Intel launches a speed boost of approximately seven percent for certain Core Ultra 200S processors in the form of a free tool.
Intel is launching a free tool called 200S Boost. With this, users can give their desktop Intel Core Ultra 200 processor a speed boost of approximately seven percent. In essence, the tool can overclock the CPU without voiding the chip’s warranty.
The speed boost is not available for everyone. Only customers with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, Core Ultra 7 265K, 265KF or 245K or KF are eligible. Furthermore, a compatible system needs a motherboard with Intel Z890 chipset, as well as fast memory. Intel requires 8,000 MT/s RAM with XMP profile.
Overclocking Without Risk
The tool overclocks the fabric and memory speed of the chip but leaves the clock speed of the compute cores alone. In principle, overclocking violates the CPU’s warranty conditions, but in this exceptional case, you get the upgrade without any downside.
Specifically, Intel increases the fabric speed from 2.6 GHz to 3.2 GHz, and the Die-to-Die speed rises from 2.1 GHz to 3.2 GHz. Finally, the DDR5 memory speed increases from 6,400 MT/s to 8,000 MT/s for compatible RAM DIMMs.
Intel has made the tool available, but that doesn’t mean you can use it yourself. It’s up to your PC’s motherboard manufacturer to incorporate the new functionality in a BIOS update.
The Intel Core 200 CPUs for desktops, like their laptop variants, are focused on efficiency. They combine performance (P) and efficiency (E) cores on a single processor. This is interesting for laptops but offers little added value in a traditional desktop setting where low energy consumption is usually not the priority. Traditional desktop chips simply have a number of P-cores. With this update, Intel is trying to retroactively make its chips more interesting for customers who are after performance.