Intel has overclocking software which could really take the sting out of juicing up a CPU to perform better, and make the process more accessible to less tech-savvy types – but you can’t get hold of this app yet.
Why not? Well, as Tom’s Hardware (opens in new tab) reports, the ROC app (which stands for Real-time OverClocking) was shown off in a YouTube (opens in new tab) video by expert overclocker Der8auer, who got to play with the software during a visit to an Intel lab in Portland, Oregon. And for the moment, this application remains something that’s only used by Intel staff to internally test and play with CPUs – but we’re hoping that could change down the line.
Der8auer used ROC in conjunction with an Intel Core i9-13900HK processor, which is a (flagship) laptop chip – but the app can be used with any CPU, of course, desktop or mobile – and the results were extremely impressive.
The 13900HK could be driven to 5.8GHz and remained stable, on air cooling, with temperatures not exceeding 75C, and only when 6GHz was reached (Der8auer was working in 200MHz increments) did the laptop crash.
Remember, this is a laptop processor, not a desktop model, so these are eye-opening speeds indeed (achieved without exotic cooling).
Analysis: Intel could – and should – ROC the overclocking world
This again underlines what Intel’s 13th-generation silicon (Raptor Lake) is capable of in terms of overclocking (as well as performance), taking some considerable strides forward compared to the previous-gen (Alder Lake).
The trouble is, overclocking isn’t for everyone, but it certainly sounds like ROC takes some healthy steps towards making the process more widely accessible to desktop PC and laptop owners alike.
As Der8auer explains, ROC is like a slimmed-down version of Intel’s current XTU app (Extreme Tuning Utility), with a far more intuitive interface that is much easier to work with than XTU.
It sounds like something that really needs to be out there for everyone who has an Intel CPU to make use of, but thus far, the company hasn’t indicated any plans to release the app. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, of course; and even if ROC itself isn’t debuted for public consumption, maybe the interface or some of the functionality will make its way across to XTU. Or we’ll see a different app entirely with some of ROC’s features.
At any rate, this is a promising glimpse that the future of overclocking could well be a much less intimidating place (keep those fingers crossed).
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