximum connection speed that HSPA +

What is the Difference Between LTE 20 Band and HSPA +

As we said, 800Mhz speed is the slowest of 4G can actually reach 75Mbps downloads in Italy (while 1800Mhz and 2600Mhz reach 150Mbps). The stage below is that an HSPA plus (H +) connection can get up to 42Mbps and will be accessible from any smartphone lacking band 20. These values \u200b\u200bare a theoretical reference because in fact the actual transfer rate is almost always much lower. These speeds obviously depend on the quality of the signal our phone receives. So not even sure if a 4G connection in the 20 band is faster than one on HSPA +. At the same time, the presence of the 800Mhz group will always be better than not having it, but not having it in many cases does not matter.

imposition of a new

• It would be better to have a group of 20
• 20 Band (800Mhz) - * This is the slowest of 4G * Covers long distances * Better penetrates buildings
• Band 7 (2600Mhz) - * This is the fastest of 4G and suitable for crowded areas * Covers less distances * Difficulty of penetrating buildings
• Band 3 (1800Mhz) - * Average path between 800Mhz and 2600Mhz
• In large urban centers, the band used by all carriers is 2600Mhz, so no carrier should have difficulty watching LTE
• In the current state of Italian mobile networks, browsing in HSPA + instead of LTE on 800Mhz band does not compromise browser performance and may not make any difference.

Among other things, the merger between H3G and Wind has recently become official, so a new operator is coming soon, which will probably use all frequencies available for 2. In this case, even former Wind users can benefit from the 1800Mhz range.

The article will be useful to those who are looking for an antenna and equipment to enhance the mobile 3G and 4G Internet signal, or a repeater to enhance cellular communication.

The frequency of the 3G / 4G signal is the initial parameter in choosing an antenna. For example, you may not know the location of base stations on the ground - just pick up the signal, and determine the direction by level by twisting the antenna. But if you do not know the frequency, then the signal may not be caught at all.

Important! All tests are recommended to be performed at the point of the planned antenna installation (with a laptop + modem, ideally on the roof), because indoors, the modem may not pick up a signal in the 2600 MHz (4G) range, but for an outdoor antenna it is the most effective!
Due to the fact that the methods for determining the GSM / 3G / 4G / 4G + frequency differ, we will consider them separately.

1. Mobile method:

1. Androyd:
Attention! Turn off Wi-Fi!
To test the frequency, the built-in technical menu "Netmonitor" is used, which is called in each smartphone model by a personal code. List of Android phones and codes such as * # 0011 # or * # * # 4636 # * # * or * # * # 197328640 # * # * can be found

For Samsung:Disable Wi-Fi, and select 3G or 4G LTE mode. In the field for entering the phone number, dial the combination: * # 0011 #, after which the phone will enter the service mode with a report on the signal of the BS to which you are connected.

3G parameter values:

1. uarfcn (can be denoted as RX): Channel number defining the frequency. If the value is from 10562-10838, then you have 3G / UMTS 2100 MHz.If 2937-3088, then this is 3G / UMTS 900 MHz. In our case uarfcn = 10687 hence the frequency 3G \u003d 2100.
   
2. EcIo (Ec / Io or Ec / No): the ratio of the signal level to the noise level in (the higher the indicator, the better). The lower the load (the network is free), the closer the EcIo indicator tends to 0. With an increase in the number of subscribers, the bandwidth decreases - the ratio deteriorates down to -12 ..- 14 dB, after which, according to the settings, 3G-\u003e 2G switching can occur. Perhaps you should choose a direction to a freer tower. For 4G, this parameter is denoted as CINR .
   
3. RSCP: (Reference Signal Received Power) The strength of the received signal that your device receives when connected to the BS. -70 is good, -100 is bad.
   

4G LTE values:

1. Band: The frequency at which the 4G network tower operates. There are 3 of them in total. In our case Band: 7this is the frequency 2600 MHz , if a Band: 3 then 1800 MHzand Band: 20 - frequency 800 MHz... (Complete list of frequency bands.)
2. RSSI:Base value of signal strength At values RSRP\u003d -120 dBm and below LTE connection may be unstable or absent at all.
3. CINR: The ratio of the level of the useful signal to the airborne noise. Everything is simple: the higher the value, the better the signal quality. If a SINR lower than 0, then the connection speed will be low, since this means that there is more noise in the received signal than usefulness, which increases the likelihood of losing the LTE connection.

1.1 ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS FOR ADNROID:

Here, without a doubt, it is worth noting the CellMapper application capable of identifying and displaying on the screen the value of the operating frequency, information about the tower, about neighbors, display the tower on the map ( the option should be enabled "Calculate GSM / UMTS / LTE frequencies") As we already wrote, the frequency is displayed in the value Band.The signal level is indicated in the field Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP). To work with the application, you need to register for free on the site.

1.2 Displaying the signal level in standard USB Modem applications:

Information about the signal level is contained in almost any 3G / 4G LTE modem, for this it is enough to study the menu.

2. Testing using a USB modem (the most reliable):

Nonetheless , the most effective and inexpensive and reliable way to establish the carrier frequency of the Internet signal is a computer + modem with a HiLink interface orStick ... Below is the testing methodmDMA program using firmwareStick which is usually on purchased locked modems of Russian telecom operators.

2.1 Working with MDMA program:

(communication parameters display window)

Important! Before starting the programMDMA (Mobile Data Monitoring Aplication) it is necessary to close all the "native" programs of the usb modem !!!

Once launched, the program will display the signal level, airborne noise, and base station parameters. Here, our goal is to determine which 3G & 4G LTE frequency the operator operates on, by enumerating them. By pressing the button"Band Config" we will call the window in which we will perform simple actions:

1. Change the "Automatic" parameter to "Custom"
2. 3G put a tick on to start on UMTS 2100 click "OK" and follow the signal strength and registration in the network in the main window. If the operator's name appears in the field, and a checkmark appears next to "Registered", then your operator operates on the frequency UMTS 2100... If the registration does not take place, we return to the leading step, uncheck the box UMTS 2100 and install on UMTS 900.
   
3. If, when choosing a parameter (for example, UMTS 900), the program gives an error, then your modem does not know how to work in this standard.
4. 4G LTE consistency and logicaction similar to 3G, except that they are all conducted in the right area (LTE Bands).

2.2 Analysis with a Hilink universal modem:

Here, the actions are similar to the previous example, the determination of the range is also made by searching the frequencies.

Go to Settings -\u003e Network Settings, then select the standard (LTE, UMTS, etc.), set the "Manual" mode and start ticking the bands, checking the RSSI signal strength on the parameters page.

Determination of the range in 3G networks:

Signal parameters page

It should be noted that there are times when the operator broadcasts the Internet directly intwo bands simultaneously. For example, in the city of Chekhov M.O. Tele2 in 4G operates in parallel at 800 and 2600 MHz. In this case, the RSSI power differs, and the main frequency remains 800 MHz. If you want to provide high speed, and use both frequencies for reception, you should use a multi-standard antenna that supports LTE - A technology simultaneously in 2 bands.

Speech summary Victor Glushko, head of the working group "National Radio Association", deputy. General Director of Geyser Research and Production Company LLC, Frequency spectrum allocation for LTE networks"at the Second International Business Forum" Evolution of mobile networks LTE Russia & CIS 2010 ", May 25-26, 2010.

I present a fragment of the abstract in the part concerning the 800 MHz band.

The problems of obtaining the frequency spectrum in Russia are known. But the problem is complex even without national peculiarities, as a rule, after the appearance of a new technology, the process of searching for frequencies for its implementation begins. Frequency resources are almost always scarce, there is not a single meeting of the World Radiocommunication Conference, where the issues of additional allocation of frequencies for IMT mobile radio systems would not be discussed. The 2012 conference will also address this issue, in particular the use of the 800 MHz band for mobile land systems.

Although, in general, the topic of frequency distribution is an endless topic, the issue of using frequencies in Russia is what is called "ripe". So at the next meeting of the board of the SCRF, it is planned to make a decision on the creation of experimental LTE zones in Russia and make the appropriate frequency assignments (as we now know, this meeting was not destined to take place).

Meanwhile, it is roughly clear where to look and what can be expected in terms of the prospects for the use of frequencies. The data that will be presented below is based on studies that were carried out by the NRA in early 2010 for the entire frequency range, which, in principle, can be used for the deployment of mobile communication systems of the LTE standard.

Thinking about the use of frequencies to create LTE in Russia, one cannot ignore what is happening with LTE in Europe. There the situation has already been sufficiently defined.

