Thursday, March 27, 2003
Intel has been granted a patent outlining a technology designed to block attempts to over-clock its processors.
Intel applied for the technology to be patented in September 1999. The patent, number 6,535,988, was granted on 18 March this year, as reported by HardOCP.
The patent covers "a mechanism for detecting and deterring over-clocking of a clock signal for use in a processor, comprising: a detection circuit adapted to detect over-clocking of a clock signal for use in the processor based on a reference signal; and a prevention circuit adapted to prevent over-clocking of said clock signal by limiting or reducing performance of the processor in response to detection of said over-clocking of said clock signal".
In short, the chip dynamically compares its current operating clock speed to a reference signal, generated by an oscillating quartz crystal, and automatically reduces its clock speed if it finds it's running faster than it should be.
Interestingly, Intel didn't have enthusiast overclockers in mind when it filed the patent application. Its documentation refers to "resellers and/or distributors remarking processors at higher frequencies and then selling the processors as the higher speed part to charge for resale at higher prices".
By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved
|
