After a 9-year run, Intel immediately has begun to wrap up its Performance Tuning Protection Plan service, the corporate’s non-compulsory prolonged guarantee for CPU overclocking. As of immediately, Intel is not promoting new PTP plans, and this system shall be shifting to servicing current warranties whereas these are nonetheless lively. Intel’s guarantee service was fairly distinctive all through the business; given the possibly damaging nature of overclocking, it’s nearly extraordinary to be lined, even by non-compulsory warranties.
Intel initially launched the Performance Tuning Protection Plan again in January of 2012, proper in the course of the heyday of Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPU overclocking (ed: has it actually been that lengthy?). At the time, for anyplace between $20 and $35, Intel would provide a one-time guarantee that particularly lined damages incurred by overclocking – one thing that Intel’s customary guarantee explicitly doesn’t cowl. Should a retail boxed processor fail as a result of overclocking, intel would change a PPTP warrantied chip as soon as and solely as soon as, freed from cost.
When Intel kicked off this system, it was initially began as a six-month trial, the place noticed sufficient success to change into a long-term providing for Intel, overlaying all overclockable Intel shopper chips together with their huge HEDT components. Even although this system made it very reasonably priced to overcook an Intel CPU for little greater than the value of a pizza, the one-time substitute restriction seemingly did its job, as tales of individuals making an attempt to abuse this system have been few and much between.
None the much less, the PTPP’s days have lastly come to an finish. In a message posted to the plan’s web site, Intel introduced that this system was being discontinued, citing that “As customers increasingly overclock with confidence, we are seeing lower demand for the Performance Tuning Protection Plans”.
And whereas Intel doesn’t present any particular numbers to again that up, broadly talking it’s in no way stunning to listen to that demand is down. Since the Sandy Bridge period overclocking has change into so much much less fruitful; with Turbo Boost Max 3.0, Thermal Velocity Boost, and different turbo applied sciences, Intel has begun wringing out the majority of clockspeed headroom from their CPUs proper out of the field. At the identical time peak clockspeeds have stalled at a bit over 5GHz, and the a lot bigger core counts of immediately’s CPUs signifies that Intel differentiates its components based mostly on core rely greater than it does based mostly on clockspeeds. So not like the Sandy Bridge period, the place you could possibly simply anticipate so as to add one other 1GHz (or extra) to a $216 i5-2500Ok, a contemporary i5-10600Ok is fortunate to realize half of that due to already beginning at a peak clockspeed of 4.8GHz. Ultimately, though CPU overclocking is way from lifeless, it’s not delivering large, simple efficiency boosts because it as soon as did.
At any fee, with the retirement of the PPTP, Intel is transitioning to servicing current warranties. Intel chip homeowners who’ve already bought a plan are nonetheless lined for the size of their guarantee, which rides on high of Intel’s customary 3-year guarantee. So Intel will nonetheless be changing a handful of chips for a pair extra years but.
