Intel ROC is a software used by Intel OC and validation laboratories for overclocking. Der8auer has visited Intel’s laboratories, where the company tests existing and future chips. He describes the architecture of the Intel reference platform utilized for testing, as well as the capabilities that these motherboards provide to Intel engineers. The majority of these functionalities are not and will never be accessible to users.
Der8auer’s demonstration of Intel’s proprietary overclocking application, ROC (Real-Time OverClocking), which is not available to the general public, is the most intriguing factor of the video. In conjunction with the validation motherboard, which has direct access to thousands of elements regulating the CPU, Intel can analyze and validate all modifications to the CPU in real time.
This application is significantly easier to use than the official Intel XTU (eXtreme Tuning Utility) program for overclocking unlocked Core series processors. Through a single-click interface, the ROC software grants direct control over individual cores. This provides unprecedented, minimal accessibility to overclocking Intel CPUs. With their unique overclocking software, Intel employees can modify the speed of individual cores, even in hybrid architectures with both smaller and larger cores.
Using a mobile processor named Core i9-13900HK, Roman conducted a fast test on ROC. It is crucial to remember that this is not the HX CPU with 24 cores based on the Raptor Lake design, but rather the unlocked variant with 6 Performance and 8 Efficient cores, and hence an Alder Lake-P die. The CPU was put on a reference system that utilized nonstandard air cooling (i.e. not a slim mobile cooler). The CPU can be replaced at any moment.
Der8auer overclocked the CPU from 5.6 to 6.0 GHz; however, as soon as it hit 5.985 GHz, the system crashed. However, it worked well at 5.8 GHz, which is remarkable for a mobile processor with all cores. Intel has no plans to release the ROC app to the public, although the company could be convinced to add a comparable interface to its XTU app in the future. The version featured in the video was an innovative ‘der8auer Xtreme Edition,’ which might have been a tool created particularly for the video.
Images credit: Der8auer