It is planned to use the 800 MHz low-frequency band to cover large areas with low population density, and the 2.6 GHz band to ensure adequate network capacity in large cities.

Here I would like to deviate from the summary of Mr. Glushko's speech and slightly develop the topic regarding the use of the 800 MHz band in Europe.

In May 2010, the European Commission adopted a regulation to create harmonized technical rules for EU member states regarding the designation of radio frequencies in the 800 MHz range, which would facilitate the deployment of high-speed wireless Internet services without causing interference. The Commission supported the use of the 790 - 862 MHz band (which is currently used by most EU member states for terrestrial television broadcasting) for electronic communications services and expresses interest in European countries to move quickly as coordinated management of this radio spectrum can provide economic gain up to EUR 44 billion for the EU economy, as well as to contribute to the achievement of the strategic goals of the EC 2020 program in terms of high-speed broadband access for all by the end of 2013 (with a gradual increase in speeds up to 30 Mbps and higher by 2020).

Telecommunications experts are confident that providing mobile broadband coverage in the 800 MHz range is 70% cheaper than on the frequencies used in 3G / WCDMA networks.

It is important to make a reservation that the decision itself does not oblige the EU member states to provide the 790 - 862 MHz range for telecommunication services. However, the Telefonica O2 pilot project in the United Kingdom is already known (previously, O2 conducted LTE tests in the 2.6 GHz band for several months).

The auction for the sale of frequencies for the creation of mobile broadband access systems in Germany is even more indicative.

Frequencies in four bands were put up for auction, but the main struggle ensued for lots in the 800 MHz range, and the maximum amount of money was paid for them (the total amount raised by Germany from the 800 MHz auction amounted to 4.4 billion euros).

Known tests of LTE in the 800 MHz range, which are conducted in Germany by Vodafone. Now, after acquiring a 2x10 MHz band in this range, the company intends to start building LTE in rural Germany.

(I will deliberately ignore the 2.6 GHz band and its use in Europe in this article. There will still be a reason to return to its consideration).

Let's return to the speech of Viktor Glushko. In Europe, the issues of using (re-using) the 1800 MHz frequency range for LTE have not been removed from consideration, but the level of activity in this direction is small, compared to the two bands - 800 MHz and 2100 MHz.

With regard to other bands and the world in general.

In China, there are real chances of using the 2.3 GHz band. The 1.5 GHz and 700 MHz bands are rather exotic, they will be used, respectively, in Japan and the USA.

Again I will deviate from the summary.

In Japan, NTT DoCoMo does have plans for 1.5 GHz, but only in terms of expanding network coverage. Initially, construction of the NTT network will start in the 2.1 GHz band.

In general, there are very different plans regarding the use of frequencies in different bands for the construction of LTE systems in the world. Here are two slides to illustrate this:

Here, the area of \u200b\u200bsectors is determined by the number of operators who have announced their plans to build LTE networks in certain frequency bands. Unfortunately, I do not have breakdowns by operator, so the reliability and relevance of the slide leaves some questions.

I will return to the summary of the speech.

We have a big problem with the 1.5 GHz band in Russia. The 700 MHz band will still be able to see what's wrong with it. So the list of potentially interesting bands for LTE for Russia may look like this:

800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2400 MHz and 2600 MHz.

Let's take a closer look at the situation with the 800 MHz range (790 - 862 MHz) in Russia. This range is often referred to as the "digital dividend". It should be understood that such a name came from the idea of \u200b\u200bpart of humanity that as a result of re-planning of the broadcasting range, some additional resource will arise. The frequency range for analog broadcasting when switching to digital turns out to be excessive, it would seem fair to expect the appearance of free frequencies. Based on this, Western countries have formed a certain policy of promoting the 790-862 MHz range in Europe and 869-806 MHz in the USA for the development of mobile broadband access. Moreover, LTE was not specifically mentioned in the solutions, usually speaking about these ranges, they say UMT or mobile broadband access. But given the current trend, we can assume that we are talking about LTE, first of all.

So, a certain "digital dividend" has formed, which, strictly speaking, has not been formed in Russia. The fact is that our use of the range for analog broadcasting was not complete due to the large number of military equipment. The range is almost completely occupied by such means.

If you say now “broadcasters, you have a dividend, share the spectrum”, then the expected answer would be “leave me alone, we don't have enough”. It would seem that one can put an end to this. But there is another factor as well. Broadcasting, by its nature, cannot be combined with those RES, primarily for military purposes, that are present in this band. Cellular networks, on the other hand, can. And there are examples of successful combinations, as many remember, in this range AMPS / DAMPS networks have successfully worked in Russia. This probably gives hope that the band could try to look for bands for civilian mobile broadband systems. And the preliminary express analysis that was carried out showed that in the range 790 - 862 MHz it is possible to find 2 * 10 MHz frequency duplex, which could be used for the deployment of a mobile broadband system of the LTE standard.

Unfortunately, 10 MHz is very little, it is hardly appropriate to build on this some kind of state program or to submit it to a competition, since this frequency band is hardly enough for one operator. So another idea came up. It is connected with the fact that "move" to the American range, dropping below the 790 MHz range - up to 698 MHz. In this case, the results of express analysis say that it is possible to obtain bands for two operators (i.e. 2 x 2x10 MHz FDD). This is already something.

There are, of course, problems here. Firstly, the fact that in this case we are moving "perpendicularly" to Europe is not news to us, of course, and not scary. Secondly, here we are stepping on the legal rights of broadcasters, since the third multiplex, which they are now trying to form for digital broadcasting, will climb into this strip. Some frequency blocks in the band from 698 to 790 MHz, they will already be considered by broadcasters. The analysis was carried out in the NRA in order to determine the possibilities. Decisions will be made later, taking into account the results that will be obtained in the experimental zones. (This concludes the citation of the summary of Viktor Glushko's speech).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My opinion. It is the 800 MHz band that would be ideal for the development of mobile broadband access systems in Russia in territories outside the cities of one million people - we would not lose "compatibility" with Europe, in particular, with Germany, which would provide a good choice of subscriber devices, as well as roaming capabilities with Europe.
But another thing is more important - it is in this range to build the LTE system most cost-effectively. And such construction could serve to reduce the digital inequality of Russian citizens, the level of which today is largely determined by the place of residence. For this, the state would have to engage in the conversion and clearing of this frequency range in order to harmonize it with the outside world. And in this regard, I must admit, I do not expect serious progress, unfortunately. Can you hope that I'm wrong?

As a result of a short search, a list of VHF frequencies was formed, where I do not go with my radio (from the word "in general") and where I do not, but in the case of a power supply unit it is possible and necessary. It is clear that in forbidden bands, almost everyone works in a closed (coded) manner, and many do not work in radiotelephony mode at all, so there is nothing to do there - neither for reception, nor (especially) for transmission. In the list, I left only those bands in which I can theoretically get into with my radio (for your available bands, search for the forbidden yourself). Who sits on which of them specifically, I will not write - just do not climb there, period. These are the Ministry of Internal Affairs and FAPSI. I also do not indicate the discreteness in the frequency bands, because there is no need:

Prohibited frequency ranges:
139.174 - 139.242 MHz
148.000 - 149.000 MHz
149.000 - 149.900 MHz
157.875 MHz
162.7625 - 163.200 MHz
168.500 - 171.150 MHz
169.455 MHz
169.462 MHz
171.150 - 173.000 MHz
173.000 - 174.000 MHz
406.000 - 406.100 MHz

In addition, the strip "Space - Earth" ( 136.000 - 137.000 MHz) and the strip "Earth - Space" ( 406,000 – 406.100 MHz, it is exclusively for satellite-borne distress-locating beacons).

Further - the channels of the marine range:
– 156.325 MHz (it is not actually a channel of the maritime band, but it falls into it; what happens on it - I HZ);
– 156.300 MHz - Service channel 06 for ship control. It can be used for communication between ships and aircraft during search and rescue operations, so don't go there with your PTT button;
– 156.525 MHz - special channel 70 - it is prohibited to work in radiotelephone mode (used to transmit a digital selective call, the marine analogue of DSC SMS messages);
– 156.800 MHz is the 16th channel, the international VHF distress, safety and calling frequency in the maritime mobile service for radiotelephony. She is also for the search and rescue of manned spacecraft. Bounded on both sides by two prohibited guard strips (channel 75 - guard strip 156.762 – 156.7875 MHz and channel 76 - guard band 156.8125 – 156.8375 MHz).

