The Turbo button actually slowed down your processor for backwards compatibility reasons. Older software was expecting the CPU clock to be below a certain threshold, and would crash (or run way too fast) if the clock was too fast. Sort of like old games tying the physics to the framerate, then the physics gets all weird when the frame rate changes. The Turbo button was a way to boot old programs without needing to dig into your BIOS to downclock the CPU manually.
Old games were especially bad about it. They’d rely on the CPU clock for in-game timing, so the game would basically run in super speed if the CPU clock was too fast. The Turbo button allowed you to slow the CPU down to make those games playable again.
Turbo was the default behavior. There was a toggle button that turned off the turbo light and slowed the machine down when needed for compatibility. Note: almost nobody needed this capability it sometimes they bumped the button and later wondered why the pc was slow.
The previous user isn’t wrong per se, but just to clarify: if the indicator light is on, the “turbo” (default) mode is on and the device is running at full performance. Turbo off means it’s downclocked.
It’s more a misnomer to call it turbo when in fact it’s just the standard speed of the device, while the mode that is actually toggled using the turbo button is what causes it to run slower for compatibility reasons.
Reminds me of why NASA had to rename the thing that went over astronaut’s private part to large, gigantic, and humongous because nobody woud pick small and normal.
The Turbo button actually slowed down your processor for backwards compatibility reasons. Older software was expecting the CPU clock to be below a certain threshold, and would crash (or run way too fast) if the clock was too fast. Sort of like old games tying the physics to the framerate, then the physics gets all weird when the frame rate changes. The Turbo button was a way to boot old programs without needing to dig into your BIOS to downclock the CPU manually.
Old games were especially bad about it. They’d rely on the CPU clock for in-game timing, so the game would basically run in super speed if the CPU clock was too fast. The Turbo button allowed you to slow the CPU down to make those games playable again.
Gonna add a turbo button to my PC that does nothing except light up an LED and turn on a really loud fan.
Silverstone has a retro case with turbo button: https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/info/computer-chassis/flp02/ It spins up all fans when you press it
Why in the hell did they call it “turbo” when it’s literally the opposite
Turbo was the default behavior. There was a toggle button that turned off the turbo light and slowed the machine down when needed for compatibility. Note: almost nobody needed this capability it sometimes they bumped the button and later wondered why the pc was slow.
The previous user isn’t wrong per se, but just to clarify: if the indicator light is on, the “turbo” (default) mode is on and the device is running at full performance. Turbo off means it’s downclocked.
It’s more a misnomer to call it turbo when in fact it’s just the standard speed of the device, while the mode that is actually toggled using the turbo button is what causes it to run slower for compatibility reasons.
Reminds me of why NASA had to rename the thing that went over astronaut’s private part to large, gigantic, and humongous because nobody woud pick small and normal.
I mean, the light indicated when turbo was engaged and you would disengage it to slow it down. Maybe you had hooked up your jumpers backwards?
The light (and button label) lied.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo_button