CPU Voltage Normal Distribution?

[Shakaza]

In my physics class, we were discussing normal distribution in relation to the speed at which molecules move, and I was just wondering: does the stock voltage of a particular model of CPU follow normal distribution and form a bell-shaped curve if enough samples are gathered?

I'm asking because I know that the load voltage for a CPU operates within a certain range of values. For example, the stock voltage of the FX-6100 is between 1.2 and 1.4, and my model operates at 1.3125 when its clock speed reaches 3.3 GHz. This is assuming that the person online who said the stock voltage of a CPU varies from processor to processor is correct.

What are your thoughts? Does anyone have this kind of information? Has enough data even been gathered for us to know? Am I totally wrong in this assumption and completely embarrassing myself?

[Osmium]

There is no such thing as a dumb question unless it has been asked a thousand times before and answered twice as many times. As such people who think another is stupid based on a question is an idiot himself.

 

Anyway back on topic I do not think this data has been gathered. If it has you could probably find it on CPU benchmarks but I am not sure.

[Ryan Leech]

Usually, all CPUs of the same model number have the same stock voltages.

[FellTheSky]

Usually, all CPUs of the same model number have the same stock voltages.

i bought 2 2500k's both have different stock voltages and are both from the same batch 

[Shakaza]

There is no such thing as a dumb question unless it has been asked a thousand times before and answered twice as many times. As such people who think another is stupid based on a question is an idiot himself.

 

Anyway back on topic I do not think this data has been gathered. If it has you could probably find it on CPU benchmarks but I am not sure.

Hmm, I doubt that enough CPUs in total have been tested. I think it takes millions or even billions of samples for it to form something resembling a bell shape.

[Osmium]

Hmm, I doubt that enough CPUs in total have been tested. I think it takes millions or even billions of samples for it to form something resembling a bell shape.

 

But you will be able to take a very wide variety of chips since all the chips come from one batch of silicon. (good chips from onc batch become 4770k and bad become i3s) so no there won't be enough 4770ks but there should be enough Haswell/Ivy chips if that makes sense.

[Queek]

I may be wrong, but I thought that the "stock voltage" of a CPU (as we call it), is set by the motherboard it happens to be installed in.  

There is a stock voltage range (as set by the manufacturer), but the voltage actually applied to the CPU during various loadings of the chip will be dictated by the settings/performance of the motherboard.  

 

So in relation to OP's question, you'd probably have to do a lot of testing.  I think that voltage fluctuations (read: bell curve) are generally undesireable at a set clock speed and loading, so I wouldn't imagine that the drift would be very large.  I think many modern motherboards have 5 mV increments, so I would expect fluctuations to fall withing that.