Intel plans to deliberately limit Sandy Bridge overclocking

[Hornet331]

Yeh i read that increasing it by 5mhz only causes the PCIE and system to freeze, sounds crap eh

Well it hasn't to be the PCI-E bus but more like the DMI bus, since on currenct platforms its locked at a fixed frequency and uneffected by increasing the reference frequency. But now for the value/mainstream platform its directly tied to the reference clock.

And if the signals form the DMI bus get "unclear" you lose the comunication to the PCH.

You don't have this problem with the enthusiast plattform since there you can chage the multis and keep them in certain frequency spectrum.

Anyway as some posters already said, it to eraly to say anthing absolute. We'll know more next IDF in september.

[informal]

I won't say I'm surprised. Intel receives alot of CPUs from people that think they are "leet overclockers". Then they burn up their chip because they don't know what they're doing and then RMA it claiming a faulty CPU. It's difficult to identify what CPUs were overclocked/overvolted and which ones weren't unless there is physical damage.

Frankly, I'd prefer the CPU having some feature that records the highest clock/voltage the CPU has ever been exposed to and Intel looking at that before replacing a CPU. If you overclocked the out of it, your warranty will not be honored. Instead they're going to limit the speed for everyone. No fun!

Believe it or not,both intel and AMD chips has that feature and afaik intel looks closely at the burned/RMAd chips before they do the replacement.

[[XC] gomeler]

Ahh! The sky is falling! Go outside and look! Ahhh!

Seems with each launch we get similar threads. Let's wait for retail boards and processors and see what's what. Who knows, maybe we'll see a spree of $300 unlocked chips and we'll just downclock the DMI bus to adjust the memory frequencies.

[pokipoki]

Low-end OC? Forget it, just buy a Dell, HP or Acer.

Overclockers will always be overclockers, either pay more or jump ship to AMD at the price bracket you can afford. No one will give up their hobbies of tinkering with folding, after-market coolers, water-cooling, silent pcs, bling2 etc just because it's more expensive. There will always be an alternative.

[herderien]

Seems with each launch we get similar threads. Let's wait for retail boards and processors and see what's what.

+1 ^^

but i agree that the slide is quite disturbing compared to the usual "rumors"

another way to create a buzz ?

[Speederlander]

omfg, didn`t understand why

Seem pretty clear:

This clock gen is integrated into the P67 motherboard chipset and transmits the clock signal to the CPU via the DMI bus. This means there's no need for an external clock generator that used to allow completely separate control of all the individual hardware.

As things get smaller, tighter and more integrated, the freedom to muck around in the settings will get less and less because functionality and stability zones will get tighter and tighter.

[Sn0wm@n]

leave it to killdozer to make sure intel stays in the inovation spirit

[qcmadness]

I won't say I'm surprised. Intel receives alot of CPUs from people that think they are "leet overclockers". Then they burn up their chip because they don't know what they're doing and then RMA it claiming a faulty CPU. It's difficult to identify what CPUs were overclocked/overvolted and which ones weren't unless there is physical damage.

Frankly, I'd prefer the CPU having some feature that records the highest clock/voltage the CPU has ever been exposed to and Intel looking at that before replacing a CPU. If you overclocked the out of it, your warranty will not be honored. Instead they're going to limit the speed for everyone. No fun!

The CPU distributors have the instrument to check if the CPUs are burnt by OC.

[Xello]

I guess the similar rumors where floating when Nehalem was about to be released, so lets see something more concrete before worrying.......

You mean same exact rumor, i remember it I guess by now we're all really fed up with our limited overclocking potential i7 cpus, huh guys?

[-Sweeper_]

what I understood from the slides...

sandy-bridge dual/quad (LGA1155)
very limited DMICLK (same as BCLK) overclocking

but, multi OCing is back...

some will have a totally unlocked multi (like LGA1156 k CPUs), others will be partially unlocked, limits set by intel...

sandy hexa/octo (LGA1356)

OCing via DMICLK, like current bloomfield/gulftown CPUs...
no unlocked multiplier, except (of course) in extreme edition models....

[Drwho?]

WE will have plenty of overclocking fun with SandyBridge, there are tonnes of fun coming your way, some amazing new stuffs ... when putting together a so complex chip, some challenge emerge ... then, there are two kind of people, 1st Kind: "OMG, this is the end of the world" ... 2nd Kind "Cool, some challenges and new stuff to understand and use" ...
you guys choose your camp, But just know what we have many many people working on making sure you guys can have fun with our CPUs ...

And let's put it in plain words: "A sandyBridge overclocked will pulverize anything else on CPU performance, and will surprise you on other areas" ...

Drwho?

