Overclocking & CPU Manufacturers

[Terrapin]

Not being in the Computer business, perhaps I am missing the obvious, in fact I am sure I am, but there is something I simply don't understand.

I read here about overclocking all the time. One gentleman just posted about overclocking a P4 1.6 to 2.5. This is just an example.

What I fail to understand, is if these CPU's can be so easily overclocked, then why are the chip manufacturers not doing it. In other words; if a 1.6 P4 can be overclocked to 2.5, then why isn't intel simply releasing the chip at say, 2.0 in the first place ?

Terrapin

 

[Rand]

<< In other words; if a 1.6 P4 can be overclocked to 2.5, then why isn't intel simply releasing the chip at say, 2.0 in the first place ?

Terrapin >>



Partially supply and demand in that there is probably a MUCH higher demand for 'low end' 1.6GHz P4's then the higher end 2.0GHz P4's. Almost aNorthwood P4's are probably yielding at least at 2GHz, but they need something to sell at the lower clockspeeds... so they simply downclock the 2GHz P4's and sell them at 1.6GHz to make up the difference and satisfy the consumer demand.

Also Intel's in house testing is vastly more strenuous then anything the processor could possibly encounter once the end user recieves it. They need to be absolutely dead sure that there is no possible way the processor has even the slightest chance of being at all unstable or anything other then 100% accuracte in it's calculations and totally reliable when operated within specifications.
Even were the end user to torun Prime95 on the processor for literally months it would pale compared to the testing Intel makes each and every processor undergo to ensure absolute and complete stability.
It's quite likely that what we consider as 'stable' at 2.5GHz even under extreme testing measures wouldnt manage to pass Intel's in-house tests at even 2.2GHz.

 

[Cosmic_Horror]

yep Rand hit the nail on the head with both pionts!

 

[Terrapin]

Rand:

Thank you for the detailed response.

I understand the part about Intel being over cautious, but I have trouble with the first part.

If Intel even modestly released its current, let's say for an example; P4-1.8 at 2.2, it could release its 2.2 at let's say 2.5. In other words, for the same money, everyone would be obtaining faster computer speeds and I would think that would result in more sales and greater market share.

Anyway; as a newbie to overclocking, if I get one of those Asus boards which allow overclocking via the Bios, do I need to be concerned about voltage or anything else, and if so, at what point if you use as example the P4 1.8, or P4 2.0 ?

Thx,

Terrapin