In addition, it should be remembered that some of the channels in the maritime band are not intended for simplex communication, but for duplex ( 1–7, 18–28, 39, 60–66, 78–88 ), and in general: work on transmission in the sea range from the shore to anyone is prohibited. If you go out to sea - at least on anything (an inflatable or a surfboard) - then you can. True, you can still run into it - they will catch it, spread it apart, blow it in and then blow it in again.

Just in case, here are the forbidden frequencies (my walkie-talkie is inaccessible, but still let them lie down here, suddenly who needs it):
243.000 MHz
300.200 MHz
254.000 ; 254.685; 380.000; 393.100 MHz is the RF Ministry of Defense
273.000 – 300.000; 300.000 – 390.000 MHz - bands of FAPSI, government communications, security and defense of the Russian Federation. They also include different, narrower subbands with different discreteness steps; there is nothing to meddle with at all.

145.500 MHz is the common calling frequency for radio amateurs. However, it is possible to transmit there only if there is an official RL callsign and with a registered radio.

It is clear that the list is far from complete (and it cannot be complete). In addition, I cannot vouch for its current reliability - for, as one literary character said, "time flows, and we go with it." You need to check, search.

A separate list of emergency frequencies in the 2m and 70cm bands for survivalists and PSU anticipators:
145.450 MHz (this is the Ministry of Emergencies, yeah)
145.945 MHz (??? hz)
433.450 MHz (16th channel LPD)

Quick answer: 800 megahertz for modern processors is normal. Moreover, this is a very cool feature, and not a device failure. Electricity consumption in this "reduced" mode is minimal. And as soon as all the blatant power of 2-4 gigahertz is needed, the processor will give them out instantly, or even add another 300-500 MHz to the nominal frequency. Add it on its own, by the way.

But why is the processor frequency sometimes reduced to "indecent" 800 megahertz?

What is a CPU, is it a processor?

One of the key devices of any computer (and a near-computer monster such as a smartphone, TV and even a Wi-Fi router) is a central processor. This is a microcircuit with the area of \u200b\u200ba matchbox, and in thickness - a couple of matches. Laptops have even less CPU. In phones, the processor area is generally comparable to a dime. CPU, by the way, is the standard abbreviation for a processor, "Central Processor Unit". Russian analogue - CPU, "central processing unit".

Processor task: computing. Everything that happens on the PC screen, and everything that is hidden somewhere in the depths of the "iron box" - these are numerical transformations, and nothing more. Even the letter on the monitor is not just a letter; this is the symbol represented by:

1. Numeric code
2. Color and font with a specific numerical designation
3. Points on the screen that have their own numerical coordinates

The above is just an incomplete example of calculations only about one letter that the CPU works with.

What is processor frequency and how to understand this characteristic?

Clock frequency (in simple terms) is the number of the simplest digital operations that a processor can perform in a second. 2.5 gigahertz \u003d 2.5 billion operations for adding, subtracting, or multiplying prime numbers. Frequency is one of the many characteristics of a CPU, but far from the only one. The higher the frequency, the more powerful the processor, in principle. But - precisely "in principle".

The engine of a truck is several times more powerful and larger than a 3-4-cylinder engine of a passenger car. But it is the passenger car that is faster and more dynamic. So with the processor frequency

Let's take an example. The more powerful the car engine - the faster the car? This is far from the case. For example, a Kamaz engine is several times more powerful than a passenger car engine. Which of these two cars is faster? It is true that a small car will easily leave behind a multi-ton colossus despite all the hundreds of KAMAZ "horses". So with frequency - the more powerful, the faster the computer. But only other things being equal.

Typical processor frequencies have not "grown" for 10-15 years. As the Pentium 4 with its 3-3.4 GHz appeared in due time, these frequencies remained a kind of standard for productive systems. A further increase in this characteristic only leads to an unreasonable increase in heat release and energy consumption - this is a law. And who needs a computer that eats electricity like a vacuum cleaner? And with the heat dissipation of a small iron? A laptop that can work without an outlet for no more than half an hour is also a strange device.

