Intel to shut down renegade Skylake overclocking with microcode update

Cenuij · 10 Feb 2016 at 11:53

Not sure if this is new news but seems like a dirtbag thing to do

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016...e-skylake-overclocking-with-microcode-update/

Hagar · 10 Feb 2016 at 12:37

It has been mentioned elsewhere.

As for 'dirtbag' read Intel.

Overclocking is hacking. (Unless you are allowed to do it then it becomes a feature).

jigger · 10 Feb 2016 at 14:06

unscrupulous companies selling systems with slower processors that are overclocked, risking premature failure, overheating, and just plain overcharging

Keep it on the lowdown OcUK and remember Intel hate you

marc2003 · 10 Feb 2016 at 14:27

I'm looking forward to see if they push this out via windows update.

chippy08 · 10 Feb 2016 at 14:49

marc2003 said:
I'm looking forward to see if they push this out via windows update.

Isn't windows update what they mean with this update

marc2003 · 10 Feb 2016 at 15:00

Well that and BIOS updates. Asrock have already started rolling theirs out. I doubt there is much demand for them though.

hedgey · 10 Feb 2016 at 18:16

you can disable microcode updates.

pastymuncher · 10 Feb 2016 at 19:54

Not if it comes as a windows update you can't, especially if you are on windows 10.

snakefood · 12 Feb 2016 at 08:29

I'm not real sure that I see what the issue is here, if you want to overclock, you buy a K series chip. I'd never consider doing it any other way, seems like all intel are doing is trying to enforce that?

Am I mis reading this somehow?

Jamesyboyjim · 12 Feb 2016 at 08:53

snakefood said:
I'm not real sure that I see what the issue is here, if you want to overclock, you buy a K series chip. I'd never consider doing it any other way, seems like all intel are doing is trying to enforce that?

Am I mis reading this somehow?

Because its a con that they only allow oc'ing on a premium priced chip. Years ago you used to be able to oc any cpu, some had locked multipliers but at least the fsb could be increased.

Nasher · 12 Feb 2016 at 09:51

This is why we need AMD to start making competitive chips again :/

Once Intel get pressure on them again, they will have to stop acting like a dictatorship.

regulus · 12 Feb 2016 at 09:57

Nasher said:
This is why we need AMD to start making competitive chips again :/

Once Intel get pressure on them again, they will have to stop acting like a dictatorship.

Which is why I only buy AMD. Not that I think they're any better, but because I want them to succeed. Can easily jump on the Intel bandwagon but I want my money to help them become competitive again.

Being stuck with AMD or Intel as a very dominant player isn't in any of our best interests.

badbiddy · 12 Feb 2016 at 10:05

regulus said:
Which is why I only buy AMD. Not that I think they're any better, but because I want them to succeed. Can easily jump on the Intel bandwagon but I want my money to help them become competitive again.

Being stuck with AMD or Intel as a very dominant player isn't in any of our best interests.

lol

sanaxe1 · 12 Feb 2016 at 10:53

snakefood said:
I'm not real sure that I see what the issue is here, if you want to overclock, you buy a K series chip. I'd never consider doing it any other way, seems like all intel are doing is trying to enforce that?

Am I mis reading this somehow?

I think the issue is that the K series are only 5 years old, so a lot of people were able to overclock pretty much any chip before that with out having to pay for the privilege.

stewski · 12 Feb 2016 at 11:05

Is a bios update from windows actually feasible? my MSI GT72 needed me to do it from the BIOS and was a brown trouser moment (as it required flashing twice to work) I wouldn't trust windows update with such a firmware update!

Can anyone confirm if Microsoft will be trying to do this?

Mei · 12 Feb 2016 at 11:06

yeh pretty much
and theres 2 ways of looking at it, i mean right now its a very small amount of sales profit and the negative PR from this could cost them a lot more

but if they started making their way into oem machines you can buy off the shelf i can understand them wanting to stop it

marc2003 · 12 Feb 2016 at 11:13

stewski said:
Is a bios update from windows actually feasible? my MSI GT72 needed me to do it from the BIOS and was a brown trouser moment (as it required flashing twice to work) I wouldn't trust windows update with such a firmware update!

Can anyone confirm if Microsoft will be trying to do this?

No. The microcode update will be part of windows and when rolled out, windows will most likely fail to boot if the system is overclocked. Your actual bios will remain untouched.

They already did this to G3258 owners with the RTM build of windows 10 (10240) which broke overclocking on H81/B85 boards. In a really bad turn of events, some users found that reverting their systems back to stock wasn't enough. To get it working they had to disable one of the two cores in the bios. :eek:

After some backlash, Microsoft did fix it and the 1511 build of windows 10 does allow G3258 overclocking again.

eddyr · 12 Feb 2016 at 12:08

badbiddy said:
lol

?

It's a perfectly fine sentiment.

marshalex · 12 Feb 2016 at 12:32

You'd be miffed though if you brought one of the motherboards that actively said you can OC your non-K processor then a windows update comes out which disables it

marc2003 · 12 Feb 2016 at 12:42

eddyr said:
?

It's a perfectly fine sentiment.

The problem is that just about everyone wants AMD to bring something to the table but they aren't prepared to finance it.

marshalex said:
You'd be miffed though if you brought one of the motherboards that actively said you can OC your non-K processor then a windows update comes out which disables it

Yup. 8pack's advice is to disable windows update but that's not a realistic solution for most people.