Intel Responds to Overclocking on Non-Z Series Motherboards
Intel is placing the “final touches” on a CPU microcode update that will be removing “Non-Z OC” capabilities on Intel Bxx and Hxx motherboards.
The past few months have seen a wide variety of motherboard manufacturers provide the aptly named “Non-Z OC” BIOS updates that allow users to overclock Intel’s “K” processors on Bxx and Hxx chipset motherboards.
Considering that Intel officially sanctions overclocking on the more expensive Z87 chipset motherboards, and that “Non-Z OC” functionality could potentially threaten the company’s revenue, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are currently “placing the final touches” to a CPU microcode update that aims to remove this capability from non-Z87 motherboards.
With regards to actually deploying the update, Intel can be expected to either push the “fix” to relevant motherboard vendors with instructions to release it as a BIOS update, or release it through a Windows Update under the tried and tested guise of a “stability update.”

Really Intel is a great chip manufacturer but why do you have to be so closed in everything. I mean Intel also locks the Overclock multiplier in their chips for no real reason just because they want to make more profit by making people get only the thing that they want to sell.
I mean look at AMD, almost all of their chips have unlocked multiplier and they don't ever Interfere with any of the Motherboard manufacturer and does not peek their nose in everything else. They just launch great chips and let the other manufacturers do whatever they want to.
I really hate when good companies try to control everything according to their liking, some other examples are Apple (iOS) when compared to the open source Android by Google.
Why cannot every company by just open like AMD and Google are?
Really Intel is a great chip manufacturer but why do you have to be so closed in everything. I mean Intel also locks the Overclock multiplier in their chips for no real reason just because they want to make more profit by making people get only the thing that they want to sell.
I mean look at AMD, almost all of their chips have unlocked multiplier and they don't ever Interfere with any of the Motherboard manufacturer and does not peek their nose in everything else. They just launch great chips and let the other manufacturers do whatever they want to.
I really hate when good companies try to control everything according to their liking, some other examples are Apple (iOS) when compared to the open source Android by Google.
Why cannot every company by just open like AMD and Google are?
Really Intel is a great chip manufacturer but why do you have to be so closed in everything. I mean Intel also locks the Overclock multiplier in their chips for no real reason just because they want to make more profit by making people get only the thing that they want to sell.
I mean look at AMD, almost all of their chips have unlocked multiplier and they don't ever Interfere with any of the Motherboard manufacturer and does not peek their nose in everything else. They just launch great chips and let the other manufacturers do whatever they want to.
I really hate when good companies try to control everything according to their liking, some other examples are Apple (iOS) when compared to the open source Android by Google.
Why cannot every company by just open like AMD and Google are?
It's all about $$$. Making money in a business is vital, but when it starts interfering with the customers, then you become a company like Zynga.
Trying to deploy a secret update is appalling.
In any case I virtually never update my BIOS and choose which windows updates to install because "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it"
Well again its not THEIR product. If MSI sells me a mobo then Intel has no business trying to force an update causing me to lose some functions.
If you were in control of Intel wouldn't you want that extra ivory back scratcher?
Would it bother you if company henchman snuck into your house and disabled your television because it was "too functional"?
Its not quite that bad in the digital world but the concept is essentially the same: Once it is in users hands, it isn't your place to be disabling features.
I figured that if people are able to over clock perfectly fine on these "non-Z" motherboards, than there would be more consumers willing to buy the more expensive non locked processors.
Before you guys get in a huff and get all bent out of shape over "omg why is Intel doing this?" remember. Z87 is Intel's IP. This isn't like the company man coming in to disable your tv because it works too well, this is like the cable company coming to your house because you found a way to get premium channels without paying for it. Yeah, it sucks that some people got something for free that they're getting rid of, but it shouldn't have been there in the first place, and since they own both the chipset and the cpu, I'm pretty sure they are in the right for making sure that you use their intended chipset with the appropriate cpu to achieve the intended results
But it is the motherboard manuf. that exploited it, not the users.
I would be perfectly fine with it if they prevented future boards being manufactured from having the ability (they should fix the bug in the silicon really).
But trying to disable it after users already bought it is immoral and sleazy.
Really Intel is a great chip manufacturer but why do you have to be so closed in everything. I mean Intel also locks the Overclock multiplier in their chips for no real reason just because they want to make more profit by making people get only the thing that they want to sell.
I mean look at AMD, almost all of their chips have unlocked multiplier and they don't ever Interfere with any of the Motherboard manufacturer and does not peek their nose in everything else. They just launch great chips and let the other manufacturers do whatever they want to.
I really hate when good companies try to control everything according to their liking, some other examples are Apple (iOS) when compared to the open source Android by Google.
Why cannot every company by just open like AMD and Google are?
Intel try to be Monsanto Company of computer technology
NEVER trust in Intel to even allow previously purchased hard ware to remain in the purchased state, they will try their best to fix it retroactively to already sold hardware.