[Hornet331]

WE will have plenty of overclocking fun with SandyBridge, there are tonnes of fun coming your way, some amazing new stuffs ... when putting together a so complex chip, some challenge emerge ... then, there are two kind of people, 1st Kind: "OMG, this is the end of the world" ... 2nd Kind "Cool, some challenges and new stuff to understand and use" ...
you guys choose your camp, But just know what we have many many people working on making sure you guys can have fun with our CPUs ...

Drwho?

Which plattform we are talking about?

[Mad Pistol]

They're doing this because processors like the i5 750 overclocked like a bat out of hell, and they cost about half as much to put together a CPU/motherboard/memory combination compared to a similar 1366 setup. People that needed a value-based Quad Core went with the i5 750 and glossed over the expensive 1366 platform.

If they limit the overclocking capabilities of their 1155 platform, more people will want to jump to 1356, thus giving them more profits. It also means they can limit 1155 to mostly OEM manufacturers like Dell, HP, etc. since they lock the bios from tweaking/overclocking anyway.

It's a smart business move, and I think the only reason 1156 had any overclocking abilities is because they were competing with AMD's AM3 platform. They had to be competitive in that market as well. It sounds like they're not scared of AMD for this next generation of processors.

So intel is either going to be right, and AMD won't be able to compete. Or, AMD will compete, and Intel will be shooting themselves in the foot. Here's to hoping for the latter.

[Drwho?]

Which plattform we are talking about?

in each segment, SB will do well.
what make people react is the way the article is written , there are very good technical reasons why things are the way they are (No nobody is trying to get rid of overclocking, otherwise, they would be dead drying in my attics by now ... lol litteral translation from French ... lol ), and SB will lead, everywhere, including on Overclocked performance, and for the moment, i am the only one with real Perf data in hands ... So, no need to worry, trust me on this.
Later on, people will realize how silly that was.

Human nature trend to be affraid of change or differences, this is one more example ... I am extremely pleased with SandyB.

[slaveondope]

Yaaa foot shooting! I wanna watch too

[ReverendMaynard]

same crap as when the i7's first released. Apparently back then, bclks were locked and we couldn't use more that 1.65v vDIMM. Lol on both counts.

[RPGWiZaRD]

Drwho, do you always have to come teasing us in the prelaunch discussion threads? I didn't believe personally in this crap but if it had been true Bulldozer had looked like an awesome alternative and perhaps it still is however SB and the other turns out like.

[Hornet331]

in each segment, SB will do well.
what make people react is the way the article is written , there are very good technical reasons why things are the way they are (No nobody is trying to get rid of overclocking, otherwise, they would be dead drying in my attics by now ... lol litteral translation from French ... lol ), and SB will lead, everywhere, including on Overclocked performance, and for the moment, i am the only one with real Perf data in hands ... So, no need to worry, trust me on this.
Later on, people will realize how silly that was.

Human nature trend to be affraid of change or differences, this is one more example ... I am extremely pleased with SandyB.

Thx, and good to hear.

[PatRaceTin]

i see some test with Engineering sample but he is not overclocking it

[informal]

I wonder about the relation between the max OC and SB's SSE units,since it looks like intel opted for double pumping the SSE units(hinted by almost equal die are for one SB core and one Westmere core,meaning units are not physically extended like before,but more likely double pumped).

[jogshy]

Very bad news of the OCrs.
Well, I'll simply buy what's better... a Sandy with no OC or a Llano OCd a 200% ... We'll see who wins.

[OhNoes!]

Now we'll know all those who have DrWho? on their ignore list. Hehe.

[Olivon]

Ahh! The sky is falling! Go outside and look! Ahhh!

Seems with each launch we get similar threads. Let's wait for retail boards and processors and see what's what. Who knows, maybe we'll see a spree of $300 unlocked chips and we'll just downclock the DMI bus to adjust the memory frequencies.

Exactly gomeler

[Bobsama]

and this is why monopolies are bad.. i just wish AMD got its act together

AMD HAS their act together; they're on track for future CPUs and GPUs and performance is pretty darn good for the price-points. I don't care to see $1000+ CPU's, but it's the tech from the high-end that is scaled down. About the only way AMD could make MORE money is if they drop prices again, or if they release an 8-core AM3 processor and sell it as, for example, a Phenom II FX chip.

[Sam_oslo]

Exactly gomeler

Yep, enthusiasts have always been talking about upcoming products, mostly for exchanging ideas and getting prepared for the future. But I've noticed a disturbing new trend lately, it seams to be the new kind of physiological warfare that starts with some known propaganda sites, and keeps going by few known people in this forum (and other forums too).

The purpose seams not to be learning and exchanging ideas about upcoming products any longer, it is more about speculating on the negative sides and bashing a product before it gets out.

In my opinion this new trend has started by a few ATi-PR-agents, but apparently the effect was good, and now we see AMD-PR-agents are using the same kind of propaganda too.