How can AMD/Intel tell if a CPU has been overclocked?

[Shawn]

Or can they? I'm just wondering how this is possible.

 

[BCYL]

I dont know if its true now (its been a few years since I overclocked a chip), but you had to 'unlock' AMD CPUs before they would overclock... so I guess AMD can tell pretty easily if a CPU has been tampered with

 

[Toonces]

Originally posted by: BCYL
I dont know if its true now (its been a few years since I overclocked a chip), but you had to 'unlock' AMD CPUs before they would overclock... so I guess AMD can tell pretty easily if a CPU has been tampered with

wrong forum and wrong answer

apart from physical damage due to higher voltages or extreme heat you cannot tell if a CPU has been overclocked or not.

 

[Shawn]

What about if a faulty PSU or motherboard damages the chip by applying too much voltage. If the cpu looks fine from the outside would they be able to tell?

 

[Toonces]

I work for a medium-sized computer retailer and have yet to hear of anyone being denied an RMA due to overclocking unless they were dumb enough to admit it initially... there's too many variables (like you mentioned, motherboard being faulty, PSU having unstable rails, etc...) to say definitively whether a CPU was damaged by overclocking or not.

 

[flxnimprtmscl]

They check to see if the magic smoke is still inside.

 

[Captante]

Magic 8-ball.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: flxnimprtmscl
They check to see if the magic smoke is still inside.

Answer :thumbsup: