How do CPU manufacturers know if you have overclocked?

Slap · 31 Dec 2006 at 08:51

Curious to know how they know

deadeyedic30 · 31 Dec 2006 at 10:34

The Black Box for the CPU stores info on everything you say and do to the processor.

Minstadave · 31 Dec 2006 at 10:43

They do not know, there is no way of knowing (unless you melt a CPU or something, then they're unlikely to replace it).

Dolph · 31 Dec 2006 at 11:29

Minstadave said:
They do not know, there is no way of knowing (unless you melt a CPU or something, then they're unlikely to replace it).

Actually, you can normally tell if a CPU has been over-volted, even if it's not done any damage to the way a processor functions, if you can be bothered to examine it with an electron microscope... Which most manufacturers can't because it's a waste of time.

But in general, they can't tell if you've run it at an increased speed.

Minstadave · 31 Dec 2006 at 11:51

Dolph said:
Actually, you can normally tell if a CPU has been over-volted, even if it's not done any damage to the way a processor functions, if you can be bothered to examine it with an electron microscope... Which most manufacturers can't because it's a waste of time.

I'll take your word for it

My knowledge of the actual physics of a CPUs innards are shoddy at best, picked up a really geeky book all about the history of Intel from a second hand bookstore the other day though, which is quite enlightening about a lot of the technical stuff.

Slap · 31 Dec 2006 at 11:58

Thanks guys; I was just curious to know when people overclock there chips how it might affect there warranties because manufacturers state that any overclocking will void it.

Would the same thing apply to graphics cards (no way of knowing apart from using an electron microscope

) ? Or would the on-board memory act as a sort of black box/user history?

Minstadave · 31 Dec 2006 at 11:58

Slap said:
Thanks guys; I was just curious to know when people overclock there chips how it might affect there warranties because manufacturers state that any overclocking will void it.

Would the same thing apply to graphics cards (no way of knowing apart from using an electron microscope ) ? Or would the on-board memory act as a sort of black box/user history?

Again there's no way of telling, just like a CPU

Slap · 31 Dec 2006 at 12:00

Rgr that , thanks MD

Dolph · 31 Dec 2006 at 12:07

Slap said:
Thanks guys; I was just curious to know when people overclock there chips how it might affect there warranties because manufacturers state that any overclocking will void it.

Would the same thing apply to graphics cards (no way of knowing apart from using an electron microscope ) ? Or would the on-board memory act as a sort of black box/user history?

All that really matters is that you don't nuke the chip (eg electron migration from way too much voltage) or overheating causing obvious burning/discolouration.

Apart from that, they really aren't likely to find out

Tetras · 31 Dec 2006 at 12:17

As long as your sensible it is pretty hard to kill a chip before the warranty runs out/you replace it anyway, don't sweat it

pegasus1 · 31 Dec 2006 at 13:13

Minstadave said:
picked up a really geeky book all about the history of Intel from a second hand bookstore the other day though, which is quite enlightening.

Those cold winter nights must just fly by

ted34 · 31 Dec 2006 at 16:08

As far as i know for a cpu you cant tell and with gpu unless you leave the mods on it on conductive paint trails they wont know either. With ram though they can tell if its been overclocked and i know corsair do check their ram. They cant actually tell its been overclocked but they can tell if you have put higher than standard volts through it. There is apparently a little component built into the sticks that burns out if the volts are over a certain amount. Have only heard once though of corsair returning a set of sticks saying that excess volts have been applied and warranty void

Owenb · 31 Dec 2006 at 16:45

Slap said:
Curious to know how they know

Overclocking doesnt really harm your CPU, too much voltage does.

trojan698 · 31 Dec 2006 at 17:06

ted34 said:
As far as i know for a cpu you cant tell and with gpu unless you leave the mods on it on conductive paint trails they wont know either. With ram though they can tell if its been overclocked and i know corsair do check their ram. They cant actually tell its been overclocked but they can tell if you have put higher than standard volts through it. There is apparently a little component built into the sticks that burns out if the volts are over a certain amount. Have only heard once though of corsair returning a set of sticks saying that excess volts have been applied and warranty void

Geil obviously dont do this, having successfully RMA'd my BH after putting 4v through it

..

FrostedNipple · 31 Dec 2006 at 17:15

trojan698 said:
Geil obviously dont do this, having successfully RMA'd my BH after putting 4v through it ..

:O LOL, my mobo will only let me put it up to 2.2V lolol
4v bloody hell was that ddr2 or ddr ??

trojan698 · 31 Dec 2006 at 17:26

DDR on a DFI, was a bit daft tbh

Minstadave · 31 Dec 2006 at 21:25

pegasus1 said:
Those cold winter nights must just fly by

Its summer here in NZ

pegasus1 · 1 Jan 2007 at 17:27

Minstadave said:
Its summer here in NZ

*EDIT*
Those humid summer nights must just fly by

WJA96 · 1 Jan 2007 at 19:38

Doesn't the Core2Duo have a memory that stores the highest temperature reached and the highest FSB? I seem to recall some post from somewhere that said they did, but I could be dreaming.

w3bbo · 1 Jan 2007 at 19:55

But if that same cpu is toast then they wouldn't be able to access said memory no? Must have been dreaming m8