The technology of mass-produced processors has previously provided a lot of space for those who like to get more performance for less money. Chips of processors of different models of the same family were "cut" from common silicon wafers, their ability to operate at higher or lower frequencies was determined by testing and sorting. Overclocking made it possible to bridge the difference in frequency between the younger and older models, since inexpensive processors always needed much more, and crystals with a fairly high frequency potential were used to manufacture them.
Gradually, commercial interest in overclocking processors put everything on stream. Users no longer needed to change jumpers on motherboards or short circuit traces on processor circuit boards. All the necessary functions appeared in the BIOS of motherboards and specialized utilities. In the case of the Ryzen 3000 series processors, AMD has even included in the Ryzen Master utility the ability to independently overclock each of the two core complexes (CCX) located on the same chip.
To whom is the war for frequencies, and to whom is the mother dear
The heterogeneity of processors based on overclocking potential has always attracted enterprising people, and if we leave frank attempts to pass off cheaper models as older ones outside the narrative, the business idea was based on sorting processors by frequency potential with the subsequent implementation of the most successful copies at a higher price than the manufacturer prescribes . In the past, the increase in frequencies during overclocking of processors was measured by tens of percent, and this was with the use of conventional air cooling systems. The consumer was ready to pay for the results of such a "selection", because few people have the opportunity to choose the desired instance from dozens of processors.
One of the leaders in the "commercial selection of processors" is an online store , which along the way generates overclocking statistics for serial processors of certain families, openly publishing it on the pages of its own website. This week, in the face of a severe shortage of 7nm Matisse processors themselves, the company began selling Ryzen 7 3700X, Ryzen 7 3800X and Ryzen 9 3900X sorted by overclocking potential.
AMD representatives already that for the manufacture of older Ryzen 3000 models, more successful specimens in terms of frequency are used. On the one hand, this provides older processors with higher nominal frequencies. On the other hand, their potential has already been almost completely chosen by the manufacturer, and the buyer almost does not get an additional increase that could be realized through overclocking.
Commercial breeding: the beginning of the end
On resource pages Silicon Lottery representatives admitted that the Ryzen 7 3800X is capable of operating at higher frequencies when all cores are active than the more affordable Ryzen 7 3700X, the difference can reach 100 MHz. This proves that AMD has achieved high repeatability of results in terms of sorting processors by frequency potential.
As you can see from the assortment of Matisse processors on the Silicon Lottery virtual showcase, the frequency spread between instances rarely exceeds 200 MHz, and the absolute frequency value rarely exceeds 4,2 GHz. AMD itself specifies 4,5 GHz and 4,4 GHz for the Ryzen 7 3800X and Ryzen 7 3700X models, respectively, as the limit values ββ\uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbof "automatic overclocking". In general, few people want to pay for such a check of Matisse processors by Silicon Lottery specialists, and the company itself admits that it will be difficult to continue business under the current conditions. If in the future new generations of processors will successfully overclock on their own to frequencies close to the limit, then Silicon Lottery will have to think about changing the field of activity.
Intel is complacent towards overclockers, but in its own way
By the way, Intel has also evolved quite well in its attitude to overclocking in recent years. Of course, it does not yet equip the main part of the processor assortment with a free multiplier, as AMD does. However, as an experiment, it released inexpensive processors with a free multiplier, and these initiatives resonated with overclocking enthusiasts. Like AMD, Intel considers processor damage resulting from overclocking to be a non-warranty case, but for the most desperate, it has recently offered "additional insurance".
For about $20, you can get additional "overclocking fatal" protection, allowing you to exchange a "ninth generation" Core processor once during the main warranty period. You can purchase this additional overclocking warranty before the end of the first year of the main warranty. The additional warranty no longer applies to the processor received through the exchange. The unique Xeon W-3175X model comes with such a warranty free of charge, and this is a certain nod to overclockers.
The Intel Performance Maximizer utility is also an attempt to please overclockers. It allows you to automatically determine the optimal overclocking frequency for processors of the Coffee Lake Refresh family, endowed with a free multiplier, in a particular desktop system. The utility is available for download and absolutely free. Of course, the responsibility for the consequences of its use will lie with the owner of the processor, so you should not forget about the terms of the main Intel warranty in such cases.
Source: 3dnews.ru