Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that determines a first real-time correlation between a power consumption of a processor and an operating frequency of the processor, determines a second real-time correlation between a performance level of the processor and the operating frequency of the processor, and sets the operating frequency of the processor to a value based on the first and second real-time correlations. In one example, the performance level or performance per watt of the processor decreases at one or more operating frequencies greater than the value.