Therefore, the creators of processors (primarily from Intel and AMD) are working to enhance other characteristics of the CPU. The number of the smallest "organs" of the processor - transistors - increases, while their size decreases; latencies between individual CPU blocks are drastically reduced - this is progress in computer performance. The banal increase in the clock frequency has long been exhausted. Why is that? Plants need water and sun - but they are only good to a certain extent. If you pour water on a flower, it will die. If you plant a rose in the desert, it will burn. So the processor frequency is good only up to a reasonable limit, and then it is harmful.

My computer is running at 800 megahertz - what should I do?

Rejoice for the progress of computer technology and the fact that you have a decent modern PC. After all, processors of our time (from about 2007-2008) are so powerful devices that most of the time they simply have nothing to load. Excess power is needed only at times of high computer load. Just as a truck does not need hundreds of horsepower when it only transports a driver without a load, so the extra gigahertz wastefully consume electricity (and shamelessly use up the laptop's battery supply).

800 megahertz processor (798.1 in the screenshot) is the most modern technology to reduce power consumption.

Processor designers decided to "shed" excess frequencies when they are not needed by the computer. Have you moved away from keyboard with mouse? In a minute, the operating system will "understand" that you can turn off excess resources, and after another 50-100 nanoseconds (nano!) Will lower the processor frequency. Power was needed (for example, when opening a browser, a page, or even an ordinary Notepad) - and after the same 50-100 ns the frequency jumped from an obscenely weak 800 MHz to the classic 2-3 gigahertz. Almost instantly.

Electricity is saved, fans run quieter, laptops run longer - these are some of the benefits of instantly lowering clock speeds. Disadvantages of underfrequency technology? There are none at all!

Why 800 MHz?

This minimum frequency is convenient for both processor designers and motherboard manufacturers along with other computer equipment. The 800 megahertz standard as the reduced frequency of a computer is like 220 volt outlet and 50 of the same outlet hertz.

Moreover, operating systems are "more convenient" to work with fairly fast processors. The minimum requirements for Windows 7 (and the modern "tens") are the same 800 megahertz. If the CPU "drops" the frequency to a lower one, the OS may erroneously "think" that there are not enough resources for its comfortable operation - and stop working.

Modern clock frequencies: there is practically no "nominal"!

Finally - about the "nominal frequency" of the processor. This characteristic is declared by the manufacturer for each processor model. Let's say a modern Intel Core i5 6500 (Skylake generation) has:

• 4 cores;
• 6 megabytes of L3 cache;
• built-in video card (graphic core) of the HD 530 generation;
• transistors with a size of 14 nanometers (the smaller - the better and more modern)
• "Base" clock frequency 3.2 gigahertz (\u003d 3200 MHz);
• heat dissipation - 65 watts (the less - the more economical and "colder");
• a bunch of great technologies like Intel SpeedStep.

It is this “floating” frequency technology called Speed \u200b\u200bStep that is responsible for lowering the frequency to 800 megahertz. But even more interesting is that the same technology automatically "overclocks" the processor from the nominal 3.2 gigahertz up to 3.6 gigahertz when the computer needs more power.

Processor frequency monitoring: base - 3.33 MHz, but at the moment Intel SpeedStep technology has increased the frequency to 3.46 MHz. During idle time, the frequency will drop to 800 MHz.

Typical scenarios for Speed \u200b\u200bStep:

• the processor is not really loaded (a text editor, an audio player and a couple of instant messengers are working) - the frequency drops to 800 MHz;
• several tabs are open in the browser, the processor needs more power on 1-2 cores out of 4 - it is working at the nominal 3 gigahertz;
• The CPU is loaded at full capacity - you can raise the frequency to 3.6 gigahertz (if 1 core is loaded) or at least 3.3 GHz (if all 4 cores are loaded). Yes, energy consumption will increase - but within acceptable limits. And most importantly - a complex resource-intensive task will be completed faster (and you can immediately lower the frequency to "energy-saving" 800 megahertz).

Note again: the switching of frequencies occurs automatically, no user response is required. The rise or fall in frequency is an almost instantaneous process: faster than blinking an eye. Moreover, with each new generation of processors, the frequency switching moment decreases - in the near future, the delay time will be reduced from 50-100 nanoseconds to 25-30 ns.

Outcome

Frequencies are lowered not only for processors, but also for video cards and other components of computer systems. They go down for the sake of saving electricity and reducing heat generation. This is a normal procedure, which not only should not cause concern - it is a reason to be proud of the scientific and technological progress of mankind and the evolution of central processing units in particular.