Last weekend, it was revealed that some Intel Core Alder Lake processors not designed for overclocking—those without a "K" in their model name—can be overclocked using certain motherboards. Tom's Hardware contacted Intel for comment, and it appears that only Alder Lake K CPUs should be compatible with overclocking.
Intel told them that overclocking non-K CPUs is not covered under warranty and can cause damage to the processor and components. The statement implies that this new overclocking ability is not sanctioned by Intel.
Only Alder Lake K series should be overclocked
Over the weekend , overclocker Der8auer released a video sharing his discovery of BCLK overclocking options for locked Alder Lake-S CPUs . A few days later, he tested it on lower-end Alder Lake-S CPUs like the Intel Celeron G6900 and the Core i3-12100.
This overclocking, even on motherboards that are not high-end, achieved record figures and even exceeded the figures given by flagship models, including the i9-12900K. But these practices can easily break warranty and damage CPUs, Intel has warned.
But the manufacturer responded to Tom's Hardware, warning that Intel's 12th-generation non-K processors were not designed for overclocking. They do not guarantee the processors will operate beyond their specifications, and that altering the clock frequency or voltage can damage or reduce the lifespan of the processor and other system components. Their statement advises against overclocking non-K Alder Lake CPUs , but that doesn't mean you can't do it if you want to and are willing to accept the risks.
