ASRock has released new BIOS versions for its Intel 600-series platforms that enable support of Intel's upcoming Core i9-12900KS processor that will use a yet-unknown Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost technology to reach up to 5.5 GHz. The new BIOSes update the Intel microcode on most (if not all) Intel 600-series motherboards and therefore brings formal support of the forthcoming flagship CPU to high-end mainboards and cheap Intel H610 platforms.
Apparently, to support Intel's Core i9-12900KS processor with an all-core turbo clock of 5.20 GHz and up to 5.50 GHz max turbo frequency, motherboard makers not only need to add a new CPU ID but also add support for Intel's Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost technology. This appears to be a yet another (sixth, to be more precise) adaptive boost level for the company's consumer chips.
Intel yet has to disclose how exactly its Enhanced Thermal Velocity Boost (ETVB) works. Still, it seems to be a superset of the company's regular Thermal Velocity Boost (TVB) technology that increases core clocks when all cores are active, and the chip's temperature is below 70ºC. Perhaps, with ETVB, the clocks and voltages are increased at higher temperatures when cooling is sufficient, but that is just speculation.
So far, ASRock has enabled support for Intel's Core i9-12900KS CPUs on its Z690 Taichi, Z690 Steel Legend Wi-Fi 6E, B660M-HDV, and H610M-HDV/M.2 motherboards, which belong to completely different market segments. The Z690 Taichi is one of the highest-end platforms on the market, and it's aimed at enthusiasts with deep pockets. By contrast, the H610M-HDV/M.2 motherboard is an entry-level product that will barely be used by owners of Intel's premium K-series motherboards, let alone the Core i9-12900KS, which is a limited special edition processor.
Considering that entry-level motherboards typically do not feature expensive voltage regulating modules (VRMs) for CPUs, it's unlikely the new chip could operate on those lower-end motherboards. Rather, support for the feature is probably just included as part of ASRock's standard firmware framework, thus resulting in its addition even where it doesn't make sense.
