Thermal response to DVFS

Abstract

Increasing power density in computing systems from laptops to servers has spurred interest in dynamic thermal management. Based on the success of dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) in managing power and energy, DVFS may be a viable option for thermal management, as well. However, publicly available data on the thermal effects of DVFS are very limited. In this work, we characterize the thermal response of Intel Pentium M system to DVFS, identifying the response timescale and influence of factors beyond voltage and frequency on processor temperature.