Dynamic synchronous to asynchronous frequency transitions in high-performance symmetric multiprocessing

In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes instructing two or more processors that are operating in a normal state of a symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) network to transition from the normal state to a slow state. The two or more processors reduce their frequencies to respective target frequencies in a transitional state when transitioning from the normal state to the slow state. It is determined that the two or more processors have achieved their respective target frequencies for the slow state. The slow state is entered, responsive to this determination. Responsive to entering the slow state, a first processor of the two or more processors is instructed to send empty packets across an interconnect to compensate for a first greatest potential rate differential between the first processor and a remainder of the two or more processors during the slow state.