Patent ID: 8578188

Claim:
A method comprising: providing first values corresponding to dissipation of power of a chip when the chip is active, wherein the first values comprise a first plurality of values of dissipation of power of the chip when the chip is active, and wherein each of the first plurality of values of dissipation of power of the chip corresponds to a respective operating frequency point of a first plurality of operating frequency points of the chip; providing second values corresponding to dissipation of power of the chip when the chip is idle, wherein the second values comprise a second plurality of values of dissipation of power of the chip when the chip is active, and wherein each of the second plurality of values of dissipation of power of the chip corresponds to a respective operating frequency point of a second plurality of operating frequency points of the chip; based upon a composition of a workload of a central processing unit (CPU) configured within the chip, analyzing memory statistics at two or more operating frequency points, wherein the two or more of the operating frequency points are included in (i) the first plurality of operating frequency points of the chip and (ii) the second plurality of operating frequency points of the chip; based upon the memory statistics that have been analyzed, predicting percentage of utilization of the CPU during a future operation of the CPU at each of the two or more operating frequency points; determining an operating frequency point set that provides third values corresponding to overall power dissipation of the chip at the two or more operating frequency points, wherein the third values are related to (i) the first values at the two or more operating frequency points, (ii) the second values at the two or more chip operating frequency points, and (iii) the predicted percentage of utilization of the CPU during the future operation of the CPU at each of the two or more operating frequency points, wherein each operating frequency in the operating frequency point set is able to provide substantially adequate bandwidth for a current workload of the CPU; and selecting an operating frequency for the chip from the operating frequency point set, wherein the operating frequency that is selected provides a desired value corresponding to overall power dissipation of the chip while still providing the substantially adequate bandwidth for the current workload of the CPU.