[Kuroimaho]

Only Bloomfield based CPUs will overclock

We've learned that Intel is going change its policy on overclocking once it moves away from the LGA775 platform onto the desktop Nehalem platform which is currently known as Bloomfield which uses the LGA1366 socket. This will be the only platform from Intel which will overclock in the future, as the company is not going to support overclocking on other platforms.

Below the Bloomfield is the Lynnfield and Havendale processors, both using the LGA1160 socket. Neither of these are likely to get any overclocking abilities, although we're not sure how Intel can prevent third party motherboard manufacturers from adding overclocking features to their boards.

However, with most of the northbridge being located inside the CPU of these models, it might be possible for Intel to make some changes as to what the BIOS can access and how the bus speed is controlled. If this is indeed the case, then this is very sad news for all enthusiasts, as it means that a huge group of users will never be able to afford to buy an overclockable platform, from Intel that is.

It's early days as yet and Intel might change its stance on this, but we find it peculiar that they've decided on this move, but it's never easy to figure out the reason why Intel does something. Source

I know for many on this forum this isn't an issue they would go for the 1300 socket anyway but for budget gaming rigs this is bad news.
This might mean an era to the legendary celeron OCs, the 300A@504 and Tuas going over 1.2G, or the recent E1200 doing 3G.
It is a good time for Intel to pull this off during the socket change and protect their higher end chips from the OCd mainstream.

Competition for their high end processors is coming from within intel and not outside recently this might move some people to the high end socket, or pay more for higher clocked mainstream parts.

I can see this happen.

[ZircularLogic]

Looks like we're completely dependent on AMD making a stand against Intel.

[Nebulous]

Originally Posted by ZircularLogic

Looks like we're completely dependent on AMD making a stand against Intel.

Agreed!

[satandole666]

Enthusiasts will find a way. That is a great thing about our community. The mods/hacks required to OC this socket might not be pretty or easy but it will happen eventually.

Still, this is a perfect time for AMD to step in and give us an alternative.

[Albuquerque]

Wait, what? Intel never "supported" overclocking except on their Extreme-branded CPU's to begin with, and that's only a very recent development (in terms of the entire timespan of Intel selling CPU's to the masses)

And then this:

although we're not sure how Intel can prevent third party motherboard manufacturers from adding overclocking features to their boards.

Like, duh. Here's a hint: the CPU isn't going to include it's own clock generator. Why? Because it doesn't make sense -- you need that clock generator external to the CPU for all the other interconnects that depend on it, such as PCI-E, external memory interfaces, et al.

FUD (fear, uncertainty, disinformation) is FUDZilla's purpose in life. Don't buy into the hype...

[ziggo0]

Go DFI go go

[Kuroimaho]

Originally Posted by Albuquerque

Wait, what? Intel never "supported" overclocking except on their Extreme-branded CPU's to begin with, and that's only a very recent development (in terms of the entire timespan of Intel selling CPU's to the masses)

And then this:

Like, duh. Here's a hint: the CPU isn't going to include it's own clock generator. Why? Because it doesn't make sense -- you need that clock generator external to the CPU for all the other interconnects that depend on it, such as PCI-E, external memory interfaces, et al.

FUD (fear, uncertainty, disinformation) is FUDZilla's purpose in life. Don't buy into the hype...

Intel could restrict future licenses from other chipset makers if they make a workaround and hold back/deny shipments to mobo makers.

With people having few TB on HDDS I am not sure how willing they will be to play with the clockgen.

Could be that the 1300 platform does not worth the cash (at least with first gen neha) so they have to hold back mainstream OC.

[satandole666]

It is completely possible for Intel to limit clockspeeds to their stock frequencies, even if you have the clock generator on the motherboard.

The question is how could they do it and would it be worth the cost/time investment.

Who knows at this point.

[Albuquerque]

Originally Posted by Kuroimaho

Intel could restrict future licenses from other chipset makers if they make a workaround and hold back/deny shipments to mobo makers.

Well, since they're licensing what little "chipset" IP is left to NVIDIA for creating NV-based Nehalem boards, I'm seriously doubting this will be the case.

[ghost_recon88]

Its just like Intel locking their current C2D mobile chips from being overclocked. There's no way any SetFSB of clockgen programs work on increasing the FSB. Also even if someone could hack a laptop BIOS, they still wouldn't be able to overclock it. to AMD if they can come out with a competitive chip.

[Albuquerque]

Originally Posted by ghost_recon88

Its just like Intel locking their current C2D mobile chips from being overclocked. There's no way any SetFSB of clockgen programs work on increasing the FSB. Also even if someone could hack a laptop BIOS, they still wouldn't be able to overclock it. to AMD if they can come out with a competitive chip.

I'm QUITE certain that this is a bad example -- that isn't Intel locking the speeds, that's the laptop manufacturers ensuring they don't use a programmable clock generator so that people can't overclock a laptop and then send it back when they toast it.

Again, that has no bearing on Intel or the chips inside; as evidence of this, you can still "pinmod" a 666FSB mobile CPU to 800FSB if your laptop chipset supports it (Santa Rosa or later).

Geez people, is the sky REALLY falling where you all live?

[Kuroimaho]

Originally Posted by Albuquerque

Well, since they're licensing what little "chipset" IP is left to NVIDIA for creating NV-based Nehalem boards, I'm seriously doubting this will be the case.

Which they won't be really needing after larrabee is out, or might even say good riddance.

[Albuquerque]

Originally Posted by Kuroimaho

Which they won't be really needing after larrabee is out, or might even say good riddance.

Again, the deal has already happened -- NV will be making Nehalem boards. So again, I very much doubt ALL of this.

[EmAn]

So intel is now hammering the nails in their coffin at least for the overclocking section

GO AMD GO!

[Albuquerque]

Originally Posted by EmAn

So intel is now hammering the nails in their coffin at least for the overclocking section

GO AMD GO!

Here's my last statement in this thread: If FUDzirra is right and Intel is going to somehow completely castrate all overclocking abilities on the "middle and low" Nehalems, then AMD deserves every bit of the business they're gonna get.

I seriously doubt it's going to happen that way though.

[Kuroimaho]

Originally Posted by Albuquerque

Again, the deal has already happened -- NV will be making Nehalem boards. So again, I very much doubt ALL of this.

Indeed the deal has happened, but what do we know about the details ?
This info might even be leaked by NV from their restrictions...

I know this OC ban came up several times since we OC procs, but this time Intel has reasons why to do it.
They are already making it harder for mainstream by higher than necessary FSB this could be a next step in their execution.

[Shiggity]

How do GPU's send to the data to the CPU? What I'm worried about is that if you OC a GPU and you can't OC the cpu, you'd get bottlenecked. I also think the huge amount of cores/threads we are going to be getting does not play nice with overclocking, but who knows why they would make this choice.

[Kuroimaho]

Bloomfield starts from 300$ according to this roadmap. LINK

[Shiggity]

Thanks Kuroimaho, I ninja edited my post though =D

300$ ain't too shabby for an opening cpu

[Brolloks]

This is a potential gap for AMD, if I was them I would unlock all their future CPU multi's....on the flip side this could spell a dark future for the OC community.

Maybe the start of this is the FSB wall we see in th Q9450/X3350 and the recent Q6600 batches that OC like crap.

Call on AMD...save the OC community from Intel's hang mans noose